Shenandoah National Park natural resource condition assessment: April 2017 Revision

Costanzo, Simon; Walsh, Brianne; Fries, Alex; Spitzer, Suzanne; Hawkey, Jane; Vargas, Vanessa; Lookingbill, Todd; Webb, Brian; Easby, Samantha; Goelst, Claire; Rouch, Matt

Assessment of natural resource condition within SHEN was carried out using the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program Vital Signs ecological monitoring framework. The park was categorized into six reporting areas based on two altitudes and three major geology types underlying Shenandoah National Park: • Low-moderate / Siliciclastic ( 915 m elevation) • High / Metabasaltic (>915 m elevation) • High / Granitic (>915 m elevation) Thirty-one metrics were analyzed for 14 indicators grouped into four categories: Air Resources, Terrestrial Resources, Aquatic Resources, and Landscape Dynamics. The assessment of condition was based on the comparison of recent available data collected over the past five years (typically 2009-2013) to ecological threshold values derived from the scientific literature. When information was not available on peer-reviewed ecological thresholds, regulatory and management-based thresholds were used. Reference condition attainment of metrics was calculated based on the percentage of sites or samples that met or exceeded threshold values set for each metric. An attainment score of 100% reflected that the metric at all sites and at all times met the reference condition identified to maintain natural resources. Conversely, a score of 0% indicated that no sites at any sampling time met the reference condition value. Metric attainment scores were calculated for each geo-elevation reporting area where possible. The park condition was calculated as an unweighted mean of the six geo-elevation class scores. Indicator scores were calculated as an unweighted mean of all metrics relevant to the indicator. Indicators and reporting areas were assigned a qualitative rating corresponding to the quantitative score: • Significant concern (0-25% reference condition attainment), • Moderate condition (26-75% reference condition attainment), and • Good condition (76-100% reference condition attainment). Strong collaboration with park natural resource staff was essential to the success of this assessment. Project collaboration and exchange of data occurred throughout the project by way of scoping meetings, site visits, and follow-up phone calls with park staff. Outcomes of these discussions helped identify natural resources to be included in the assessment, identify key metrics to assess the condition of these resources, assign geo-elevation reporting areas, and develop desired or target thresholds for the metrics. Park staff also provided the majority of the data used in the report and provided important context and background information not necessarily available in published form. Overall, the natural resources of Shenandoah National Park were in moderate condition – based on significant concern for air resources, and moderate concern for terrestrial and aquatic resources and landscape dynamics.

Shenandoah National Park natural resource condition assessment: April 2017 Revision

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