Vegetation community monitoring at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 2010.
Byrne MW, Corbett SL, DeVivo JC. 2012. Vegetation community monitoring at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 2010.. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/SECN/NRDS—2012/257. 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 24 spatially-balanced random locations at the Seashore. Monitoring efforts resulted in the addition of six species, subspecies, or varieties to the Seashore’s species list. Absolute canopy cover across the park was approximately 20%. Loblolly pine had the largest average diameter-at-breast-height of any canopy species at the Seashore. Yaupon holly and wax myrtle were the most frequently occurring species in the shrub stratum. Saltmeadow cordgrass, greenbriar, poison ivy, and climbing hempvine were 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
- CAHA , NRSS , SECN
- Keywords
- absolute cover, diameter at breast height, groundcover, Monitoring, relative cover, shrub, Tree, Vegetation, Vegetation Monitoring