Forest vegetation monitoring protocol (version 2.1): Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network

Sanders S and Kirschbaum J. 2024. Forest vegetation monitoring protocol (version 2.1): Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network. Science Report. NPS/SR—2024/166. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.36967/2305281

Forest vegetation provides an integrated measure of terrestrial ecosystem health by expressing information about the collective suite of drivers and stressors which act upon it. These include climate, disturbance, browse, and invasive species. We developed a comprehensive forest monitoring protocol to detect change in the nine Great Lakes Network parks. Monitoring is conducted on a nine-year rotation, with each of the parks sampled over the course of one summer, once every nine years. Site locations were selected to ensure that they are random, but also spatially balanced throughout the parks. At each sampling site, we collect extensive data on trees (including saplings and seedlings), shrubs, herbs, coarse woody material, and browse. We also carry out assessments of tree health. Data are housed in a Microsoft Access database, and appropriate metadata are generated annually. Quality control measures include both on site assessments of accuracy, as well as extensive data checking via automated parsing routines. Finally, reports from monitoring are produced on a regular basis and include internal National Park Service technical reports and externally reviewed manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals. All data are publicly available.

Type
Published Report
Authors
Sanders, Suzanne; Kirschbaum, Jessica
Date of Issue
2024-08
Publisher
National Park Service
DOI
10.36967/2305281
Units
APIS , GLKN , GRPO , IMDP , INDU , ISRO , MISS , NRSS , PIRO , SACN , SLBE , VOYA
Keywords
Browse, Forests, Great Lakes, Groundlayer, Long-term monitoring, Protocol, Vegetation
Subjects
Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Invasive Species | Invasive/Exotic plants , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Forest/Woodland Communities

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