Shiloh National Military Park: Natural resource condition assessment

Nadeau, Andy; Benck, Kevin; Allen, Kathy; Hutchins, Hannah; Davis, Anna; Robertson, Andrew

The Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) Program aims to provide documentation about the current conditions of important park natural resources through a spatially explicit, multi-disciplinary synthesis of existing scientific data and knowledge. Findings from the NRCA will help Shiloh National Military Park (SHIL) managers to develop near-term management priorities, engage in watershed or landscape scale partnership and education efforts, conduct park planning, and report program performance (e.g., Department of the Interior’s Strategic Plan “land health” goals, Government Performance and Results Act). This study involved reviewing existing literature and, where appropriate, analyzing data for each natural resource component in the framework to provide summaries of current condition and trends in selected resources. When possible, existing data for the established measures of each component were analyzed and compared to designated reference conditions. A weighted scoring system was applied to calculate the current condition of each component. Weighted Condition Scores, ranging from zero to one, were divided into three categories of condition: low concern, moderate concern, and significant concern. These scores help to determine the current overall condition of each resource. The discussions for each component, found in Chapter 4 of this report, represent a comprehensive summary of current available data and information for these resources, including unpublished park information and perspectives of park resource managers, and present a current condition designation when appropriate. Each component assessment was reviewed by SHIL resource managers, NPS Cumberland Piedmont Network staff, or outside experts. Existing literature, short- and long-term datasets, and input from NPS and other outside agency scientists support condition designations for components in this assessment. However, in some cases, data were unavailable or insufficient for several of the measures of the featured components. In other instances, data establishing reference condition were limited or unavailable for components, making comparisons with current information inappropriate or invalid. In these cases, it was not possible to assign condition for the components. Current condition was not able to be determined for 3 of the 11 components (27%) due to these data gaps. For featured components with available data and fewer information gaps, assigned conditions varied. Six of the components were considered to be in good condition (hardwood forest community, wetland and riparian communities, birds, herpetofauna, water quality, adjacent land cover and use); however, the wetland and riparian communities, birds, and adjacent land cover and use condition scores were at the edge of the good condition range (0.33) and any small decline in the communities could shift them into the moderate concern range. There were no components determined to be of moderate concern, but there were two components (air quality, dark night skies) that fell within the significant concern threshold. Confidence in current condition assessments varied, as instances where condition was assessed using professional judgement and anecdotal information were typically indicated with a low confidence border on the condition graphic (e.g., birds, herpetofauna). Several park-wide threats and stressors influence the condition of priority resources in SHIL. Those of primary concern include non-native species (both plant and animal), climate change, air and water pollution, and human manipulation of the landscape. Understanding these threats, and how they relate to the condition of park resources, can help the NPS prioritize management objectives and better focus their efforts to maintain the health and integrity of the park ecosystem, as well as its cultural landscape.

Shiloh National Military Park: Natural resource condition assessment

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