Vegetation Composition Structure and Soils
LIBI Laying a Transect
Importance/Issues
Vegetation composition, structure, and soils are important habitat elements in all ROMN parks. Vegetation structure and composition are fundamental determinants of wildlife habitat characteristics and quality, visitor experiences, cultural/historic landscape quality (in the cases of LIBI and GRKO), and basic ecosystem functioning (e.g., via primary production; cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and other nutrients; and micro-climate controls). In addition to providing information about the condition of these ecosystems, data from this monitoring will help characterize parkwide ecosystem responses to other vital signs (drivers), including Weather and Climate, Wet and Dry Deposition, Landscape Dynamics, Invasive/Exotic Plants, and habitat conditions for Focal Species (i.e., elk, grizzly bear, and endemic GRSA insects).
Preliminary Monitoring Objectives
- Determine the status and trend in vegetation structure (relative cover of shrubs, grasses, herbs, trees, and bare ground) and composition (within classes and at the species level).
- Determine the status and trend in soil structure based on texture and stability, water infiltration rates, evidence of erosion, and extent of bare (non-vegetated) soils.
- Determine and track (over time) the correlation between trends in vegetation and soil conditions (as evidenced from above) and potential drivers of change, including climate, atmospheric deposition, management, landscape patterns, and biological drivers (e.g., herbivory, exotic invasion, pests).
- Recognize and report status and trends in the presence or absence of invasive/introduced species based on park-specific lists of likely invaders.
Potential Measures
- Plant cover (by biophysical group)
- Plant functional group composition (abundance, frequency, cover)
- Presence/absence and of invasive plant taxa
- Soil texture
- Water infiltration rate
- Exposure and/or erosion of bare soil
Protocol Development and Status
Protocol development began in 2006 cooperatively with Dan Manier at Colorado State Univ. Dan is working full-time for the ROMN as a vegetation ecologist. Dan and ROMN staff did protocol development work utilizing student interns from the Tehabi Program (based at Utah State Univ.) at GRKO and LIBI in 2006. ROMN continued to refine and implement VCSS community monitoring protocols in 2007. Draft protocols are available for internal (NPS) use. These protocols will be submitted for formal review when designs and power analyses are completed (targeted for FY08). The ROMN expects to expand implementation of VCSS protocols to additional network parks in FY08.
GRKO Transect
Contact Information
Donna Shorrock
Natural Resources Program Center
1201 Oakridge Drive, Suite 200
Fort Collins, CO 80525
970-225-3583
Donna_Shorrockr@nps.gov
Natural Resources Program Center
1201 Oakridge Drive, Suite 200
Fort Collins, CO 80525
970-267-2147
billy_schweiger@nps.gov