A significant acreage of pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine forest lands are also represented. This habitat diversity provides for an even greater diversity of wildlife species. Arizona's public lands support a level of biological diversity that is almost unmatched. Some of the habitats, such as riparian, are extremely important simply because of their relative scarcity in desert environments. More than 800 vertebrate species are found in Arizona, many making public lands their home at least seasonally.
All public land is habitat for one kind of wildlife or another, and usually for several.
It provides a significant portion of the habitats for big game animals in Arizona. Large portions of the state's other game populations can be spotted in habitat found on public lands. There are currently 54 species of animals and plants in Arizona listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as threatened or endangered and an additional nine proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act. There are also 194 species proposed as candidates for special listing. The Arizona Game and Fish Department also maintains a list of species whose existence in the state is threatened.