Riparian Vegetation

Parks where protocol will be implemented

• Big Hole National Battlefield
• City of Rocks National Reserve
• Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve
• Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
• John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
• Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area
• Nez Perce National Historical Park
• Whitman Mission National Historic Site

Importance / Issues

• Riparian vegetation communities have been identified by several Network parks as being a significant resource. Riparian communities support unique plant and animal species and provide important ecological services.
• Throughout the Network these communities have been substantially altered by historic land use, invasive/exotic plants, development, and other impacts. In many areas, wholesale shifts in riparian plant communities have taken place and are now largely dominated by invasive exotic species.
• Abundance and composition of riparian vegetation species and communities are fundamental and easily measurable attributes that additionally address objectives related to the invasive/exotic plants vital sign.
• Because of the three-dimensional nature of riparian ecosystems and the inextricable relationship between riparian vegetation and stream channel morphology, field efforts will be coordinated closely with the Network's stream/river channel characteristics vital sign.

Preliminary Monitoring Objectives

Estimate the trends in abundance of targeted plant species and horizontal strata (i.e., trees, graminoids, etc.) and community composition in riparian plant communities.

Potential Measures

Abundance (cover) of target genera and species (e.g., willow, aspen) and strata (e.g., tree, graminoid) and composition of communities and community types (similarity indices, richness and dominance).

Management Applications

Information gathered from this monitoring will be used to:

• Inform management prescriptions for weed control and restoration.
• Provide benchmarks for evaluating restoration and other management actions
• Help assess progress towards riparian health goal.

Protocol Development & Status

Protocol completion is planned for 2010.

Contact Information

Tom Rodhouse
Upper Columbia Basin Network Ecologist
National Park Service
2600 NW College Way - Ponderosa Bldg.
Bend, OR 97701
Email