Upland vegetation and soils monitoring protocol for park units in the Northern Colorado Plateau Network: version 1.07

Witwicki, Dana; Thomas, Helen; Weissinger, Rebecca; Wight, Aneth; Topp, Sarah; Garman, Steven; Miller, Mark

This sampling protocol consists of this protocol narrative and the following standard operating procedures (SOPs), available at https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2247807: SOP 1: Preparations for the Field Season and Equipment Needed SOP 2: Hiring and Training Field Technicians SOP 3: Using Global Positioning System (GPS) Units SOP 4: Crust-Friendly Field Procedures SOP 5: Site Characterization SOP 6: Establishing Plots and Setting Up Transects SOP 7: Repeat Photos SOP 8: Measuring Vegetation and Surface Cover SOP 9: Measuring Canopy and Basal Gaps SOP 10: Measuring Shrub and Tree Seedling Density, Exotic Frequency, Species Richness, and Canopy Closure SOP 11: Soil Aggregate Stability SOP 12: Site Impact Assessment SOP 13: Measuring Overstory Trees SOP 14: Measuring Fuels SOP 15: Sampling Gambel Oak/Mixed Montane Shrub Plots SOP 16: Unknown Plant Species SOP 17: After Each Field Visit and after the Field Season SOP 18: Data Management SOP 19: Data Analysis and Reporting SOP 20: Revising the Protocol Narrative and SOPs SOP 21: Survey Design and Plot Selection The core mission of the National Park Service (NPS) is to preserve and protect natural and cultural resources for the enjoyment of future generations. The Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Division of the NPS was created, by Congressional mandate, to provide managers with credible, long-term scientific information about park natural resources. The Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN) serves 16 national park units throughout Utah, western Colorado, southwestern Wyoming, and northern Arizona. In 2003, NCPN staff solicited input on natural resources of concern and ecosystem indicators known as “vital signs” from several hundred NPS staff and regional and national experts (O’Dell et al. 2005). Potential vital signs were evaluated for management significance and utility, ecological significance, scientific validity, feasibility and cost of implementation, and signal-to-noise ratio. Upland ecosystems were quickly identified as a high priority for monitoring because they represent the majority of land on the Colorado Plateau. Five vital signs were selected for upland vegetation and soils monitoring: 1. plant communities, 2. exotic invasive plants, 3. biological soil crusts, 4. soil stability, and 5. hydrologic function. Following the determination of networkwide vital signs, parks were asked to select their top priorities for monitoring. Ten parks selected upland vegetation and soils monitoring: Arches National Park (NP), Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP, Bryce Canyon NP, Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, Cedar Breaks National Monument (NM), Curecanti National Recreation Area (NRA), Dinosaur NM, Timpanogos Cave NM, and Zion NP. Related NCPN monitoring efforts are included in the network’s invasive plants protocol (Perkins et al. 2016), which focuses on early detection of exotic invasive plants along predictable transport pathways. The work described in this protocol also supports NPS Director’s Order 100, by facilitating “scientific . . . inquiry that is directly applicable to current or expected resource management challenges,” conducting research related to resilience, and “communicating scientific . . . ideas and findings to internal and external audiences in order to continuously improve professional judgment.”

Upland vegetation and soils monitoring protocol for park units in the Northern Colorado Plateau Network: version 1.07

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