Contemporary human use of southwestern ponderosa pine forests

Abstract

The ponderosa pine forests of the Southwest provide land, resources, products, and recreational opportunities for both urban and rural communities of the region and the nation. These human uses and activities affect resident and migratory bird populations in both negative and positive ways. This brief review focuses on three major kinds of human use that have the greatest potential to affect bird populations of the area: 1) commercial and personal- use wood harvest; 2) livestock grazing; and 3) recreation (USDI Fish and Wildlife Service 1995). In addition, growing urbanization, which also has the potential to affect bird populations, is briefly reviewed. The geographic focus is the USDA Forest Service land within the Southwestern Region (Region 3), located in Arizona and New Mexico, with a special emphasis on New Mexico and some of the long-standing, traditional use patterns of the state. Since another portion of this overview presents a history of human use of the ponderosa pine forest, this review is concentrated upon present-day uses and issues.

Parent Publication

• Songbird ecology in southwestern ponderosa pine forests: A literature review

Citation

Raish, Carol; Yong, Wang; Marzluff, John M. 1997. Contemporary human use of southwestern ponderosa pine forests. In: Block, William M.; Finch, Deborah M. (Tech. eds.). Songbird ecology in southwestern ponderosa pine forests: a literature review. Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-292. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. p. 28-42.