Plant community composition and structure monitoring for Devils Tower National Monument: 2012 annual report
Ashton IW, Prowatzke M, Swanson D, Greave P, Wilson SK. 2013. Plant community composition and structure monitoring for Devils Tower National Monument: 2012 annual report. Natural Resource Technical Report. NPS/NGPN/NRTR—2013/685. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
Devils Tower National Monument (DETO) protects not only the impressive rock tower, but also the ponderosa woodlands, mixed-grass prairies, and riparian plant communities within its boundaries. The Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network and Fire Ecology Program surveyed 14 long-term monitoring plots in DETO in 2012 as part of an effort to better understand the condition of plant communities in the park. We measured plant diversity and cover, tree density, and fuel loads, 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 longterm trends in plant communities in DETO. At the end of five years, there will be an in-depth report describing the status of the plant community. In 2013, there will be a large survey completed in the park to estimate the condition of the ponderosa and riparian forests. In this report, we provide a simple summary of our results from sampling in 2012. We found DETO to be characterized by moderate native species richness and high exotic species cover. Of 14 sites, there were none that were less than 10% cover. Kentucky bluegrass was the most widespread and abundant exotic species. Leafy spurge was also common, but it was found in low abundance. Allowing natural disturbances such as fire, grazing, and prairie dog use may be critical to maintaining plant diversity and forest condition in DETO, but it should be balanced with the need to protect intact native communities and prevent further invasions of exotic species. Continued monitoring efforts will be critical to track changes in the condition of the vegetation communities in DETO.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Ashton, Isabel; Prowatzke, Michael; Swanson, Dan; Greave, Phil; Wilson, Stephen
- Date of Issue
- 2013-02
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- DETO , NGPN , NRSS
- Keywords
- Black Hills, Grasslands, mixed-grass prairie, Monitoring, monitoring report, plant community monitor, Plant community monitoring, Plant diversity, Ponderosa Pine Forest, Vegetation
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Forest/Woodland Communities