Vertebrate inventory of Whitman Mission National Historic Site 2002-2003: Upper Columbia Basin Network.
Rodhouse TJ, St. John A, Garrett LK. 2010. Vertebrate inventory of Whitman Mission National Historic Site 2002-2003: Upper Columbia Basin Network.. Natural Resource Technical Report. NPS/UCBN/NRTR—2010/280. National Park Service
The 2002-2003 Whitman Mission National Historic Site vertebrate inventory developed species lists and additional information on birds, mammals, and herpetofauna at the historic site located in southeastern Washington. The primary goal of the inventory was to confirm 90% of the species expected to occur in the mission. Additional goals included developing baseline data for monitoring as well as providing the National Park Service and the research community-at-large with new and important information on the biodiversity of the region. Expected species lists were developed from available historic sources and expert opinion. A set of four criteria was used to determine the likelihood of detection in the park. Inventory fieldwork utilized a variety of methods to achieve the primary objective, including visual encounter surveys and trapping. Species documentation included the collection of voucher photographs, specimens, and field observation records. The 2002-2003 inventory was productive and brought species confirmation totals to 100% for birds, 90% for mammals, and 67% for amphibians and reptiles. One hundred seventeen birds were expected to occur in or adjacent to the mission and 202 species were confirmed, including all 117 expected species. Thirty species of mammals were expected in the mission during the inventory and twenty-seven were confirmed. Of the 12 expected species of herpetofauna, 8 species were confirmed. A total of 3 amphibians and 5 reptiles were documented on the mission. Data from the 2002-2003 inventory has been incorporated into the long-term monitoring program that focused on selected “vital-signs”. Future monitoring activities will also provide opportunities to add additional species to the inventory list as they are encountered.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Rodhouse, Thomas; St. John, Al; Garrett, Lisa
- Date of Issue
- 2010-01-15
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- NRSS , UCBN , WHMI
- Keywords
- Absence (Biodiversity), Amphibians, Bird Inventory, Birds, Herpetological Inventory, Inventory, Mammal Inventory, Mammals, Observations, Presence (Biodiversity), Reptiles, Upper Columbia Basin Network, Vertebrate, Vouchers, Whitman Mission National Historic Site