Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Devils Postpile National Monument
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Devils Postpile National Monument Natural Resource Report NPS/DEPO/NRR—2014/889 ON THE COVER Soda Springs Meadow Photograph courtesy of Devils Postpile National Monument Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Devils Postpile National Monument Natural Resource Report NPS/DEPO/NRR—2014/889 Bill Kuhn National Park Service Yosemite National Park PO Box 700 El Portal, CA 95318 Terressa Whitaker National Park Service Yosemite National Park PO Box 700 El Portal, CA 95318 December 2014 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Program Center Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado, publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics. These reports are of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate high-priority, current natural resource management information with managerial application. The series targets a general, diverse audience, and may contain NPS policy considerations or address sensitive issues of management applicability. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received informal and formal peer review by administrative staff and subject-matter experts, some of whom were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data, and whose background and expertise put them on a par technically and scientifically with the authors of the information. In many cases, peer reviewers included subject matter experts who were directly involved in the research included in this report. Data in this report were collected and analyzed using methods based on established peer-reviewed protocols and were analyzed and interpreted within the guidelines of the protocols. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Government. This report is available from the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/). To receive this report in a format optimized for screen readers, please email [email protected]. Please cite this publication as: Kuhn, B. A., and T. Whitaker. 2014. Natural resource condition assessment for Devils Postpile National Monument. Natural Resource Report NPS/DEPO/NRR—2014/889. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 120/127376, December 2014 ii Contents Page Figures ................................................................................................................................................... ix Tables .................................................................................................................................................... xi Appendices ..........................................................................................................................................xiii Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................xiii Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................................. xvii Prologue ............................................................................................................................................. xvii Abbreviations ...................................................................................................................................... xix CHAPTER 1. Natural Resource Condition Assessment Background ................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2. Resources Setting ............................................................................................................ 5 2.1 Park and Landscape Setting ...................................................................................................... 5 2.1.1 Park Resource Setting – the Sierra Nevada ..................................................................... 6 2.1.2 Park Setting and Important Resources ........................................................................... 11 Fundamental Resources and Values ................................................................................ 13 2.2 Resource Stewardship Context ............................................................................................... 16 2.2.1 Enabling Legislation ...................................................................................................... 18 2.2.2 Resource Stewardship Planning ..................................................................................... 19 2.2.3 Resource Stewardship Science ....................................................................................... 21 2.3 Park Resource Management Issues ........................................................................................ 22 2.3.1 Ecological Inventory and Monitoring ............................................................................ 23 2.3.2 Hydrologic Resources and Processes ............................................................................ 23 2.3.3 Physical Processes ......................................................................................................... 24 2.3.4 Wetland Habitats ............................................................................................................ 24 2.3.5 Climate Change and Local Effects ................................................................................. 24 iii Contents (continued) Page 2.3.6 Nonnative and Invasive Species ..................................................................................... 25 2.3.7 Natural Soundscapes and Nightsky ................................................................................ 25 2.3.8 Geologic Resources ........................................................................................................ 25 2.3.9 Fire Regimes ................................................................................................................... 26 2.3.10 Air Pollution ................................................................................................................. 26 2.3.11 Direct & Indirect Human Impacts ................................................................................ 26 CHAPTER 3. Study Approach ............................................................................................................ 27 3.1 Preliminary Scoping ............................................................................................................... 27 3.1.1 Park Input ....................................................................................................................... 27 3.1.2 Other NPS Input ............................................................................................................. 27 3.2 Reporting Areas ...................................................................................................................... 27 3.2.1 Ecological Reporting Units ............................................................................................ 27 3.2.2 Management / Thematic Overlays .................................................................................. 28 3.3 Resources and Indicators ........................................................................................................ 28 3.3.1 Assessment Frameworks Used in the Study .................................................................... 28 3.3.2 Candidate Study Resources and Indicators .................................................................... 28 3.4 Reference Conditions/Reference Values Used in this Study .................................................. 30 3.5 Study Methodologies .............................................................................................................. 30 CHAPTER 4. Natural Resource Conditions ........................................................................................ 33 4.1 Regional Landscape Context .................................................................................................. 33 4.2 Threats and Stressors .............................................................................................................. 33 4.2.1 Climate Change .............................................................................................................. 35 4.2.2 Altered Fire Regimes ...................................................................................................... 38 iv Contents (continued) Page 4.2.3 Nonnative Invasive Species ............................................................................................ 40 Plants ................................................................................................................................ 40