Invasive exotic plant monitoring at Fossil Butte National Monument: 2010 field season
Perkins DW. 2011. Invasive exotic plant monitoring at Fossil Butte National Monument: 2010 field season. Natural Resource Technical Report. NPS/NCPN/NRTR—2011/466. National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science. Fort Collins, Colorado
Invasive exotic plant (IEP) species are one of the biggest threats to natural ecosystem integrity and biodiversity, and controlling them is a high priority for the National Park Service. The Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN) selected the early detection of IEPs as one of 10 monitoring protocols to be implemented as part of its long-term monitoring program. This report represents work completed during 2010 at Fossil Butte National Monument (FOBU) and compares 2010 data to surveys conducted in 2008 and 2009. We detected 21 IEP species on monitoring routes and quadrats in 2010 at FOBU. Of these, 11 were Priority 1 species for the park that were consistently recorded in each year. Some IEPs that were targeted for control along the Main Park Road and Chicken Creek were found in reduced numbers in 2010, when compared to previous years. However, Priority 1 IEPs have increased in number and size of infestations in most other areas, as detected on monitoring routes and transects. No new Priority 1 species were detected along monitoring routes in 2010. Generally, the further a route was from areas of high visitation, the fewer IEPs were detected on it. Many IEPs are present in small, localized invasions that have a promising chance of successful management control and eradication. NCPN staff will return to FOBU to revisit all monitoring routes in 2012.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Perkins, Dustin
- Date of Issue
- 2011-06
- Publisher
- National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science
- Units
- FOBU , NCPN , NRSS
- Keywords
- Exotic Species, Exotic/Invasive Species - Plants, Invasive Species, Monitoring, NCPN Invasive Plants Monitoring, Plant Studies