Mojave Desert Network integrated upland monitoring: 2012 pilot study for Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument.
Pan JJ and Tallent NG. 2014. Mojave Desert Network integrated upland monitoring: 2012 pilot study for Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument.. Natural Resource Technical Report. NPS/MOJN/NRTR—2014/902. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
The Integrated Upland (IU) Monitoring Protocol of the Mojave Desert Network Inventory and Monitoring Program (MOJN I&M) is one of the protocols developed for the National Park Service “Vital Signs Monitoring Program,” a long-term ecological monitoring program that will provide scientifically-based information on the status and trends of park ecosystems. Data from this program will help park managers evaluate complex resource issues and make decisions that result in long-term protection of park resources. Information on park resource condition will also be useful for park planning, research, education, and public awareness. Twenty priority park vital signs (indicators of ecosystem health) representing a suite of ecological phenomena operating across multiple temporal and spatial scales were identified for MOJN I&M. The IU protocol addresses 7 of these vital signs, including vegetation change, invasive plants, and soil-related vital signs. The focus of the IU protocol is upland shrub communities. Shrub communities were chosen because this physiognomic class collectively represents a large proportion of each park and captures several focal communities of interest (e.g., Joshua tree, creosote bush, and sagebrush), thus providing a common theme among parks. Each of the 7 parks in the network, in collaboration with the MOJN I&M, selected a target upland community for monitoring. The sagebrush shrub steppe community was selected for monitoring at Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument (PARA). A pilot study for the IU protocol was conducted in the spring and summer of 2012. The objectives of the pilot study were to: 1) implement and fine-tune field methods and procedures and 2) use information and time estimates from implementing field methods in target communities at parks to estimate protocol costs. Findings based on the overall pilot study as well as park-specific field results for PARA are presented. At PARA, one macroplot was established and field procedures implemented, while two macroplots selected for methods testing had more limited data collection. Cost estimates were generated for conducting field procedures, travel to field sites, and different crew staffing scenarios. At PARA, the average estimated cost for each macroplot revisit (hike time to field site and data collection) was $606, for a total of approximately $21,210 for 35 field sites. We discuss issues and make recommendations regarding sampling return intervals, crew sizes and schedules, and sampling procedures. Our primary recommendations include: 1. Increase the monitoring interval for soil procedures, including basal/canopy gaps (analyze one soil sample per sampling point). 2. Increase the monitoring interval for repeat photographs to every 3-4 monitoring periods (9-12 year intervals).
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Pan, Jean; Tallent, Nita
- Date of Issue
- 2014-08
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- MOJN , NRSS , PARA
- Keywords
- Artemisia tridentata, basal/canopy gaps, biological soil crust, communty, Generalized Random Tessellation Stratified, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, GRTS, integrated upland, Integrated Upland Report, Invasive Species, invasive species frequency quadrats, macroplot, Mojave Desert Network, MOJN, Monitoring, PARA, pilot study, Point-intercept, repeat photographs, sagebrush shrub steppe, shrub, Soil Deposition, Soil Erosion, Transect, travel cost scenario, Travel Time Cost Surface Model, TTCSM
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Shrubland Communities