Wetlands of Lassen Volcanic National Park: an Assessment of Vegetation, Ecological Services, and Condition
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Program Center Wetlands of Lassen Volcanic National Park: An Assessment of Vegetation, Ecological Services, and Condition Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/KLMN/NRTR—2008/113 ON THE COVER A wetland in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Photograph by: Cheryl Bartlett Wetlands of Lassen Volcanic National Park: An Assessment of Vegetation, Ecological Services, and Condition Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/KLMN/NRTR—2008/113 Paul R. Adamus, PhD College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences Oregon State University 104 COAS Administrative Bldg Corvallis, OR 973315503 Cheryl L. Bartlett Department of Botany and Plant Pathology Oregon State University 2082 Cordley Hall Corvallis, OR 973312902 March 2008 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Program Center Fort Collins, Colorado The Natural Resource Publication series addresses natural resource topics that are of interest and applicability to a broad readership in the National Park Service and to others in the management of natural resources, including the scientific community, the public, and the NPS conservation and environmental constituencies. Manuscripts are peerreviewed to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and is designed and published in a professional manner. The Natural Resource Technical Reports series is used to disseminate the peerreviewed results of scientific studies in the physical, biological, and social sciences for both the advancement of science and the achievement of the National Park Service’s mission. The reports provide contributors with a forum for displaying comprehensive data that are often deleted from journals because of page limitations. Current examples of such reports include the results of research that addresses natural resource management issues; natural resource inventory and monitoring activities; resource assessment reports; scientific literature reviews; and peer reviewed proceedings of technical workshops, conferences, or symposia. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations and data in this report are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the U.S. Department of the Interior, NPS. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the National Park Service. Printed copies of reports in these series may be produced in a limited quantity and they are only available as long as the supply lasts. This report is also available from the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/NRPM) on the Internet or by sending a request to the address on the back cover. Please cite this publication as: Adamus, P. R., and C. L. Bartlett. 2008. Wetlands of Lassen Volcanic National Park: An assessment of vegetation, ecological services, and condition. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/KLMN/NRTR—2008/113. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS D163, March 2008 ii Contents Page Appendixes.................................................................................................................................v Figures......................................................................................................................................vii Tables........................................................................................................................................ix Summary ...................................................................................................................................xi Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................xiii 1.0 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................1 1.1 Study Background and Objectives...................................................................................1 1.2 Wetland Health and Its Indicators....................................................................................1 1.3 General Description of LAVO...........................................................................................3 1.4 Previous and Ongoing Studies Related to the Park’s Wetlands ..........................................4 2.0 Methods................................................................................................................................7 2.1 Initial Site Characterization...............................................................................................7 2.2 Wetland Inventory.............................................................................................................7 2.3 Field Site Selection ...........................................................................................................8 2.4 Field Data Collection ...................................................................................................... 12 2.5 Data Analysis.................................................................................................................. 14 3.0 Results................................................................................................................................ 17 3.1 Wetland Inventory........................................................................................................... 17 3.2 Wetlands Profile.............................................................................................................. 18 3.3 Wetland Health ............................................................................................................... 28 3.4 Valued Ecological Services of Wetlands: Estimates Based on Heuristic Models.............. 41 4.0 Discussion .......................................................................................................................... 51 4.1 Implications for Wetlands Management in LAVO........................................................... 51 4.2 Broader Applications ...................................................................................................... 52 5.0 Literature Cited................................................................................................................... 55 iii Appendixes Page Appendix A. Data Dictionary Introduction................................................................................ 59 Appendix B. Field Datasheets................................................................................................... 61 Appendix C. Field Data Collection Protocols............................................................................ 77 Appendix D. Wetland Plant Species of LAVO, including Both Wetland and Nonwetland Species Found in LAVO Wetlands in 2005............................................................................................ 81 Appendix E. Plant Metrics for Individual Visited Wetlands ...................................................... 93 Appendix F. CRAM Scores and Ecological Service Ratings of Visited LAVO Wetlands.......... 99 Appendix G. Amphibians, Reptiles, Fish, and Fairy Shrimp Noted in or near LAVO Wetlands by this Study or Stead et al. (2005) .............................................................................................. 103 Appendix H. Bird Species Regularly Present in Summer in LAVO and That Are Associated Strongly with Wetlands and Water Bodies .............................................................................. 105 Appendix I. Mammals of LAVO That Are Probably the Most Dependent on Wetlands and Water Bodies .................................................................................................................................... 107 Appendix J. Photographs of the Defined Wetland Plant Communities..................................... 109 v Figures Page Figure 1. The rugged highelevation landscape of Lassen Volcanic National Park. .................. xiii Figure 2. Groundwaterfed wetlands in LAVO often occur in meadows at the toe of steep slopes. ....................................................................................................................................................2 Figure 3. Wetland on the fringe of a pond. ...................................................................................5 Figure 4. Map of LAVO wetlands visited and assessed during 2005. .........................................10 Figure 5. Assessing soils in a LAVO wetland. ...........................................................................13 Figure 6. Site NR342, a probable acid geothermal fen. Note the pool morphology and abundant Sphagnum moss that are typical. ................................................................................................24 Figure 7. Bumpass Hell acid geothermal fen. Bumpass Hell is just below the exposed whitish hillside in the background of the photo; the large pool at the terminus of the wetland can be seen in immediately in front of that hillside. ......................................................................................25 Figure 8. Wetland vegetation along shoreline that has been impacted by excessive offtrail foot traffic.........................................................................................................................................29 Figure 9. Remnants of more intensive land