Wildlife Habitat
Wildlife Habitat
The size, topography, and physical location of New Mexico combine to make it is one of the more biologically diverse states in the U.S., with more than 4,500 different species of plants and animals.
Human activities have the potential to be either beneficial or detrimental to wildlife. It is the manner in which a human activity or practice is conducted that determines if it has a negative or positive effect on wildlife populations.
All landscapes in New Mexico are important for conserving our state’s biodiversity. The negative ecological impacts of habitat fragmentation on natural systems are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity.
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish identifies 19 key habitat types, 9 terrestrial and 10
aquatic. The state’s Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy describes the characteristics, distribution, connectivity, and condition of these key habitats.