Monitoring Integrated Upland Ecosystems |
Importance
Vegetation and soils are the foundation upon which all terrestrial ecosystems are built. Soils provide the medium for the storage and delivery of water and nutrients to plants, which in turn provide animal populations with both habitat and food. Vegetation affects the spatial distribution of soil resources through processes such as nutrient uptake, litter deposition, and control of overland water flow. These interactions result in a tight linkage between the spatial patterning of vegetation and soils-especially in dryland ecosystems, where both water and nutrients are limiting. In addition, degradation of one of these resources can cause deterioration in the other; a drought might cause die-back of vegetation, resulting in increased erosion and further degradation of plant communities. In the semi-arid uplands of the Colorado Plateau, it is necessary to monitor soil stability as well as vegetation composition and structure in order to track changes in ecosystem condition. |
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Taking a soil core
in a grassland
plot, Wupatki
National
Monument. |
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Sampling
vegetation in
mixed-conifer
forest at the
North Rim,
Grand Canyon
National Park. |
Long-term Monitoring
In 2007, the Southern Colorado Plateau Network (SCPN) began long-term monitoring of vegetation and soils in five national parks, focusing on the predominant ecosystems of greatest concern to park managers. Permanent half-hectare plots were established in each of these parks to measure species frequency and abundance, forest structure, amount of exposed soil, and soil stability.
These plots will be monitored annually over the next three-to five years in order to estimate spatial and temporal variability in the vegetation and soils attributes that we are tracking. At that time, we will determine how many plots are required to detect trends, and how frequently those plots will be revisited. Over the next few years, additional monitoring plots will be established in all 15 SCPN parks where upland vegetation and soils monitoring will occur. |
Management Applications
The legacy of past livestock grazing, altered fire regimes, adjacent land-use activities, and climate change are the major issues relating to the condition of upland ecosystems within SCPN parks. Other human stressors include visitor use, exotic plant invasions, and air pollution.
The first several years of monitoring data will be used to describe current conditions for upland vegetation and soil resources. Over |
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| time, the data will be used to detect changes in the condition of upland ecosystems that could result from one or more of the stressors listed above. Understanding these trends will help park managers as they manage upland ecosystems and respond to emerging park issues. |
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