WILDLIFE HABITAT EVALUATION GUIDE

**FOR LESSER PRAIRIE CHICKEN**

**NEW MEXICO**

<table style="width:100%;">
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 10%" />
<col style="width: 3%" />
<col style="width: 4%" />
<col style="width: 4%" />
<col style="width: 1%" />
<col style="width: 18%" />
<col style="width: 4%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 4%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 1%" />
<col style="width: 1%" />
<col style="width: 4%" />
<col style="width: 2%" />
<col style="width: 18%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td colspan="4"><h1 id="owneruser">OWNER/USER</h1></td>
<td colspan="6">     </td>
<td colspan="3">UNIT</td>
<td colspan="3">     </td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td colspan="5"><h1 id="location-sec">LOCATION SEC</h1></td>
<td>     </td>
<td>T</td>
<td>    </td>
<td>R</td>
<td>    </td>
<td colspan="2">UTM</td>
<td colspan="4">     </td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td colspan="3"><h1 id="observer">OBSERVER</h1></td>
<td colspan="7">     </td>
<td colspan="4">MAP NO</td>
<td colspan="2">     </td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td colspan="2"><h1 id="aspect">ASPECT</h1></td>
<td colspan="8">     </td>
<td colspan="5">WHEG NO</td>
<td>     </td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><h1 id="date">DATE</h1></td>
<td colspan="7">     </td>
<td colspan="3"></td>
<td colspan="5"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

## HOME RANGE

April -- September 100-150 acres.

October -- March 150-1,000 acres.

  --------------------------- -------------------------------------------
                                   

  --------------------------- -------------------------------------------

+----------+----------------------------------+------+------+---+------+
|          |                                  |      | #    |   |      |
|          |                                  |      | # Ra |   |      |
|          |                                  |      | ting |   |      |
+----------+----------------------------------+------+------+---+------+
| Factor   | Component                        | V    | B    |   | A    |
|          |                                  | alue | ench |   | fter |
|          |                                  |      |      |   |      |
|          |                                  |      | Mark |   | Plan |
+----------+----------------------------------+------+------+---+------+
| **PLANT  | 1.  Shinnery oak/grassland       | .8   |      |   |      |
| COMMU    |     prairie or sand sage         | -1.0 |      |   |      |
| NITIES** |     brush/grass (18" -- 36"      |      |      |   |      |
|          |     tall) with occasional tall   | .    |      |   |      |
|          |     shrub/tree motts             | 4-.7 |      |   |      |
|          |                                  |      |      |   |      |
|          | > Mesqute/grassland              | 0-.3 |      |   |      |
|          | >                                |      |      |   |      |
|          | > Short grass, no shrubs; CRP    |      |      |   |      |
|          | > grass monoculture, cultivated  |      |      |   |      |
|          | > cropland                       |      |      |   |      |
+----------+----------------------------------+------+------+---+------+
| *        | 2.  Grass canopy cover \> 50%.   | .8   |      |   |      |
| *NESTING |     Dense grass/shrub clumps     | -1.0 |      |   |      |
| H        |     (18-36" tall)                |      |      |   |      |
| ABITAT** |                                  | .    |      |   |      |
|          | > Short grass only               | 4-.7 |      |   |      |
|          | >                                |      |      |   |      |
|          | > Shrub only                     | 0-.3 |      |   |      |
+----------+----------------------------------+------+------+---+------+
| **LEKS   | 3.  Small rise in ground surface | .8   |      |   |      |
| (c       |     with short grass or bare     | -1.0 |      |   |      |
| ourtship |     ground                       |      |      |   |      |
| area)**  |                                  | .    |      |   |      |
|          | > Short grass with shrubs        | 4-.7 |      |   |      |
|          | >                                |      |      |   |      |
|          | > Dense grass/shrubs             | 0-.3 |      |   |      |
+----------+----------------------------------+------+------+---+------+
| **BROOD  | 4.  40-45% oak/sage with 40-45%  | .8   |      |   |      |
| R        |     grasses, 15-20% forbs        | -1.0 |      |   |      |
| EARING** |                                  |      |      |   |      |
|          | > 50-70% oak/sage with 30-50%    | .    |      |   |      |
|          | > grasses                        | 4-.7 |      |   |      |
|          | >                                |      |      |   |      |
|          | > \>75% oak/sage or \>75%        | 0-.3 |      |   |      |
|          | > grasses                        |      |      |   |      |
+----------+----------------------------------+------+------+---+------+

+-----------+---------------------------------+------+------+---+------+
|           |                                 |      | #    |   |      |
|           |                                 |      | # Ra |   |      |
|           |                                 |      | ting |   |      |
+-----------+---------------------------------+------+------+---+------+
| Factor    | Component                       | V    | B    |   | A    |
|           |                                 | alue | ench |   | fter |
|           |                                 |      |      |   |      |
|           |                                 |      | Mark |   | Plan |
+-----------+---------------------------------+------+------+---+------+
| **INTE    | 5.  All three within 1/10 -- ½  | .8   |      |   |      |
| RSPERSION |     mile                        | -1.0 |      |   |      |
| OF LEK,   |                                 |      |      |   |      |
| NESTING   | > All three within ½ - 1½ miles | .    |      |   |      |
| &BROOD    | >                               | 4-.7 |      |   |      |
| REARING   | > Any one greater than 1½ miles |      |      |   |      |
| H         | > away                          | 0-.3 |      |   |      |
| ABITATS** |                                 |      |      |   |      |
+-----------+---------------------------------+------+------+---+------+
| **FOODS** | 6.  [Spring/Summer --           | .8   |      |   |      |
|           |     grasshoppers and other      | -1.0 |      |   |      |
|           |     insects, fragrant sumac     |      |      |   |      |
|           |     buds and leaves, forb       | .    |      |   |      |
|           |     leaves/fruits, oak catkins, | 4-.7 |      |   |      |
|           |     oak leaves, oak buds,       |      |      |   |      |
|           |     acorns (if available),      | 0-.3 |      |   |      |
|           |     grass seeds.]{.underline}   |      |      |   |      |
|           |                                 |      |      |   |      |
|           | Fall/Winter -- oak insect       |      |      |   |      |
|           | galls, acorns, grass seeds,     |      |      |   |      |
|           | sand sage leaves, wild          |      |      |   |      |
|           | buckwheat, cultivated waste     |      |      |   |      |
|           | grains, cultivated winter wheat |      |      |   |      |
|           | leaves.                         |      |      |   |      |
|           |                                 |      |      |   |      |
|           | > Year-round foods available on |      |      |   |      |
|           | > farm                          |      |      |   |      |
|           | >                               |      |      |   |      |
|           | > Food available only           |      |      |   |      |
|           | > seasonally each year on farm  |      |      |   |      |
|           | >                               |      |      |   |      |
|           | > Food unavailable on farm      |      |      |   |      |
+-----------+---------------------------------+------+------+---+------+
| **GRAZING | 7.  Grazing managed to enhance  | .8   |      |   |      |
| MAN       |     spring grass cover for      | -1.0 |      |   |      |
| AGEMENT** |     nesting (18" -- 36" height  |      |      |   |      |
|           |     on grass, April, May, June) | .    |      |   |      |
|           |                                 | 4-.7 |      |   |      |
|           | > Intensified management for    |      |      |   |      |
|           | > livestock forage production   | 0-.3 |      |   |      |
|           | >                               |      |      |   |      |
|           | > Deferred grazing, year-round  |      |      |   |      |
|           | > grazing                       |      |      |   |      |
+-----------+---------------------------------+------+------+---+------+

## **SCORING FOR LESSER PRAIRIE CHICKEN HABITAT**

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 32%" />
<col style="width: 10%" />
<col style="width: 3%" />
<col style="width: 10%" />
<col style="width: 3%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 3%" />
<col style="width: 13%" />
<col style="width: 3%" />
<col style="width: 14%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><h4 id="component">Component</h4></td>
<td><strong>Bench Mark</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>After Plan</strong></td>
<td colspan="3"><strong>Weight</strong></td>
<td><strong>Bench Score</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>After Plan Score</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><ol type="1">
<li><p>Plant Community</p></li>
</ol></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>x1</td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><ol start="2" type="1">
<li><p>Nesting Habitat</p></li>
</ol></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>x3</td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><ol start="3" type="1">
<li><p>Leks</p></li>
</ol></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>x1</td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><ol start="4" type="1">
<li><p>Brood Rearing Habitat</p></li>
</ol></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>x1</td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><ol start="5" type="1">
<li><p>Interspersion</p></li>
</ol></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>x3</td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><ol start="6" type="1">
<li><p>Foods</p></li>
</ol></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>x1</td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><ol start="7" type="1">
<li><p>Grazing Management</p></li>
</ol></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>x2</td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td colspan="2"><h5 id="sum">SUM</h5></td>
<td>     </td>
<td></td>
<td>     </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

  ------------------------------------- ---------------------------------
  Benchmark Score                            

  After Plan Score                           
  ------------------------------------- ---------------------------------

  ------------------ ------------- --- ---------- ---- --------------------
  OVERALL            SCORE         =   SUM        =         

                                       12              
  ------------------ ------------- --- ---------- ---- --------------------