Plant community composition and structure monitoring for Fort Laramie National Historic Site: 2012 annual report
Ashton I, Prowatzke M, Wilson SK. 2012. Plant community composition and structure monitoring for Fort Laramie National Historic Site: 2012 annual report. Natural Resource Technical Report. NPS/NGPN/NRTR—2012/648. Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Laramie National Historic Site (FOLA) plays a vital role in protecting and managing some of the last remnants of native mixed-grass prairie in the region. The Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network (NGPN) surveyed 6 long-term monitoring plots in FOLA in 2012 as part of an effort to better understand the condition of plant communities in the park. We measured plant diversity and cover, estimated tree and shrub density, looked for the presence of exotic species that are of concern to park management, and evaluated the amount of human and natural disturbance at all plots. This effort was the second year in a multiple-year venture to document the current status and long-term trends in plant communities in FOLA. At the end of five years, there will be an in-depth report describing the status of the plant community. In this report, we provide a simple summary of our results from sampling in 2012. Plant cover in 2012 was extremely low due to severe drought. In this dry condition, we found the park to be characterized by low native species richness, but average richness is within a natural range of variability. There are areas of the park, particularly the northeast pasture, that fall below this range and are heavily invaded by exotic species. Some areas of the riparian forest in FOLA are healthy and contain numerous trees of all size classes, while others are more typical of old cottonwood forests where only large old trees are present and there is no significant regeneration. Exotic species such as Russian olive and tamarisk are in low abundance in the riparian corridor, but active management will be needed to maintain this condition.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Ashton, Isabel; Prowatzke, Michael; Wilson, Stephen
- Date of Issue
- 2012-12
- Units
- FOLA , NGPN , NRSS
- Keywords
- cheatgrass, cottonwood forests, Grasslands, Monitoring, monitoring report, plant community monitor, Plant community monitoring, Plant diversity, riparian forests, Vegetation
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Grassland/Herbaceous Communities