Salt marsh vegetation monitoring at Colonial National Historical Park: 2008 summary report

Patenaude, Erika; Pooler, Penelope

The Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network (NCBN) is one of 32 networks of parks created by the Inventory and Monitoring Program (I&M Program) of the National Park Service. The I&M Program has two components, 1) to collect baseline ecological inventory datasets and 2) to implement Vital Signs monitoring, a long-term ecological monitoring program, in each of the Network parks. The Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network consists of eight parks linked by geography and shared ecological characteristics along the Northeastern Atlantic Coast. As part of the Vital Signs program, each Network has developed detailed protocols for monitoring a select number of Vital Signs, or ecological indicators. Because the majority of parks in the NCBN are coastal parks, salt marsh monitoring was chosen as a high priority and a protocol was developed for collecting long-term data on salt marsh vegetation (James-Pirri In Development).This annual report summarizes the first year of data collected at Colonial National Historical Park (COLO) Virginia. Fifty vegetation plots were sampled for vegetation at four marshes in August of 2008. Monitoring data is to be collected at these same marsh sites biennially. Vegetation was monitored using 1m2 plots and a revised Braun-Blanquet method (Kent and Coker 1992) to estimate percent cover of each vegetation species and non-vegetation cover type within each plot.At the four COLO sites, 25 vegetation species along with 3 non-vegetation cover types were recorded during vegetation sampling in 2008. Non-vegetation cover types recorded included wrack and litter, bare ground, and water. One of the identified vegetation species, Phragmites australis, is listed as a highly invasive species in the state of Virginia (Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation 2009). The information collected through this long-term monitoring program will equip park managers with scientific data to make informed decisions on both the aquatic and terrestrial resources they manage. This report summarizes the 2008 baseline data for COLO salt marshes. Changes in salt marsh condition will be examined following data collection in 2010. By understanding the changes or trends occurring in salt marsh vegetation, managers will be able to better adapt and respond to these changes through their management practices.

Salt marsh vegetation monitoring at Colonial National Historical Park: 2008 summary report

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