Grand Canyon National Park mixed conifer 2019 data summary: Southern Colorado Plateau Network integrated upland monitoring
Swan M, McCoy L, Veety C. 2020. Grand Canyon National Park mixed conifer 2019 data summary: Southern Colorado Plateau Network integrated upland monitoring. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/SCPN/NRDS—2020/1300. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
This report presents a single-year snapshot of the data collected by the Southern Colorado Plateau Inventory and Monitoring Network (SCPN) in 2019 as part of integrated upland monitoring (IUM). Field crews collect data on soil stability and hydrologic function, biological soil crusts, and plant community characteristics, including abundance of functional groups, cover by species, richness and diversity, and frequency of nonnative species. In woodland and forested systems, density of seedlings, saplings and overstory tree species and canopy shading are measured. These data are summarized in a series of simple visualizations to provide a status overview for the year. Through this monitoring, SCPN seeks to increase understanding of upland systems and provide resource managers with valuable information they can use to help guide management decisions. In 2019, IUM field crews sampled 31 plots in the mixed conifer ecosystem at Grand Canyon National Park. Although our original sampling frame targeted ‘unburned’ mixed conifer, we are witnessing the dynamic nature of these forests. As many as 28 of our 46 total plots have been impacted by recent (2012–2019) fires, although most not severely. We continued to get a lot of support from Li Brannsfors and the GRCA Fire Effects Monitoring crew. Our teams worked collaboratively on most of the plots we sampled this season. Staff from the park nursery were also able to join us for a day of sampling. Nonnative species continue to be only infrequently sampled in our plots. No new species were encountered during sampling.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Swan, Megan; McCoy, Lee; Veety, Carrie
- Date of Issue
- 2020-12
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- GRCA , NRSS , SCPN
- Keywords
- Exotic species, Mixed Conifer, Monitoring, Plant community characteristics, Soil stability, Upland vegetation