Vegetation community monitoring at Fort Sumter National Monument, 2010.
Byrne MW, Corbett SL, DeVivo JC. 2012. Vegetation community monitoring at Fort Sumter National Monument, 2010.. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/SECN/NRDS—2012/254. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
In 2009, the National Park Service (NPS) Southeast Coast Network (SECN) Inventory and Monitoring Network began collecting vegetation community data as part the NPS Vital Signs monitoring program. Information collected under this Vital Sign will be used to help managers make better-informed decisions by understanding trends and variability related to plant species, frequency of occurrence, percent cover, diversity, and distribution in the groundcover, shrub, and canopy strata. Data were collected at four spatially-balanced random locations at the Monument. Monitoring efforts resulted in the addition of nine species, subspecies, or varieties to the park’s species list. Absolute canopy cover across the park was approximately 23%. Chapman oak (Quercus chapmanii) had the largest average diameter-at-breast-height of any canopy species at the park. Carolina laurel-cherry had the highest absolute and relative cover in the shrub stratum. Horseweed (Conyza canadensis) was the most frequently occurring species in the groundcover stratum.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Byrne, Michael; Corbett, Sarah; DeVivo, Joseph
- Date of Issue
- 2012-03
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- FOSU , NRSS , SECN
- Keywords
- absolute cover, groundcover, Monitoring, nativity, relative cover, shrub, Tree, Vegetation, Vegetation Monitoring