Invasive exotic plant monitoring at Fossil Butte National Monument: 2018 field season
Washuta A and Perkins DW. 2019. Invasive exotic plant monitoring at Fossil Butte National Monument: 2018 field season. Natural Resource Report. NPS/NCPN/NRR—2019/1920. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
Invasive exotic plant (IEP) species are one of the biggest threats to natural ecosystem integrity and biodiversity, and controlling them is a high priority for the National Park Service. The Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN) selected the early detection of IEPs as one of 11 monitoring protocols to be implemented as part of its long-term monitoring program. This report represents work completed during the 2018 field season at Fossil Butte National Monument (NM). From June 28 to July 1, 2018, we found a total of 16 different IEP species during monitoring. Eleven priority species were recorded in 947 patches along 66.8 kilometers (41.5 mi) of 27 monitoring routes. Of these 947 total patches, 674 (71.2%) were larger than 40 m2. However, 668 (70.5%) of all patches were classified as “very low” on the patch management index scale, indicating a wide, sparse distribution of IEPs. The highest densities of IEP patches were detected in several drainages: East Red Hill (39.8 patches/km), South Millet Canyon (19.5/km), West Fork Chicken Creek (16.2/km), Millet Canyon (15.6/km), Chicken Creek (15.6/km), Fossil Butte East (15.2/km), Smallpox Creek (15.2/km), and along the main park road (22.1/km). The Fossil Butte NW and Wasatch Saddle drainages were the only two routes free of priority IEPs in 2018. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), creeping foxtail (Alopecurus arundinaceus), and Japanese brome (Bromus japonicus) were the most widespread species; each has been increasing across all years they have been monitored (since 2014 for cheatgrass, 2009 for creeping foxtail, and 2016 for Japanese brome). Conversely, flixweed (Descurainia sophia) has decreased every monitoring year since 2014. Several other IEP species have remained in similar densities or declined slightly over recent monitoring years. Control efforts by park staff are likely helping to prevent some IEP increases in the park and are summarized in this report. The network will return to Fossil Butte NM for a seventh round of monitoring in 2020.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Washuta, Amy; Perkins, Dustin
- Date of Issue
- 2019-05
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- FOBU , NCPN , NRSS
- Keywords
- Exotic Species, Exotic/Invasive Species - Plants, Invasive Species, Monitoring, NCPN Invasive Plants Monitoring, Plant Studies