Invasive exotic plant monitoring at Fossil Butte National Monument: 2014 field season
Perkins DW. 2015. Invasive exotic plant monitoring at Fossil Butte National Monument: 2014 field season. Natural Resource Report. NPS/NCPN/NRR—2015/988. 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 11 monitoring protocols to be implemented as part of its long-term monitoring program. This report represents work completed during the 2014 field season at Fossil Butte National Monument (NM). From July 19 to 22, 2014, ten priority IEP species in 574 patches were detected on monitoring routes that covered all major roads, trails, and riparian areas at Fossil Butte NM. The highest densities of IEP patches were recorded in the drainages; specifically, South Millet Canyon (22.0/km), North Dam Fork of Chicken Creek (17.8/km), East Red Hill (15.0/km), and Millet Canyon (12.7/km). Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), flixweed (Descurainia sophia), and creeping foxtail (Alopecurus arundinaceus) were the most widespread species. All three of those species also increased substantially from 2012 to 2014. We found invasive plants in six formerly weedless routes (East Fork of Chicken Creek, East Red Hill Drainage, Fossil Butte Middle Drainage, Northeast Fork of Chicken Creek, West Fork of Chicken Creek and West Red Hill Drainage). Percent cover of cheatgrass along the Main Park Road was higher than in previous years. The network will return to Fossil Butte NM for a fifth year of monitoring in 2016.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Perkins, Dustin
- Date of Issue
- 2015-07
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- FOBU , NCPN , NRSS
- Keywords
- Exotic Species, Exotic/Invasive Species - Plants, Invasive Species, Monitoring, NCPN Invasive Plants Monitoring, Plant Studies