An Evaluation of Biological Inventory Data Collected at Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Vertebrate and Vascular Plant Inventories

WIlliams, Michael

The Inventory and Monitoring program of the NPS provides twelve basic inventories for park managers, including lists of species that occur in NPS units. One thousand five hundred fifty species are certified on the list of vascular plants and vertebrates for Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CUVA). Based on a review of the evidence, 1,534 (99%) species were categorized as Present in Park, and 16 (1%) as Probably Present. Ninety two species were Unconfirmed or Historic. In addition to documenting the presence of species, reviewers categorized the general abundance of 1,428 (93%) species and determined residency for all documented vertebrates with the exception of 29. Two hundred fifty five non-native species are documented to occur in the park. Of these are seven birds, two fish, one mammal, three reptiles, and 242 vascular plants. Non-native vascular plant species were assigned a NatureServe Invasive Species Impact Rank (I-Rank) based on impact to native species and natural biodiversity. Forty three of the 242 (18%) non-native plants found on CUVA received an overall I-Rank score that included the high category (i.e. most threatening). A total of 110 species (Table 4) are listed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources as a species of conservation status. Additional NatureServe global, national, and subnational ranking status is provided. The federally listed endangered Indiana bat is present at CUVA. Thirty five state listed species include 19 threatened (bald eagle, barn owl, black crowned night heron, dark eyed junco, hermit thrush, least bittern, least flycatcher, osprey, peregrine falcon, bearded wheat grass, golden fruited sedge, gray beard tongue, great rhododendron, Greene’s rush, large leaved mountain rice, leafy goldenrod, pipsissewa, seaside arrow grass, thin leaved sedge) documented on CUVA. Fifteen state listed endangered species documented on CUVA include: American bittern, black tern, cattle egret, golden winged warbler, northern harrier, sandhill crane, yellow bellied sapsucker, drooping wood sedge, ground juniper, hairy tick trefoil, Olney’s three square, ovate spike rush, Philadelphia panic grass, variegated scouring rush, yellow lady’s slipper. One state listed endangered species was noted as probably present at CUVA (Eastern massasauga). Future inventory efforts are discussed.

An Evaluation of Biological Inventory Data Collected at Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Vertebrate and Vascular Plant Inventories

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