Vital Signs Monitoring Plan
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Central Alaska Network Vital Signs Monitoring Plan By Maggie MacCluskie Central Alaska Network Coordinator National Park Service 201 1st Avenue Fairbanks, AK 99701 and Karen Oakley USGS-Alaska Science Center 1011 E. Tudor Rd. MS 701 Anchorage, AK 99503 with contributions from: Trent McDonald (Chapter 4) Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc. 2003 Central Avenue Cheyenne, WY 82001 and Doug Wilder (Chapter 6) Central Alaska Network Data Manager National Park Service 201 First Avenue Fairbanks, AK 99701 August 1, 2005 United States Department of the Interior NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Office of Inventory, Monitoring, and Evaluation 1201 Oak Ridge Drive, Suite 150 Fort Collins, CO 80525-5596 Phone: (970) 225-3571 Fax: 225-3597 Date: September 18, 2005 The vital signs monitoring plan for the Central Alaska Network meets all program requirements and is approved for implementation. ___________________________________ Steven G. Fancy Monitoring Program Leader Table of Contents Preface........................................................................................................................................... xi List.of.Figures................................................................................................................................. ix List.of.Tables.................................................................................................................................. ix Executive.Summary......................................................................................................................... 1 .Chapter.1.Introduction.and.Background........................................................................................... 5 1.1 Purposes of the Vital Signs Monitoring Program .............................................................................. 5 1.2 Monitoring Goals and Strategies ..................................................................................................... 10 1.3 Natural Resources of Central Alaska Network Parks: What is Important? .................................... 17 1.4 Resource Preservation Concerns .................................................................................................... 22 1.5 Past and Current Monitoring in CAKN Parks and their Neighbors ............................................. 30 Chapter.2.Conceptual.Models........................................................................................................ 33 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 33 2.2 Conceptual Models .......................................................................................................................... 35 Chapter.3.Vital.Signs..................................................................................................................... 47 3.1 Process for Choosing Vital Signs ..................................................................................................... 47 3.2 Vital Signs for the Central Alaska Network ................................................................................... 51 3.3 Relationship of the Proposed Vital Signs to Conceptual Models and Justifications ..................... 49 Chapter.4.Sampling.Design............................................................................................................ 57 4.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 57 4.2 Sampling Concepts and Definitions ................................................................................................ 57 4.3 Overview of Sampling Approaches ................................................................................................. 59 4.4 Grid-based Sampling ....................................................................................................................... 62 4.5 List-based Sampling ......................................................................................................................... 66 4.6 Index Sites ....................................................................................................................................... 70 Chapter.5.Sampling.Protocols........................................................................................................ 73 Chapter.6.Data.Management.......................................................................................................... 77 6.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 77 6.2 Data /Information Management Overview and Infrastructure ....................................................... 79 6.3 Data Management Roles and Responsibilities ................................................................................ 83 6.4 Data Management Standards .......................................................................................................... 84 6.5 Data Acquisition and Processing ..................................................................................................... 84 6.6 Quality Assurance and Control (QA/QC) ..................................................................................... 85 6.7 Data Documentation ....................................................................................................................... 87 6.8 Data and Information Dissemination .............................................................................................. 87 6.9 Data Maintenance, Storage, and Archiving ................................................................................... 88 6.10 Water Quality Data ........................................................................................................................ 89 Chapter.7.Data.Analysis.and.Reporting.......................................................................................... 91 7.1 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................................... 91 vii 7.2 Reporting ......................................................................................................................................... 96 Chapter.8.Administration.and.Implementation.of.the.Monitoring.Program.................................... 101 8.1 CAKN Board of Directors, Technical Committee, and Their Roles in Developing the Monitoring Program .................................................................................................. 101 8.2 Staffing Plan .................................................................................................................................. 104 8.3 Integration of Program with Park Operations .............................................................................. 108 8.4 Field Efforts to be Conducted by the CAKN ............................................................................... 108 8.5 Partnerships ................................................................................................................................... 109 8.6 Review Process for the Program .................................................................................................... 109 Chapter.9.Schedule...................................................................................................................... 115 Chapter.10.Budget....................................................................................................................... 123 Chapter.11.Literature.Cited......................................................................................................... 129 Glossary.of.Terms.Used.by.the.NPS.Inventory.and.Monitoring.Program...................................... 141 Acknowledgements...................................................................................................................... 145 Appendices Appendix A Summary of Legislation, National Park Service Policy, and Guidance Relevant to Development and Implementation of Natural Resources Monitoring in National Parks .................. 147 Appendix B Definition of Natural Resource Inventories, Monitoring, and Research ....................... 153 Appendix C Framework for National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring ................................. 155 Appendix D Current Status of Waterbodies in Central Alaska Network Parks Listed Under Section 303d of the Clean Water Act .................................................................................... 159 Appendix E Objectives Presented in the Subject-area Strategies Prepared for the CAKN Scoping Workshop in April 2002 ........................................................................................... 161 Appendix F Overview of CAKN Program Development March 2001–October 2004 ...................... 163 Appendix G Natural Resources of Central Alaska Network Parks .................................................... 169 Appendix H Park-specific Resource Preservation Concerns .............................................................. 183 Appendix I Past and Current Monitoring in Central Alaska Network Parks .................................... 187 Appendix J Ecoregions and Ecological Units of Central Alaska Network Parks ............................... 201 Appendix K Vital Signs Identified During Park Brainstorm Sessions ...............................................