Feed Editor Lite 8 Apr 2010 19:56:09 GMT News updates from the Sonoran Desert Network Inventory and Monitoring Network http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn/SODN_feed.xml en-us http://www.mywebsite.com/rss-image.gif Biological soil crusts form a living groundcover that is the foundation of desert plant life! Learn what they're made of, why they're important, and how to protect them in this short film from the National Park Service Sonoran Desert Network. 16 Jul 2012 18:22:50 GMT http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn/podcasts.cfm 6AD85080-D9D7-4F08-BB9D-D80FA49D6FF6 Field identification guides to the plants of Casa Grande Ruins NM and Tumacacori NHP are now available at the SODN home page! These guides are part of a larger body of work known as the Flora of the Sonoran Desert Network, whose goals are to produce (1) a comprehensive field guide for each SODN park unit, (2) a series of regional field guides tied to specific life forms, and (3) a guide to common plants for each SODN unit. 12 Jun 2012 18:46:37 GMT http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn FC536CAD-2611-4FDE-9434-7173FC3D92EF Our annual report of landbird monitoring activities is now available for the 2011 field season. 12 Jun 2012 18:50:31 GMT https://irma.nps.gov/App/Reference/DownloadDigitalFile?code=448320&file=SODNBirdAR_NRTR2011418_2184882.pdf 56413F2A-66A2-4B62-A9DB-9DBE21C85BC9 SODN, along with our partner the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, has produced a handy checklist of the 115 most commonly sighted birds at Montezuma Castle NM. 23 Apr 2012 18:51:15 GMT http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn/docs/MOCABirdList.pdf C2789ABF-0E96-4B3D-B22E-EAED798440E5 Reports on uplands monitoring conducted in 2010 at Saguaro NP-East and Coronado NMEM are available via this link. Uplands trip summaries for various SODN parks can also be accessed here. 20 Apr 2012 18:52:19 GMT http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn/monitor/uplands.cfm B04B3EAF-DA8A-4157-9822-42E675933692 The latest issue of the Heliograph features stories on SODN's role in the Saguaro NP BioBlitz, monitoring response to the monster fire season of 2011, and a profile of physical scientist Cheryl McIntyre, along with project updates, a monitoring schedule, and the latest info on who's come and gone since the last issue. Check it out! 20 Apr 2012 18:53:05 GMT http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn/docs/Heliograph_2(1).pdf 22D26FB2-D193-4C35-B8D6-AB4CEBAE7614 The joint protocol for monitoring terrestrial vegetation and soils in the Sonoran Desert Network and Chihuahuan Desert Network is now available from the network's web site. Follow the link! 20 Apr 2012 18:54:04 GMT http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn/monitor/uplands.cfm 17CEC222-090F-4EEC-8160-EDE707294467 Two-page overviews of SODN monitoring conducted at five parks are now available from the network web site. Follow the link below and click Briefs/Annual Monitorng Summaries by Park/2012 to see what we're up to at Chiricahua NM, Coronado NMEM, Organ Pipe Cactus NM, Saguaro NP, and Tonto NM! 20 Apr 2012 18:54:40 GMT http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn/digital_library.cfm 2DE39E70-0301-4B1D-8235-80FFF4902F29 This methods assessment examines two complementary approaches for monitoring landscape dynamics in Sonoran Desert Network parks: decadal, landscape-scale, Landsat-derived, land-cover maps; and multidate, historical formation maps derived from high-resolution aerial imagery. The results indicate that the two approaches can provide valuable historical and spatial information for NPS monitoring programs—information that can guide management decisions and help national parks to address landscape and vegetation changes occurring within and around park boundaries. 30 Sep 2011 18:55:08 GMT http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn/digital_library.cfm 6F898E2A-0704-4D00-B593-DA66BF56A51E "Terrestrial Vegetation and Soils Monitoring at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument: 2008 Status Report" is now available on the SODN website. This report summarizes the Sonoran Desert Network’s first season of terrestrial vegetation and soils monitoring at Casa Grande Ruins NM, in south-central Arizona. In 2008, six permanent field-monitoring sites were established and sampled across two units: the Casa Grande unit and the proposed Adamsville unit. Our objectives were to determine the status of and detect trends, over five-year intervals, in vegetation cover, vegetation frequency, soil cover, and surface soil stability. 6 Sep 2011 18:57:15 GMT http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn/monitor/uplands.cfm 3144C7E5-55BB-45FF-9E8E-E61B888AA61B Four new reports have been posted to the SODN website: (1) Mammals of the Rincon Mountain District, Saguaro National Park; (2) Soil Inventory Results and Relationships to Vegetation Monitoring Data at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument; (3) Invasive Non-native Plant Inventory for Tonto National Monument, 2005; and (4) Terrestrial Vegetation and Soils Monitoring in the Tucson Mountain District, Saguaro National Park, 2009–2010. 10 Aug 2011 18:59:14 GMT http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn/digital_library.cfm 052CF1FD-5662-4BC7-8128-A8748C37E116 The first monitoring protocol designed for use by the partners of the Southwest Network Collaboration (Sonoran Desert Network, Chihuahuan Desert Network, and Southern Plains Network) has been approved and published. This protocol explains how air quality monitoring will be reported for a total of 15 national park units in the Sonoran Desert (7 parks), Chihuahuan Desert (3 parks), and Southern Plains (5 parks) networks. 12 May 2011 19:00:39 GMT http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn/monitor/air_quality.cfm 9C140718-3B98-49E3-8A5C-333BA13C12A2 The Arizona Daily Star today published a story about the network's recent find of an organ pipe cactus at Saguaro National Park. The find is significant because in the U.S., organ pipe cacti are almost completely limited to warm, low-elevation deserts at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, south of Ajo. 25 Apr 2011 19:02:20 GMT http://azstarnet.com/news/local/article_970671b2-b6c6-58b5-bc83-df30315d337a.html 9343BF43-3B88-4593-82A8-E9FFC8C595F0 The Sonoran Desert Network vegetation mapping field crew discovered a single organ pipe cactus in the Tucson Mountain District of Saguaro NP last week. This is a new species record for the park and will be formally documented and added to their flora. See the SODN Facebook site for more information. 28 Feb 2011 19:02:59 GMT https://www.facebook.com/npssodn 9D4D13CD-D2A3-4E53-98EC-7DB3CB4FB0BF The authors of this report investigated (1) how estimates of plant species, total vegetation, and soil cover obtained following the methods outlined in the SODN uplands monitoring protocol compared to a more time- and resource-intensive plant census, and (2) how well this protocol tracked changes in cover through 82 years compared to the plant census. Results from the SODN protocol were comparable to those from the plant census. Importantly, it was determined that the SODN protocol could be used as a rapid, “off -the-shelf” tool for assessing land degradation (or desertification) in arid and semiarid ecosystems. 25 Feb 2011 19:03:39 GMT http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn/digital_library.cfm 418727FA-6DFE-41E1-BF8F-E39F2315C4F4 The latest issue of The Heliograph can now be viewed and downloaded from the SODN website. This issue includes features on the Southwest Network Collaboration (with photo map!), an exciting new plant find at Saguaro NP, stream gaging implementation, a profile of hydrologic technician Kara Raymond, project updates, a monitoring calendar, news about network staff comings and goings, and more! 3 May 2011 19:04:34 GMT http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn/digital_library.cfm 938664F1-FD3B-4903-ABD1-2EC9B8A14E42 The Sonoran Desert Network is now on Facebook! Check (and Like) our page for updates on monitoring-crew activities, park news, and various network miscellany. 1 Feb 2011 19:05:31 GMT https://www.facebook.com/npssodn 7DD381FE-740A-4A0F-ACF9-F2678331A25B