Fort Monroe National Historic Park Natural Resource Condition Assessment
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Monroe National Historic Park Natural Resource Condition Assessment Natural Resource Report NPS/FOMR/NRR—2018/1604 ON THE COVER North Beach Area at Fort Monroe National Monument, Virginia. Todd Lookingbill, University of Richmond Fort Monroe National Historic Park Natural Resource Condition Assessment Natural Resource Report NPS/FOMR/NRR—2018/1604 Todd Lookingbill1, Katia Engelhardt2, Connor Geraghty1, Nadia Hatchel1, David Kitchen1 1Department of Geography and the Environment University of Richmond Richmond, VA 23173 2Appalachian Laboratory University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Frostburg, MD 21532 March 2018 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science 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 comprehensive information and analysis about natural resources and related topics concerning lands managed by the National Park Service. The series supports the advancement of science, informed decision-making, and the achievement of the National Park Service mission. The series also provides a forum for presenting more lengthy results that may not be accepted by publications with page limitations. 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 peer review, which was provided by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data. The level and extent of peer review was based on the importance of report content or its potentially controversial or precedent- setting nature. 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 in digital format from the Natural Resource Condition Assessment Program website and the Natural Resource Publications Management website. Please cite this publication as: Lookingbill, T., K. Engelhardt, C. Geraghty, N. Hatchel, D. Kitchen. 2018. Fort Monroe National Monument: Natural resource condition assessment. Natural Resource Report NPS/FOMR/NRR— 2018/1604. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 250/142910, March 2018 ii Contents Page Figures.................................................................................................................................................. vii Tables .................................................................................................................................................... xi Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................. xv Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................... xxi 1. NRCA Background Information ........................................................................................................ 1 2. Introduction and Resource Setting ..................................................................................................... 5 2.1. History and Enabling Legislation ............................................................................................ 5 2.1.1. Pre-European Settlement ................................................................................................. 5 2.1.2. European Arrival ............................................................................................................. 5 2.1.3. American Civil War Years .............................................................................................. 6 2.1.4. Post-Civil War Era .......................................................................................................... 7 2.1.5. Enabling Legislation ........................................................................................................ 7 2.2. Geographic Setting .................................................................................................................. 8 2.2.1. Location ........................................................................................................................... 8 2.2.2. Geomorphology and Land Use ...................................................................................... 10 2.2.3. Climate .......................................................................................................................... 15 2.2.4. Population and Socioeconomic Conditions ................................................................... 15 2.2.5. Visitation Statistics ........................................................................................................ 18 2.3. Natural Resources .................................................................................................................. 19 2.3.1. Ecological Units and Watersheds .................................................................................. 19 2.3.2. Resource Description ..................................................................................................... 26 2.3.3. Resource Issues Overview ............................................................................................. 30 2.4. Resource Stewardship ........................................................................................................... 33 2.4.1. Management Directives and Planning Guidance........................................................... 33 2.4.2. Status of Supporting Science ......................................................................................... 34 2.5. Literature Cited ...................................................................................................................... 34 iii Contents (continued) Page 3. Study Scoping and Design ............................................................................................................... 37 3.1. Preliminary Scoping .............................................................................................................. 37 3.2. Study Design ......................................................................................................................... 38 3.2.1. Indicator Framework, Focal Study Resources and Indicators ....................................... 38 3.2.2. Reporting Areas ............................................................................................................. 38 3.2.3. General Approach and Methods .................................................................................... 40 3.3. Literature Cited ...................................................................................................................... 42 4. Natural Resource Conditions ........................................................................................................... 43 4.1. Air Resources ........................................................................................................................ 43 4.1.1. Wet Sulfur Deposition ................................................................................................... 44 4.1.2. Wet Nitrogen Deposition ............................................................................................... 48 4.1.3. Visibility ........................................................................................................................ 50 4.1.4. Ozone ............................................................................................................................. 54 4.2. Aquatic Resources ................................................................................................................. 58 4.2.1. Water Quality ................................................................................................................ 64 4.2.2. Sediment Contaminants ................................................................................................. 77 4.2.3. Benthic Macroinvertebrates ........................................................................................... 81 4.2.4. Beaches .......................................................................................................................... 87 4.3. Biotic Resources .................................................................................................................... 90 4.3.1. Southern Live Oaks ....................................................................................................... 91 4.3.2. Salt Marsh ...................................................................................................................... 99 4.3.3. Invasive Species .........................................................................................................