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Plant Community Composition and Structure Monitoring Protocol for the Northern Great Plains I&M Network Version 1.01

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Plant Community Composition and Structure Monitoring Protocol for the Northern Great Plains I&M Network Version 1.01 National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Plant Community Composition and Structure Monitoring Protocol for the Northern Great Plains I&M Network Version 1.01 Natural Resource Report NPS/NGPN/NRR—2012/489 ON THE COVER Photographs clockwise from top left: 1. Badlands at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND, July 2009 2. Deer exclosure at Devils Tower National Monument, June 2009 3. Post Rushmore 1 fire at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, SD, March 2006 4. American bison at Badlands National Park, June 2005 5. Riparian lowland at Fort Laramie National Historic Site, WY, 6. Spiderwort at Badlands National Park, SD, June 2009 7. (Center) Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, June 2003 Photographs 1-3, 5-7 by Amy Symstad Photograph 4 by C. Jason Tinant Plant Community Composition and Structure Monitoring Protocol for the Northern Great Plains I&M Network Version 1.01 Natural Resource Report NPS/NGPN/NRR—2012/489 Amy J. Symstad1 Robert A. Gitzen2, 3 Cody L. Wienk4 Michael R. Bynum3 Daniel J. Swanson5 Andy D. Thorstenson5 Kara J. Paintner-Green3 1Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey Wind Cave National Park, 26611 U.S. Hwy 385 Hot Springs, SD 57747 2Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Missouri 302 Natural Resources building Columbia, MO 65211 3Northern Great Plains Network, Inventory and Monitoring Program National Park Service 231 East Saint Joseph Street Rapid City, SD 57701 4Midwest Regional Office, National Park Service 601 Riverfront Drive Omaha, NE 68102 5Northern Great Plains Fire Ecology Program, National Park Service Wind Cave National Park, 26611 U.S. Hwy 385 Hot Springs, SD 57747 February 2012 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 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, high-level peer review based on the importance of its content. Peer review was conducted by highly qualified individuals with subject area technical expertise and was overseen by a peer review manager. 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 Web site (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/) on the Internet. Please cite this publication as: Symstad, A. J., R. A. Gitzen, C. L. Wienk, M. R. Bynum, D. J. Swanson, A. D. Thorstenson, and K. J. Paintner-Green. 2012. Plant community composition and structure monitoring protocol for the Northern Great Plains I&M Network: Version 1.01. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/NRR—2012/489. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 920/112656, February 2012 ii Revision History Version numbers will be incremented by a whole number (e.g., 1.12 to 2.00) when a change is made that significantly affects requirements or procedures. Version numbers will be incremented by decimals (e.g., Version 1.06 to 1.07) when there are minor modifications that do not affect requirements or procedures included in the protocol. Add rows as needed for each change or set of changes tied to an updated version number. Prev. Revision New Version Date Revised by Changes Made Reasons for Change Version 1.00 Fall 2011 NGPN Editorial, SOP revisions, Revisions based on the first 1.01 new sample frame for field season and to better FOUS. Separated SOPs match sample frame of from main narrative FOUS to vegetation management plan iii Contents Page Figures............................................................................................................................................ ix Tables ............................................................................................................................................. xi Appendices ................................................................................................................................... xiii Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... xv 1. Background and Objectives ........................................................................................................ 1 1.1 The Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network ....................................... 1 1.2 Rationale for Monitoring Plant Community Composition and Structure .......................... 2 1.3 Goal of the Protocol ........................................................................................................... 5 1.4 Historical Development of Plant Community Monitoring in Northern Great Plains Network Parks ............................................................................................................... 5 1.4.1 Prairie Cluster Prototype Monitoring Program (PCP)............................................. 6 1.4.2 Northern Great Plains Fire Ecology/Fire Effects Monitoring Program (NGP FireEP) ................................................................................................................... 10 1.4.3 NGPN Monitoring in the Context of PCP and NGP FireEP Legacies.................... 10 1.4.4 Measurable Objectives............................................................................................. 11 2. Sampling and Response Design ................................................................................................ 13 2.1 Response Design .............................................................................................................. 13 2.2 Spatial Design .................................................................................................................. 14 2.2.1 Overview of Spatial Design ..................................................................................... 14 2.2.2 Defining the Sample Frame ..................................................................................... 17 2.2.3 Unequal Sampling within the Sample frame ............................................................ 18 2.2.4 Locating Sample Sites .............................................................................................. 20 2.3 Temporal Design ............................................................................................................. 21 2.3.1 Revisit Design .......................................................................................................... 21 v Contents (continued) Page 2.3.2 Visit Schedule within Years ...................................................................................... 24 2.4 Allocating Sample Sites ................................................................................................... 25 2.5 Rationale for choosing this design ................................................................................... 26 2.5.1 Rationale for Response Design ................................................................................ 26 2.5.2 Statistical Power to Describe Status and Detect Trends ......................................... 28 3. Field Methods ........................................................................................................................... 31 3.1 Field Season Preparations and Training .......................................................................... 31 3.2 Conducting Monitoring ................................................................................................... 31 3.2.1 Intensive Plots .......................................................................................................... 34 3.2.2 Extensive Woody Plots ............................................................................................. 35 3.2.3 All Plots .................................................................................................................... 36 3.3 End of Season Procedures ............................................................................................... 36 4. Data Management, Analysis and Reporting ............................................................................. 39 4.1 Data Management ............................................................................................................ 39 4.1.1 Overview of Database Design ................................................................................. 39 4.1.2 Data Entry, Verification, and Validation ................................................................
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