Camas monitoring at Nez Perce National Historical Park and Big Hole National Battlefield: 2009 annual report

Rodhouse, Thomas

The UCBN has instituted a long-term citizen science-based monitoring program for detecting status and trends in camas (Camassia quamash) populations in Big Hole National Battlefield (BIHO) and Weippe Prairie, a unit of Nez Perce National Historical Park (NEPE). As part of the Upper Columbia Basin Network’s effort to conduct vital signs monitoring, we completed monitoring of camas (Camassia quamash) in Big Hole National Battlefield (BIHO) and Nez Perce National Historical Park (NEPE). Camas is a unique resource for these parks because it is both culturally and ecologically significant. Camas was and remains one of the most widely utilized indigenous foods in the Pacific Northwest and it is strongly associated with the wet prairie ecosystems of the region that have been degraded or lost due to historic land use practices. A long-term citizen science-based monitoring program for detecting status and trends in camas populations at BIHO and Weippe Prairie, a unit of NEPE, serves as a central information source for park adaptive management decision making and will provide essential feedback on any eventual restoration efforts of park wet prairie habitats. The involvement of student citizen scientists in this particular program has been effective both in terms of leveraging resources as well as in engaging communities in park stewardship and science education.This annual report details the status and trend estimates obtained from the first five years of monitoring, 2005-2009, at Weippe Prairie and BIHO. Overall trends in camas density appear to be stable or slightly increasing, although these results are preliminary and should be interpreted cautiously. Camas populations across the two park units range widely in abundance, with densities of two of the five Weippe Prairie management zones, A and D, estimated at 76 and 44 plants/m2, respectively. BIHO and Weippe Prairie management zone E exhibited the lowest densities, at 5 and 6 plants/m2. Historical densities available from anthropological sources were estimated to be 100 plants/m2 or more in high-quality sites. The ratio of flowering to total established camas plants was consistently higher (0.27) at BIHO than at Weippe Prairie during 2005-2009. Flowering ratio appeared to be most stable over time in zones A and D at Weippe Prairie. Invasion by sulfur cinquefoil (Potentilla recta) and orange hawkweed (Hieracium aurantiacum), as measured by frequency of occurrence in quadrats, appeared to be stable, and was lowest in management zones A and D and highest in zones B and E, suggesting a possible negative correlation with camas density. No discernible correlations between annual precipitation and density have emerged as of yet, although this will require several more years to evaluate adequately. There appears to be no relationship between thatch depth and camas density or flowering stem density, and we recommend that thatch depth measurements be discontinued.

Camas monitoring at Nez Perce National Historical Park and Big Hole National Battlefield: 2009 annual report

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