Glacier National Park: Eastside Grasslands Ecology Project (Final Report)

Asebrook, Jennifer; Shea, Dave

Final report that summarizes the data and findings from a three year ecological study (1999-2001) of grassland communities on the east side of Glacier NP. Vegetation, wildlife, and non-native species were areas of emphasis during the study. The Glacier National Park Eastside Grasslands Ecology Project was initiated in 1999 as a three-year study. The goals of this study are:1. To determine plant species composition in each of the numerous meadow systems and to classify the grassland communities on the east side of the park.2. To monitor the presence and status of exotic plant species within east side grasslands.3. To establish permanent vegetation plots, which may be used again in the future for comparative analysis.4. To document wildlife utilization of grasslands to establish a baseline for determining relationships with vegetative conditions, comparison with historical records, and future monitoring. This assessment will focus on bighorn sheep, neotropical migratory birds, and small mammals.5. To determine the initial extent of undisturbed grasslands, identify what changes (if any) have occurred over the last 100 years, and clarify the rate and direction of change to help forecast expected future conditions.6. To create a management matrix that ranks the health of each grassland area based on current ecological values, severity of current stressors to ecological integrity, and potential threats to each of the sites.The 1999 season saw the beginning of the three-year meadow vegetation surveys. Additional projects during the 2000 and 2001 seasons included a prairie bird survey, a small mammal study, the continuation of a graduate-level bighorn sheep study, and comparative past and present photography. Twenty-one sites on bighorn sheep range were sampled to provide vegetative information for the graduate study.

Glacier National Park: Eastside Grasslands Ecology Project (Final Report)

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