Mixed Conifer and Spruce-Fir Forests of Grand Canyon National Park a Literature Review
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Mixed Conifer and Spruce-Fir Forests of Grand Canyon National Park A Literature Review Natural Resource Report NPS/GRCA/NRR—2019/2004 ON THE COVER Photopoint in Southern Colorado Plateau Network mixed conifer monitoring plot in Grand Canyon National Park NPS photo, J. Mike Mixed Conifer and Spruce-Fir Forests of Grand Canyon National Park A Literature Review Natural Resource Report NPS/GRCA/NRR—2019/2004 James K. DeCoster National Park Service Southern Colorado Plateau Network Flagstaff, Arizona September 2019 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 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 in digital format from the Southern Colorado Plateau 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: DeCoster, James K. 2019. Mixed conifer and spruce-fir forests of Grand Canyon National Park: A literature review. Natural Resource Report NPS/GRCA/NRR—2019/2004. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 113/164325, September 2019 ii Contents Page Figures.................................................................................................................................................... v Tables .................................................................................................................................................... vi Abstract ................................................................................................................................................ vii Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................ vii 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 1 2 Physical environment: Geology, soils and climate ............................................................................. 3 3 Vegetation history and human influences ........................................................................................... 7 4 Vegetation ........................................................................................................................................... 9 4.1 Vegetation classification .......................................................................................................... 9 4.2 Environmental gradients ......................................................................................................... 14 4.3 Forest composition, structure and dynamics .......................................................................... 16 4.4 Shrub/ herbaceous layer ......................................................................................................... 19 4.5 Rare species ............................................................................................................................ 21 4.6 Pre-Euro-American settlement forest structure composition and changes through 20th century ................................................................................................................................... 22 5 Disturbance ....................................................................................................................................... 26 5.1 Grazing and browsing ............................................................................................................. 26 5.2 Fire .......................................................................................................................................... 27 5.2.1 Fire regimes .................................................................................................................... 27 5.2.2 Prescribed fire and fire management activities............................................................... 30 5.2.3 Fire effects –forest structure ........................................................................................... 31 5.2.4 Fire effects – shrub-herbaceous layer and soil surface ................................................... 32 5.3 Nonnative species ................................................................................................................... 34 5.4 Insects, pathogens and parasites ............................................................................................. 35 5.5 Drought and climate change ................................................................................................... 37 5.6 Other natural and human disturbances ................................................................................... 39 iii Contents (continued) Page 6 Conclusions and Impacts of Climate Change ................................................................................... 40 7 Literature Cited ................................................................................................................................. 41 Appendix A .......................................................................................................................................... 47 iv Figures Page Figure 1. Map of the study area on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park............................ 2 Figure 2. Soil map units associated with the mixed conifer forests of Grand Canyon National Park ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Figure 3. Mean monthly precipitation between 1925 and 2018 at Bright Angel weather station on North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park (from Climate Analyzer 2019) ........................ 6 Figure 4. Mixed conifer forest communities delineated in the recent vegetation map of Grand Canyon National Park (Kearsley et al. 2015) ........................................................................... 13 Figure 5. Elevational zonation of forest types on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park as described by four researchers. .................................................................................. 14 Figure 6. Influence of elevation and topography on vegetation in mixed conifer forests of the Southwestern United States (from Vankat 2013) ........................................................................... 15 Figure 7. Wildland fires on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park between 1960 and 2011, including escaped prescribed fires ...................................................................................... 30 Figure 8. Prescribed fires between 1980 and 2012 on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park ....................................................................................................................................... 31 v Tables Page Table 1. Typical profiles of the three soil components that are associated with the mixed conifer forests of the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park ........................................................ 3 Table 2. Ecological sites and corresponding soil map units for mixed conifer and spruce- fir forests of North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. ..................................................................... 5 Table 3. Major research studies that describe mixed conifer forests and spruce-fir forests of Kaibab Plateau and North Rim of Grand Canyon ............................................................................. 9 Table 4. Vankat’s (2013) regional classification of mixed conifer and spruce-fir forests. ................. 10 Table 5. Crosswalk between vegetation map units and vegetation associations for the vegetation map