Plant community composition and structure monitoring protocol for the Northern Great Plains I&M Network: Version 1.01
Symstad AJ, Gitzen RA, Wienk CL, Bynum MR, Swanson DJ, Thorstenson AD, Paintner-Green KJ. 2012. Plant community composition and structure monitoring protocol for the Northern Great Plains I&M Network: Version 1.01. Natural Resource Report. NPS/NGPN/NRR—2012/489. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
Goal of the Protocol: Consistent, well-planned monitoring of the status and trends of these parameters ideally would provide park managers with early warning of undesirable change, measure digression from or progress towards a desired state, and evaluate effectiveness of management programs. In addition, when combined with monitoring of environmental factors (NGPN Weather and Climate, Wet and Dry Deposition, Ozone vital signs), wildlife species (Prairie Dogs and Land Birds vital signs, park ungulate monitoring), specific disturbances (Fire and Fuel Dynamics and Extreme Disturbances vital signs), and park management practices, it would increase the fundamental understanding of these ecosystems. No single monitoring protocol, or even a whole monitoring program, can do all these things thoroughly within the bounds of fiscal resources available. Thus, the monitoring strategy described in this protocol attempts to balance the immediate needs of managers for current information for evaluation and the need for insight into the changes occurring in plant communities over time. The broad goal of plant community composition and structure monitoring for most NGPN parks is to make park-wide inferences about the status and trends of the health of vegetation. However, plant community composition and structure monitoring in two parks in the Network, MNRR and NIOB, will not have park-wide inference but will instead focus on limited areas because multiple ownership of the properties within their boundaries is not conducive to long-term, park-wide, land-based vegetation monitoring. Plant community monitoring in these parks will likely focus on specific management issues (e.g., birch or aspen at NIOB, prairie restoration at MNRR).
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Symstad, Amy; Gitzen, Robert; Wienk, Cody; Bynum, Michael; Swanson, Daniel; Thorstenson, Andy; Paintner-Green, Kara
- Date of Issue
- 2012-02
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- AGFO , BADL , DETO , FOLA , FOUS , IMDP , JECA , KNRI , MNRR , MORU , NGPN , NIOB , NRSS , SCBL , THRO , WICA
- Keywords
- Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, fire monitoring, Grasslands, Monitoring, Plant Community, Plant community monitoring, plant community protocol, plant composition, plant cover, Plant diversity, Ponderosa pine forests, Protocol, Vegetation
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Grassland/Herbaceous Communities , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Shrubland Communities , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Forest/Woodland Communities , Ecological Framework: Landscapes | Fire and Fuel Dynamics | Fire and Fuel Dynamics , Ecological Framework: Landscapes | Energy Flow | Primary Production