Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network salt marsh vegetation monitoring protocol implementation plan: Version 1.0
Rocks EN and Stevens SM. 2018. Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network salt marsh vegetation monitoring protocol implementation plan: Version 1.0. Natural Resource Report. NPS/NCBN/NRR—2018/1790. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
The National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program's Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network (NCBN) has identified salt marsh condition, and several associated vital signs, as high priority for long-term monitoring. This protocol implementation plan (PIP) is based on a protocol for monitoring salt marsh vegetation developed by the USGS and the University of Rhode Island, for the Cape Cod National Seashore (CACO) Long-term Prototype Monitoring Program (Roman et al. 2001). The original CACO protocol was developed to compare the vegetation community of a hydrologically altered marsh to the community of a more pristine, control marsh, and to examine the response of the vegetation community when hydrological conditions are restored. This protocol implementation plan provides a description of the objectives and strategy for monitoring salt marsh vegetation across NCBN parks. Additionally, a series of standard operating procedures (SOPs) have been developed to provide detailed guidance to carry out the PIP. Sampling procedures follow those put forth by Roman et al. (2001) with NCBN modifications to the sampling design to broaden the statistical inference in order to better evaluate the condition of all salt marsh habitats in a park. Data collected by the NCBN salt marsh vegetation monitoring protocol are used to inform management decisions affecting salt marsh systems in NCBN parks.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Rocks, Erika; Stevens, Sara
- Date of Issue
- 2018-10
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- ASIS , CACO , COLO , FIIS , GATE , GEWA , NCBN , NRSS , SAHI , THST
- Keywords
- Inventory and Monitoring, NCBN, Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network, PIP, protocol, protocol implementation plan, salt marsh, vegetation, vegetation community