Inventory and Mapping of Invasive and Non-native Plants 2008: Walnut Canyon National Park
Schelz C, Cannella J, Straka K. 2008. Inventory and Mapping of Invasive and Non-native Plants 2008: Walnut Canyon National Park. General Technical Report. General Technical Report FLAG-002-2008. National Park Service. Flagstaff, AZ
The intent of this project was to inventory and map invasive and non-native plants within targeted high impact sections of Walnut Canyon National Monument (WACA). Invasive and nonnative plants represent one of the greatest threats to the natural and cultural resources in parks and monuments throughout the National Park System. It was the goal of this project to survey, inventory, and map invasive and non-native plant clusters so that these areas can be effectively controlled by the NPS EPMT teams, volunteer groups, and park staff. The areas selected for mapping were those suspected of containing higher densities of invasive and non-native plants because of their proximity to high vehicular traffic volume, visitor use, and development within and adjacent to the Monument. Another primary goal was to curtail the establishment of these species in the areas where they are most likely to gain a foothold within monument boundaries, and prevent their spread throughout the Monument by proactive control methods. During August-September 2008, field crews inventoried 718 acres within Walnut Canyon National Monument; an amount representing approximately 20% of the entire 3,600-acre Monument. Density of individuals was counted, although this figure is approximate because of the large amount of estimated individuals in some huge clusters. Nevertheless, the total density of invasive and non-native plants within the study area totaled approximately 65,807 individuals, almost 19% of which were manually pulled and destroyed. The sum of all infestations of invasive plants mapped in this project was nearly 67 acres, which represents 9.3% of the total area inventoried. Of the 26 initially targeted species, crews found only 20 and added 4 new species. Recommendations were made based on the results of this project and observations in the field at Walnut Canyon National Monument.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Schelz, Charles; Cannella, John; Straka, Kristin
- Date of Issue
- 2008-09
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- WACA
- Keywords
- Invasive Plants, Inventory, Mapping, Non-Native Plants