Plant community composition and structure monitoring at Mount Rushmore National Memorial: 2010-2012 status report
Ashton IW, Prowatzke M, Bynum MR, Shepherd T, Wilson SK, Paintner-Green K. 2013. Plant community composition and structure monitoring at Mount Rushmore National Memorial: 2010-2012 status report. Natural Resource Technical Report. NPS/NGPN/NRTR—2013/677. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
The Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network (NGPN) was established to develop and provide scientifically credible information on the current status and long-term trends of the composition, structure, and function of ecosystems in thirteen parks located in five northern Great Plains states. NGPN identified upland plant communities and exotic plant early detection as vital signs that can be used to better understand the condition of terrestrial park ecosystems. Understory plants in 15 forested plots at Mount Rushmore National Memorial (MORU) were surveyed by NGPN in July 2010, and a subset of 6 of these plots was revisited in July 2011 and June 2012. We measured plant diversity, richness, and species cover. By using a randomized survey approach, we are able to use these data to estimate the status of the understory plant community across the park as a whole. We found the following: • Over the two years, we recorded a total of 151 vascular plant species. The most abundant understory species was kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi). • We found a relatively low cover of plants on the ground and a high cover of plant litter (primarily ponderosa pine needles). A decline in plant cover between 2010 and 2012 was likely due to mechanical thinning done in the fall and winter of 2010. • Species diversity in MORU was low. However, it is likely typically of older ponderosa forests in the Black Hills. • Exotic species cover was very low in MORU and declined between 2010 and 2012.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Ashton, Isabel; Prowatzke, Michael; Bynum, Michael; Shepherd, Tim; Wilson, Stephen; Paintner-Green, Kara
- Date of Issue
- 2013-01
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- MORU , NGPN , NRSS
- Keywords
- Black Hills, Monitoring, monitoring report, plant community monitor, Plant community monitoring, Plant diversity, Ponderosa pine forests, Vegetation
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Forest/Woodland Communities