Importance
The nine park units of the Great Lakes Network extend from the boreal forests of northern Minnesota to the sand dunes of southern Lake Michigan. Because forests dominate the landscape in the Great Lakes Network national parks, this protocol will focus exclusively on forested vegetation. Forests serve as an integrated measure of terrestrial ecosystem health by expressing information about climate, soils, and disturbance, as well as the effects of browsing and exotic species invasion. Further, terrestrial vegetation serves as a trophic base for other ecosystem components. Because of this interwoven relationship between forests and both biotic and abiotic components, we have developed a comprehensive protocol that incorporates the Network’s monitoring plans for terrestrial vegetation and those of related Vital Signs, including terrestrial pests and pathogens, problem species, and succession.

For more detailed information, see the In-depth Information box below.