Upper Columbia Basin Network Sagebrush Steppe Vegetation Monitoring Protocol: Narrative and Standard Operating Procedures (Appendix to Narrative) Version 1.0
Yeo JJ, Rodhouse TJ, Dicus GH, Irvine KM, Garrett LK. 2009. Upper Columbia Basin Network Sagebrush Steppe Vegetation Monitoring Protocol: Narrative and Standard Operating Procedures (Appendix to Narrative) Version 1.0. Natural Resource Report. NPS/UCBN/NRR—2009/142. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
This protocol details the why, where, how, and when of the UCBN’s sagebrush steppe monitoring program. As recommended by Oakley et al. (2003), it consists of a protocol narrative and a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) which detail the steps required to collect, manage, and disseminate the data representing the status and trend of sagebrush steppe ecological condition in the Network. The protocol is a “living” document in the sense that it is continually updated as new information acquired through monitoring and evaluation leads to the refinement of program objectives and methodologies. Changes to the protocol are carefully documented in a revision history log. The intent of the protocol is to ensure that a scientifically credible story about the ecological condition of park sagebrush steppe communities and their responses to park management actions, changing precipitation patterns, and other stressors can be told to park visitors and managers alike. Pilot data collected from each park during 2008 and 2009 have answered preliminary questions about current park sagebrush steppe condition and resolved outstanding logistical and methodological questions for the monitoring program. From here, the focus will now shift toward status and trend analysis, in which baseline conditions of sagebrush steppe ecological condition will be described for each park, and biologically meaningful declines or increases in indicators of sagebrush steppe ecological condition will be detected over longer time intervals. These long-term data can contribute to the development of informative models of relationships between sagebrush steppe community conditions and key environmental factors and management actions specific to each park.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Yeo, Jeffrey; Rodhouse, Thomas; Dicus, Gordon; Irvine, Kathryn; Garrett, Lisa
- Date of Issue
- 2009-08
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- CIRO , CRMO , HAFO , IMDP , JODA , LARO , NRSS , UCBN
- Keywords
- Monitoring, Sagebrush Steppe Protocol, sagebrush steppe vegetation, Upper Columbia Basin Network, vegetation community, Vegetation cover
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Shrubland Communities