Vegetation community monitoring at Congaree National Park, 2010.
Byrne MW, Corbett SL, DeVivo JW. 2012. Vegetation community monitoring at Congaree National Park, 2010.. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/SECN/NRDS—2012/259. National Park Service. Fort Colllins, 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 30 spatially-balanced random locations at the Park. Monitoring efforts resulted in the addition of six species, subspecies, or varieties to the park’s species list. Absolute canopy cover across the park was approximately 83%. Water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica) had the largest average diameter at breast height of any canopy species at the park. Boxelder (Acer negundo) was the most frequently detected seedling species. Paw-paw (Asimina triloba) was the most frequently occurring species in the shrub stratum. Smilax spp. and poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans ssp. radicans) 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
- CONG , NRSS , SECN
- Keywords
- absolute cover, diameter at breast height, groundcover, Monitoring, relative cover, shrub, Tree, Vegetation, Vegetation Monitoring