Integrated Upland Vegetation and Soils Monitoring for Chaco Culture National Historical Park: 2007 Summary Report
DeCoster JK and Swan MC. 2009. Integrated Upland Vegetation and Soils Monitoring for Chaco Culture National Historical Park: 2007 Summary Report. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/SCPN/NRDS—2009/004. Natural Resource Program Center. Fort Collins, Colorado
The National Park Service Vital Signs Monitoring Program was designed to monitor the status and trends in the condition of park natural resources, providing a strong scientific foundation for decision making and resource conservation for park managers. The Southern Colorado Plateau Network (SCPN) and park staff selected the Sandy Loam Upland ecological site as an important system to monitor at Chaco Culture National Historical Park (CHCU). The SCPN Upland Monitoring crew implemented monitoring at CHCU in 2007, establishing 10 plots. Field methodology is provided in detail in the SCPN Integrated Upland Protocol. These data represent the first year baseline of sampling for the Sandy Loam ecological site of CHCU. Dominant grasses include Bouteloua gracilis, Pleuraphis jamesii, Sporobolus cryptandrus, and Achnatherum hymenoides; common shrubs include Gutierrezia sarothrae, Atriplex canescens, Chrysothamnus greenei and Krascheninnikovia lanata. Only two non-native species were recorded, Bromus tectorum and Salsola tragus, neither of which is abundant. The species indices and species area curve indicate that this is a moderately diverse grassland. While there is some potential for soil erosion on this ecological site, it doesn’t appear to be critical.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- DeCoster, James; Swan, Megan
- Date of Issue
- 2009-07
- Publisher
- Natural Resource Program Center
- Units
- CHCU , NRSS , SCPN
- Keywords
- Abundance (Biodiversity), Monitoring, Presence (Biodiversity), Sandy Loam Upland ecological site, Soils, Taxa Links To Datasets, upland ecosystems, Vegetation, Vouchers