Plant Communities

Importance / Issues

Identified as a high priority throughout the NGPN. Most stressors affecting park terrestrial and riparian ecosystems affect plant community composition, making it an indicator of ecological health (Symstad 2004).

Changes in cover, species occurrence, and structure at fine scales (e.g., increasing exotic species cover, lack of tree regeneration in riparian forests) may indicate or precede broader changes in the composition and productivity of park ecosystems.

This Vital Sign can be monitored cost effectively through collaboration with the Northern Great Plains Fire Effects program.

Monitoring Parks :

All, but limited extent in Missouri NRR and Niobrara NSR

Preliminary Monitoring Objectives

1. 1. In all NGPN parks except MNRR and NIOB, determine park-wide status and long-term trends in vegetation species composition (e.g., non-native vs. native, forb vs. graminoid vs. shrub) and structure (e.g., cover, height) of herbaceous and shrub species.
2. At 5-year intervals, determine park-wide status and long-term trends of tree density by species, height class, and diameter class in Black Hills parks (WICA, JECA, MORU, DETO).
3. At 5-year intervals, determine status and long-term trends of tree density by species, height class, and diameter class in riparian/floodplain areas near perennial rivers in selected parks (SCBL, DETO, KNRI, THRO).
4. Determine trends in plant species composition and community structure in selected areas of NGPN large-river parks (NIOB and MNRR).
5. Improve our understanding of the effects of external drivers and management actions on plant community species composition and structure by correlating changes in vegetation composition and structure with changes in climate, landscape patterns, atmospheric chemical composition, fire, and invasive plant control.

Potential Measures

frequency and cover of select species and functional groups

species richness and diversity

forest structure

herb-layer vegetation height

Expected Approach

Conducted in-house and in collaboration with NGP Fire Effects Monitoring Program using point-intercept and nested frequency methods for herb-layer vegetation and fixed-plot density measurements for trees and tall shrubs.

Protocol Development & Status

Draft protocol developed in collaboration with Fire Effects Program targeted for external review in spring 2009.

Status & Trends

Status and Trends will be posted once monitoring has begun.

Contact Information

Amy Symstad
U.S. Geological Survey
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Black Hills Station
Wind Cave National Park
26611 U.S. Highway 385
Hot Springs, SD 57747
Phone: 605-745-1191
asymstad@usgs.gov