Implementation of a long-term vegetation monitoring program at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Sanders S and Grochowski J. 2010. Implementation of a long-term vegetation monitoring program at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Natural Resource Technical Report. NPS/GLKN/NRTR—2010/405. National Park Service; Great Lakes Inventory & Monitoring Network, GLKN; Natural Resource Program Center. Fort Collins, Colorado
We initiated a long-term vegetation monitoring program at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (PIRO) in summer 2009. The goals of this monitoring program are to detect forest change and to draw inferences about forest health so that management recommendations can be provided to Network parks. In 2009, we established 59 plots at PIRO, distributed among five habitat types: 1) very dry to dry, very poor to poor nutrient availability, 2) dry to dry mesic, poor to rich nutrient availability, 3) mesic, poor to medium nutrient availability, 4) mesic, medium nutrient availability, and 5) mesic, medium to rich nutrient availability. Data collected included tree species and diameter at breast height (DBH) for all individuals ≥ 2.6 cm DBH, sapling density, and coarse woody material. In the driest habitat, both jack pine and red pine are exhibiting poor regeneration. In this habitat, balsam fir, white pine, red maple, and aspen have the greatest density in the smallest size classes. In mesic habitats, there was a high percentage of trees showing evidence of beech scale ranging from 34 to 73% of beech trees in the four habitats affected. Despite this, the percentage of infestation on individual trees was relatively low, ranging from 1 to 17% in these habitats. In the same habitats, sugar maple was the dominant species, in many areas forming monospecific stands. Management recommendations for PIRO include initiating prescribed burning in the driest sites to promote the growth of jack pine and red pine. In mesic areas, managers may wish to restore areas to the historic species composition, including yellow birch and hemlock. In addition, scouting for resistant beech trees may help facilitate the restoration of beech once this disease becomes more widespread.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Sanders, Suzanne; Grochowski, Jessica
- Date of Issue
- 2010-11
- Publisher
- National Park Service; Great Lakes Inventory & Monitoring Network, GLKN; Natural Resource Program Center
- Units
- GLKN , NRSS , PIRO
- Keywords
- Great Lakes, Lake Superior, Monitoring, Pictured Rocks, Terrestrail Vegetation, Vegetation Monitor