Natural Resource Condition Assessment Congaree National Park
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Natural Resource Condition Assessment Congaree National Park Natural Resource Report NPS/SECN/NRR—2018/1665 ON THE COVER A quiet gut off Weston Lake Trail, Congaree National Park Photograph by Stacie Flood. Natural Resource Condition Assessment Congaree National Park Natural Resource Report NPS/SECN/NRR—2018/1665 JoAnn M. Burkholder, Elle H. Allen, Carol A. Kinder, and Stacie Flood Center for Applied Aquatic Ecology North Carolina State University 620 Hutton Street, Suite 104 Raleigh, NC 27606 June 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 Southeast Coast Network website and the Natural Resource Publications Management website. If you have difficulty accessing information in this publication, particularly if using assistive technology, please email [email protected]. Please cite this publication as: Burkholder, J. M., E. H. Allen, C. A. Kinder, and S. Flood. 2018. Natural Resource Condition Assessment: Congaree National Park. Natural Resource Report NPS/SECN/NRR—2018/1665. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 178/146228, June 2018 ii Contents Page Figures .................................................................................................................................................. vii Tables .................................................................................................................................................... xi Appendices .......................................................................................................................................... xix Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................ xxi Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................ xxvii List of Terms ..................................................................................................................................... xxix 1. NRCA Background Information ........................................................................................................ 1 2. Introduction and Resource Setting ..................................................................................................... 5 2.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 5 2.1.1. Enabling Legislation and Potential for Expansion .......................................................... 7 2.1.2. Geographic Setting .......................................................................................................... 9 2.1.3. Demographics and Visitation Statistics ......................................................................... 13 2.2. Natural Resources .................................................................................................................. 15 2.2.1. Watersheds .................................................................................................................... 15 2.2.2. Natural Resources Inventory ......................................................................................... 17 2.3. Resource Stewardship ......................................................................................................... 109 2.3.1. Management Directives and Planning Guidance ......................................................... 109 2.3.2. Synopsis of Stressors to Natural Resources ................................................................ 111 3. Study Scoping and Design ............................................................................................................. 113 3.1. Preliminary Scoping ............................................................................................................ 113 3.2. GIS Data Layers .................................................................................................................. 116 3.2.1. Data Selection and Acquisition ................................................................................... 116 3.2.2. Database Management ................................................................................................. 116 3.2.3. Map Generation ........................................................................................................... 116 4. Indicators to Assess Natural Resource Conditions ........................................................................ 119 4.1. Landscape Dynamics in the Surrounding Watershed .......................................................... 119 iii Contents (continued) Page 4.1.1. Human Population in the Surrounding Area ............................................................... 119 4.1.2. Visitors and Human Population within the Park ......................................................... 123 4.2. Land Use and Land Cover ................................................................................................... 126 4.2.1. Agriculture ................................................................................................................... 126 4.2.2. Impervious Cover ........................................................................................................ 128 4.2.3. Indicators for Land Use and Land Cover Influence .................................................... 131 4.3. Air Quality ........................................................................................................................... 134 4.4. Soundscape .......................................................................................................................... 137 4.5. Lightscape............................................................................................................................ 139 4.6. Soils and Streambank Erosion ............................................................................................. 141 4.7. Water Quantity .................................................................................................................... 143 4.7.1. Surface-water Quantity and Hydrology ....................................................................... 143 4.7.2. Groundwater ................................................................................................................ 144 4.8. Water Quality ...................................................................................................................... 145 4.9. Biological Resources ........................................................................................................... 148 4.9.1. Vascular Plant Associations Compromised by Exotic and Invasive Species .............. 149 4.9.2. Aquatic Benthic Macroinvertebrates ........................................................................... 150 4.9.3. Fish .............................................................................................................................. 151 4.9.4. Herpetofauna ............................................................................................................... 152 4.9.5. Birds ............................................................................................................................ 153 4.9.6. Mammals ..................................................................................................................... 155 4.9.7. Special Management Issues ......................................................................................... 156 5. Climate ..........................................................................................................................................