Invasive exotic plant monitoring in Golden Spike National Historic Site: 2012 field season
Perkins D. 2013. Invasive exotic plant monitoring in Golden Spike National Historic Site: 2012 field season. Natural Resource Technical Report. NPS/NCPN/NRTR—2013/748. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
Invasive exotic plant (IEP) species are one of the biggest threats to natural ecosystem integrity and biodiversity, and controlling them is a high priority for the National Park Service. The Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN) selected the early detection of IEPs as one of 10 monitoring protocols to be implemented as part of its long-term monitoring program. This report represents work completed during the 2012 field season at Golden Spike National Historic Site (GOSP). On August 7–8, 2012, two priority IEP species were detected on monitoring routes and plots that covered all major roads, trails, and riparian areas at GOSP. Exotic control work by NPS staff has drastically reduced the number of infestations of priority IEPs from 59 in 2008, and 46 in 2010, to just 6 in 2012. Due to the drastic reduction in the number of priority IEPs, the park may want to consider expanding the list of species that is monitored and controlled, as there are still a number of other IEPs present at GOSP that are not on the priority list. The priority infestations that were detected are present in small, localized invasions that have a good chance of being successfully controlled through management actions. The network will return to GOSP for a fourth year of monitoring in 2014.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Perkins, Dustin
- Date of Issue
- 2013-05
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- GOSP , NCPN , NRSS
- Keywords
- Exotic Species, Exotic/Invasive Species - Plants, Invasive Species, Monitoring, NCPN Invasive Plants Monitoring, Plant Studies