Integrated upland monitoring in Capitol Reef National Park, annual report 2008

Witwicki, Dana

This report summarizes the Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN) upland monitoring effort in Capitol Reef National Park during 2008. It outlines the goals and objectives of NCPN upland monitoring, methods of the monitoring protocol, and procedures for defining and mapping target populations for monitoring, as well as the results of this year’s efforts and plans for future monitoring. The goal of the Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN) integrated upland monitoring effort is to provide park managers with status and trend information for vegetation and soil attributes. This information will help to determine natural variability of upland resources and provide early warning of resource degradation. This report summarizes the NCPN upland monitoring effort in Capitol Reef National Park during 2008. This report outlines the goals and objectives of NCPN upland monitoring, methods of the monitoring protocol, and procedures for defining and mapping target populations for monitoring, as well as the results of this year’s efforts and plans for future monitoring.In previous discussions with park resource staff, it was determined that monitoring natural and grazed grassland systems in the northern portion of the park was an important priority. Four dominant ecological sites corresponding to herbaceous systems were selected for monitoring in the retired Cathedral and Rock Springs allotments and in the actively grazed Hartnet allotment. To gain understanding of variability, 10 monitoring plots per ecological site (except for one) will be monitored for three consecutive years, after which an operational survey design will be determined based on minimum detectable change and variability. In 2007, a total of 19 monitoring plots were established and sampled. In 2008, 42 additional plots were established and sampled, and the initial 19 plots were re-sampled. Of those 61 total plots, 21 are in the Cathedral and Rock Springs allotments and 40 are in the Hartnet allotment.Measures were summarized by allotment for each ecological site type and are provided in this report. The only statistical assessment performed was an ordination of vegetation cover. Results of this ordination indicated good separation of plots between deep alluvial grassland site types and deep stony grassland site types.In 2008, NCPN refined its vegetation sampling methods to include (1) cover of plant species and surface features using a point-intercept method, and (2) shrub and exotic perennial species density using a belt transect. The change in methods is described in this annual report, and it is noted where the change might affect comparison with the previous year’s data. All plots established in 2007 were sampled using both the old and new methods so that previously collected data can be properly compared with data collected using the new methods.Future monitoring activities include (1) re-measuring the 61 existing plots in 2009 and (2) formulating an operational survey design for each ecological site type, using variance measures in conjunction with desired minimum detectable change levels derived from the three years of pilot monitoring data. The full monitoring design will be implemented in 2010.

Integrated upland monitoring in Capitol Reef National Park, annual report 2008

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