Plant community composition and structure monitoring for Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site: 2010 – 2016 summary report
Ashton IW and Davis C. 2017. Plant community composition and structure monitoring for Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site: 2010 – 2016 summary report. Natural Resource Report. NPS/NGPN/NRR—2017/1406. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
The National Park Service’s Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Program and Fire Effects Program have been monitoring vegetation in Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site (FOUS) for over 18 years. While the monitoring methods used have changed slightly during those years, this report summarizes the data collected from 22 locations between 1999 and 2016. We used these data to compare current conditions to the desired conditions outlined in the FOUS Vegetation Management Plan (Symstad 2012). Our results are focused on two areas: the Bodmer Unit, an area north of the highway that is native prairie, and the Upland Terrace area surrounding the fort that has been planted. A summary of our results can be found in the Natural Resource Conditions Table for the Upland Terrace (Table 7) and Bodmer Unit (Table 8). After restoration efforts in the late 1990s through 2010 in the Upland Terrace, there was a large reduction in the cover of exotic grasses. However, Kentucky bluegrass, smooth brome, and crested wheatgrass are now contributing to a higher cover of exotic species than desired. Efforts to control these grasses and noxious weeds should be made a priority, before they continue to spread and conditions decline. There is also a much lower cover and diversity of forb species than desired. To improve the condition of the Upland Terrace, efforts should be made to increase the number of forb species through continued seeding projects. The Bodmer Unit is a fairly diverse mixed-grass prairie. The vegetation communities in the Bodmer Unit at Fort Union are generally in good condition, particularly the hill top plots. There is a large diversity of native plants, and the current graminoid, forb, and shrub cover match the desired conditions. There is a moderate cover of exotic species that is above the desired conditions. There are no noxious weeds in the area, but Kentucky bluegrass is abundant in the unit. This is of concern because in other areas of North Dakota, an increase in Kentucky bluegrass has been correlated with reductions in native plant diversity.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Ashton, Isabel; Davis, Chrostopher
- Date of Issue
- 2017-03
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- FOUS , NGPN , NRSS
- Keywords
- Grasslands, mixed-grass prairie, Monitoring, monitoring report, plant community monitor, Plant community monitoring, Plant diversity, Vegetation
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Grassland/Herbaceous Communities