Status of forest structure and fuel loads at Mount Rushmore National Memorial: 2010-2011 report

Ashton IW, Prowatzke M, Bynumm MR, Shepherd T, Wilson SK, Paintner-Green K, Swanson D. 2012. Status of forest structure and fuel loads at Mount Rushmore National Memorial: 2010-2011 report. Natural Resource Technical Report. NPS/NCCN/NRTR—2012/591. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado

Sixty forested plots at Mount Rushmore National Memorial (MORU) were surveyed by the Northern Great Plain Inventory and Monitoring Network (NGPN) and Northern Great Plains Fire Ecology Program (FEP) in 2010. This effort will be repeated in 2016 and every 5 years thereafter to better understand status and trends in forest composition, structure, and fuel loading. We measured tree stem density, basal area, live and dead tree condition, fire fuel loads, cover of exotic species, and disturbance in all plots. By using a randomized survey approach, we are able to use these data to estimate the status of the forest across the park as a whole. We found the following: • Ponderosa pine was the only species to occur in all plots. Chokecherry seedlings were common and occurred in about one-third of the plots. Other than ponderosa pine, the most common trees or poles we encountered were quaking aspen and paper birch. • In 2010, basal area averaged 30 m2 per hectare (131 ft2 per acre) which is considerably higher than the average of the Black Hills National Forest and historical densities, but similar to past surveys done in MORU. • In 2010, we found 23% of the park had evidence of mountain pine beetles. We expect that current infestation rates are higher as mountain pine beetles have become more abundant across the Black Hills in recent years. • Thinning efforts in MORU have resulted in reduced basal area and density of small diameter trees. These efforts may move the forest closer to the historical condition.

Type
Published Report
Authors
Ashton, Isabel; Prowatzke, Michael; Bynumm, Michael; Shepherd, Tim; Wilson, Stephen; Paintner-Green, Kara; Swanson, Dan
Date of Issue
2012-06
Publisher
National Park Service
Units
MORU , NGPN , NRSS
Keywords
Fuels, Monitoring, monitoring report, Mountain pine beetle, plant community monitor, Plant community monitoring, Plant diversity, Ponderosa Pine, Vegetation

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