Monitoring vegetation composition, structure, and function in Lava Beds National Monument and Redwood National and State Parks: Fiscal year 2014 annual report
Smith SB. 2015. Monitoring vegetation composition, structure, and function in Lava Beds National Monument and Redwood National and State Parks: Fiscal year 2014 annual report. Natural Resource Report. NPS/KLMN/NRR—2015/1011. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
This report describes the results of the fourth year of implementing the Klamath Network’s vegetation monitoring protocol. This was the first year of resampling plots established in 2011. At Lava Beds National Monument, we collected data from 29 of 30 matrix sites (i.e., not associated with specific vegetation), excluding the one site due to fire. At Redwood National and State Parks, we collected data from 24 of 26 matrix and 18 of 21 riparian sites. We did not sample the two matrix sites due to lack of time and the three riparian sites due to vegetation phenology or disturbance issues. Overall, we observed lower species richness in 2014 than in 2011. Drought could be a factor driving the lower species richness we observed in 2014. We observed within-park patterns that seemed to differ with respect to plant life-history. The two separate patterns of change between 2011 and 2014 were: 1) fewer annuals at Lava Beds; 2) fewer herbaceous and graminoid perennials, as well as more unknown (or unidentifiable) species, at Redwood.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Smith, Sean
- Date of Issue
- 2015-08
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- KLMN , LABE , NRSS , REDW
- Keywords
- Data Management, Klamath Network, KLMN, Species Composition, Species Richness, Vegetation Monitoring, Vegetation Structure
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Riparian Communities , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Grassland/Herbaceous Communities , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Shrubland Communities , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Forest/Woodland Communities