Natural Resource Condition Assessment Grand Portage National Monument
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Natural Resource Condition Assessment Grand Portage National Monument Natural Resource Report NPS/GRPO/NRR—2014/783 Month 2013 U.S. Department of the Interior NationalON THE COVERPark Service The Great Hall on the shore of Grand Portage Bay, Grand Portage National Monument NaturalPhotograph Resource by Dave Mechenich Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado Natural Resource Condition Assessment Grand Portage National Monument Natural Resource Report NPS/GRPO/NRR—2014/783 George J. Kraft David J. Mechenich Christine Mechenich Matthew D. Waterhouse Jen McNelly Center66T for Watershed Science and Education College66T of Natural Resources University66T of Wisconsin – Stevens Point Stevens66T Point, Wisconsin 54481 Jeffrey66T Dimick Aquatic66T Biomonitoring Laboratory College66T of Natural Resources University66T of Wisconsin – Stevens Point Stevens66T Point, Wisconsin 54481 James E. Cook College of Natural Resources University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54481 This report was prepared with funding from the National Park Service under Task Agreement P11AC60779 of the Great Lakes Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit under Cooperative Agreement CA H6000082000 between the National Park Service and the University of Minnesota. 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 the Natural Resource Publications Management website (57T http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/)57T . To receive this report in a format optimized for screen readers, please email irma@57T nps.gov.57T Please cite this publication as: Kraft, G. J., D. J. Mechenich, C. Mechenich, M. D. Waterhouse, J. McNelly, J. Dimick, and J. Cook. 2014. Natural resource condition assessment: Grand Portage National Monument. Natural Resource Report NPS/GRPO/NRR—2014/783. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS398/124047, March 2014 ii Contents Page Figures57T 57T........................................................................................................................................... vii Tables57T 57T ........................................................................................................................................... xiii Executive57T Summary57T .................................................................................................................... xvii A57T cknowledgments57T...................................................................................................................... xxiii 57TList of Acronyms and Abbreviations 57T ......................................................................................... xxiii Chapter57T 1 NRCA Background Information57T .................................................................................... 1 Chapter57T 2 Introduction and Resource Setting57T ................................................................................. 5 2.157T Introduction 57T........................................................................................................................ 5 2.1.157T Enabling Legislation 57T .................................................................................................. 5 2.1.257T Geographic and Cultural Setting 57T ................................................................................ 5 2.1.357T Demographics and Visitation Statistics 57T ................................................................... 11 2.257T Natural Resources57T ............................................................................................................ 13 2.2.157T Ecological Units and Watersheds 57T ............................................................................ 13 2.2.257T Resource Descriptions 57T ............................................................................................. 15 2.2.357T Resource Issues Overview57T ....................................................................................... 16 2.357T Resource Stewardship 57T ...................................................................................................... 18 2.3.157T Management Directives and Planning Guidance57T ..................................................... 18 2.3.257T Status of Supporting Science57T ................................................................................... 21 2.457T Literature Cited57T ................................................................................................................ 24 Chapter57T 3 Study Scoping and Design57T ........................................................................................... 29 3.157T Preliminary Scoping57T ........................................................................................................ 29 3.257T Study Design57T .................................................................................................................... 30 3.2.157T Indicator Framework, Focal Study Resources and Indicators 57T ................................. 30 3.2.257T Reference Conditions and Trends57T ............................................................................ 30 3.2.357T Reporting Areas57T ....................................................................................................... 32 3.2.457T General Approach and Methods 57T .............................................................................. 32 3.357T Literature Cited57T ................................................................................................................ 32 iii Contents (continued) Page Chapter57T 4 Natural Resource Conditions 57T ....................................................................................... 33 4.157T Landscape Condition 57T ....................................................................................................... 33 4.1.157T Land Cover57T............................................................................................................... 33 4.157T .2 Impervious Surfaces................................57T ................................................................. 35 4.1.357T Landscape Pattern and Structure57T .............................................................................. 36 4.1.457T Road Density57T ............................................................................................................ 44 4.257T Biotic Condition................................57T ............................................................................... 53 4.2.157T Southern Boreal Forest 57T ............................................................................................ 53 4.2.257T Climate Change and the Southern Boreal Forest 57T ..................................................... 71 4.2.357T Moose 57T ....................................................................................................................... 79 4.2.457T Beaver57T ...................................................................................................................... 83 4.2.557T Terrestrial Exotic Plant Species 57T ............................................................................... 89 4.2.657T Coaster Brook Trout 57T ................................................................................................ 97 4.2.757T Aquatic Macroinvertebrates57T ................................................................................... 106 4.2.857T Aquatic Non-Native and Invasive Species57T ............................................................ 125 4.2.957T VHSv................................57T ...................................................................................... 129 4.2.1057T Didymosphenia geminata (Didymo)57T .................................................................... 132 4.2.1157T Organic Contaminants in Fish 57T ............................................................................