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Great Basin National Park Aspen Stand Condition and Health Assessment

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Great Basin National Park Aspen Stand Condition and Health Assessment National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Great Basin National Park Aspen Stand Condition and Health Assessment Natural Resource Report NPS/GRBA/NRR—2014/782 ON THE COVER Fall colors from Mather Overlook, Great Basin National Park Photograph by: Margaret Horner Great Basin National Park Aspen Stand Condition and Health Assessment Natural Resource Report NPS/GRBA/NRR—2014/782 Margaret A. Horner1, Bryan T. Hamilton1, Louis Provencher2 1National Park Service 100 Great Basin National Park Baker, NV 89311 2The Nature Conservancy 1 East First Street Suite 1007 Reno, NV 89501 March 2014 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 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 formal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data, and whose background and expertise put them on par technically and scientifically with the authors of the information. 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 Great Basin National Park, Mojave Desert Network and 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: Horner, M. A., B. T. Hamilton, and L. Provencher. 2014. Great Basin National Park aspen stand condition and health assessment. Natural Resource Report NPS/GRBA/NRR—2014/782. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. ii Contents Page Figures........................................................................................................................................... vii Figures (continued) ...................................................................................................................... viii Tables ............................................................................................................................................. ix Appendices ..................................................................................................................................... ix Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... xi Acknowledgments......................................................................................................................... xii List of Terms ................................................................................................................................. xii Acronyms ..................................................................................................................................... xiv Background and Need ..................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose .................................................................................................................................... 3 Project Area ............................................................................................................................. 3 Methods........................................................................................................................................... 5 Aspen Stand Condition and Health Assessment ...................................................................... 6 Results ............................................................................................................................................. 7 Aspen Biophysical Settings ................................................................................................... 14 Stable Aspen ..................................................................................................................... 14 Seral Aspen ....................................................................................................................... 16 Seral Subalpine Aspen ...................................................................................................... 18 Aspen Stand Condition and Health Assessment ........................................................................... 21 Watershed Assessments ......................................................................................................... 23 Baker Creek ...................................................................................................................... 23 Snake Creek ...................................................................................................................... 24 Strawberry Creek .............................................................................................................. 25 iii Contents (continued) Page Lehman Creek ................................................................................................................... 26 North Fork of Big Wash ................................................................................................... 27 South Fork Big Wash ........................................................................................................ 28 Shingle Creek .................................................................................................................... 29 Can Young Canyon ........................................................................................................... 30 Pine and Ridge Creek........................................................................................................ 31 Hub Basin.......................................................................................................................... 32 Lexington Canyon ............................................................................................................. 33 Williams Creek ................................................................................................................. 34 Dry Canyon ....................................................................................................................... 35 Young Canyon .................................................................................................................. 36 Mill Creek ......................................................................................................................... 37 Decathon Canyon .............................................................................................................. 38 Big Springs Wash ............................................................................................................. 39 Burnt Mill Creek ............................................................................................................... 40 Lincoln Canyon ................................................................................................................. 41 Management Recommendations ................................................................................................... 43 Aspen Treatment Objectives and Methods ............................................................................ 44 Hand Felling...................................................................................................................... 45 Prescribed Fire and Pile Burning ...................................................................................... 46 Wildland Fire Use ............................................................................................................. 46 Current Fire Management Plan ......................................................................................... 48 Effectiveness and Validation Monitoring ......................................................................... 48 iv Contents (continued) Page Recommended Treatment Areas ............................................................................................ 49 Baker Creek ...................................................................................................................... 51 Strawberry Creek .............................................................................................................. 52 Lehman Creek ................................................................................................................... 53 Snake Creek
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