Classification of the Plant Communities of Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho
Rust SK. 2008. Classification of the Plant Communities of Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho. Natural Resource Technical Report. NPS/UCBN/NRTR—2008/097. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
The National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring Program (I&M) of the Upper Columbia Basin Network (UCBN) is working in conjunction with the Service's Vegetation Mapping Program to complete vegetation maps for each of the national park units in the network. The NPS vegetation mapping protocol consists of the following: preliminary collection and review of existing information; field data collection, management and analysis; photo-interpretation and mapping; map validation; and accuracy assessment. Work on the vegetation map for Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument (HAFO) was initiated in May 2006. The objective of this document is to report on the field data analysis phase and provide a classification of the vegetation and a dichotomous key to the classification of plant communities. The study area lies on the Lower Snake River Plain in south-central Idaho and extends from the west shore of the Snake River to the breaks of the Bruneau Plateau and is characterized predominantly by sagebrush-steppe and salt-desert shrubland vegetation. Initial plant community groups were identified using hierarchical cluster analysis. Plant community groups were successively partitioned using indicator species analysis and multi-response permutation procedures. Decisions regarding the identification of plant associations within the data were informed by cross-walking candidate community groupings to the National Vegetation Classification. Classification and regression tree analysis was employed in the development of dichotomous keys and the evaluation of cluster analysis results. Ninety-three plant communities are identified as occurring within the study area. Thirtyfour plant communities are identified as occurring within the study area. Nearly 30% of the associations identified within the Monument are currently listed in the National Vegetation Classification, and the remaining associations are not recognized or have not been previously described (several of these should be considered for inclusion in the National Vegetation Classification).
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Rust, Steven
- Date of Issue
- 2008-03
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- HAFO , NRSS , UCBN
- Keywords
- Classification, cluster analysis, Detrended Correspondence Analysis, Dichotomous key, Distribution (Biodiversity), emergent wetland, Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument and Preserve, Inventory And Monitoring, Mapping, Plant Community, Presence (Biodiversity), Riparian, sagebrush-steppe, salt-desert shrubland, Taxa Links To References, Vegetation, Vegetation Inventory, Woodland