Alpine and subalpine vegetation monitoring protocol for the North Coast and Cascades Network
Rochefort RM, Bivin M, Boetsch J, Grace L, Howlin S, Acker SA, Thomson CC, Whiteaker L. 2012. Alpine and subalpine vegetation monitoring protocol for the North Coast and Cascades Network. Natural Resource Report. NPS/NCCN/NRR—2012/570. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
Subalpine and alpine areas are ecologically important zones that provide popular recreational opportunities for visitors to Mount Rainier (MORA), North Cascades (NOCA), and Olympic (OLYM) National Parks. The subalpine parkland is a mosaic of tree clumps and herbaceous meadows extending from forestline to treeline. The sparsely vegetated alpine zone continues up to the permanent ice and snow cover the peaks of the Cascades and Olympics. Collectively, the subalpine and alpine zones comprise the alpine treeline ecotone – a transition between the closed canopy forests below and bare rock or ice covering the mountain or ridge tops. Vegetation distribution and composition in this zone is primarily determined by low temperatures, snow depth, and duration of snow cover and therefore is very sensitive to climate change. The overarching goal of the Alpine and Subalpine Monitoring Protocol is to provide accurate information regarding the status and trends of vegetation in the alpine treeline ecotone in order to inform management decisions affecting these areas. Specific objectives of the protocol are to: 1. Determine the status and trends in vegetation composition and structure of alpine vegetation in MORA, NOCA, and OLYM. 2. Determine the status and trends in vegetation composition and structure of subalpine vegetation in MORA, NOCA, and OLYM. 3. Determine the status and trends in vegetation composition and structure of legacy (historic, non-random) vegetation plots in MORA. 4. Determine the status and trends in soil temperature and snow cover period in subalpine and alpine communities in MORA, NOCA, and OLYM and at legacy plots in MORA. 5. Determine status and trends in the structure and condition of whitebark pine stands in MORA, NOCA, and OLYM. The protocol utilizes a general random tessellation stratified sample (GRTS) of sites to monitor status and trends of vegetation, soil temperature, and snow pack in subalpine and alpine zones. The target population includes subalpine and alpine areas on gentle slopes within 1.5 km of trails and roads. Boundaries of target populations were developed to include the range of environmental variation in the alpine treeline ecotone while keeping safe travel times to monitoring sites within reasonable hiking distances. Detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for field data collection, data management, data analysis, and reporting are included to standardize methods for long-term monitoring.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Rochefort, Regina; Bivin, Mignonne; Boetsch, John; Grace, Lise; Howlin, Shay; Acker, Steven; Thomson, Catherine; Whiteaker, Lou
- Date of Issue
- 2012-09
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- IMDP , MORA , NOCA , NRSS , OLYM
- Keywords
- Alpine, Blister Rust, Climate Change, Community, Composition, Distribution, ecotone, Generalized Random Tessellation Stratified, GRTS, legacy, Monitoring, Mortality, Mount Rainier National Park, NCCN Monitoring Protocol, North Cascades National Park, Olympic National Park, plot, Quadrat, Snow cover, Soil Temperature, Status, Structure, Subalpine, subalpine vegetation monitoring, Trend, Vegetation, Whitebark Pine, whitebark pine monitoring
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Sparsely Vegetated Communities , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Vegetation Complex