NorthNorth AmericanAmerican GLORIAGLORIA A CIRMOUNT Work-Group Project

Connie Millar Dan Fagre USDA Forest Service USGS Science Center Sierra Research Ctr Glacier National Park Albany, CA USA W. Glacier, MT USA [email protected] [email protected] Dedicated to two very special GLORIA pioneers: Georg & Hari

Georg, June in *A collaborative, interdisciplinary research consortium dedicated to understanding climate and its effects on western North American mountain ecosystems and resources

*Seeks to improve knowledge of high-elevation climate systems and integrate knowledge of mountain ecosystem response to climate into natural resource management and policy

CIRMOUNT Coordinators:

Co-Chairs: Henry Diaz, NOAA, Constance Millar, USFS, PSW Research

Daniel Cayan, UCSB, SCRIPPS David Peterson, USFS, PNW Research Michael Dettinger, USGS, WRD Frank Powell, UCSD, WMRS Daniel Fagre, USGS, BRD Kelly Redmond, West Reg Climate Ctr, DRI Lisa Graumlich, Mont St Univ Nathan Stephenson, USGS, BRD Gregory Greenwood, Mtn Res Init Thomas Swetnam, Univ AZ, LTRR Malcolm Hughes, Univ AZ, LTRR Connie Woodhouse, NOAA, Paleoclimatology Coast Range

Cascades Mountainous Regions of Western North America Rocky Sierra Mtns Basin Nevada Ranges

SW Desert Ranges Diversity of Bio-Climatic Mountain Regions

Canadian Coast Range Great Basin Ranges

K Swerhun C Millar N Cascades Sierra Nevada

S Mitchell C Millar GLORIA Multi-Summit Target Regions

Planned 5. N Cascades 6. BC Coast Range 7. Niwot Ridge LTER 8. San Juan Mtns 6 9. Lake Tahoe Basin 1 Completed (# summits) 5 1. Glacier National Park GNP 4

2. Sierra Nevada SND 4 9 7 2 3. White Mtns WIM (granitic) 4 3, 8 4 4. White Mtns WDS (dolomite) 3 Glacier National Park GLORIA Northern Rocky Mountains, GNP, Fagre

Seward 2717m Pitamakan 2493m Glacier National Park GLORIA GNP, Northern Rocky Mountains, Montana

Bison Head 2387m

Dancing Lady 2245m

Number of Species: ______Summit______Region__ Low Mid 1 Mid 2 High Exotic Total 51 82 59 39 1 136 A few conclusions from the Glacier National Park (GNP) GLORIA

* Difficult to find sites in this region due to: - steep/glaciated terrain - treeline influenced by site more than elevation * High species diversity: 51 to 82 taxa/summit, total 136 * Slope and aspect were important diversity factors * Souring winds are particularly associated with aspect * Four species were common throughout: Smelowskia calycina var americana, Polemonium viscosum, Achillea millefolium, Erigeron compositus var glabratus, Potentilla fruticosa Sierra Nevada GLORIA SND, California, Dennis/Millar

3749m 3570m 3322m

Hulsea algida

Mt Dunderberg ungens p

Leptodactylon Sierra Nevada GLORIA SND, California

3341m

Cassiope mertensiana

Number of Species - number unique Low Mid 1 Mid 2 High Exotic Region Sierra 38 36 13 22 0 65 18 8 3 5 White Mountains – Granitic/Volc GLORIA WIM, California 3975m 4285m 3722m Dennis/Millar

4285m White Mountains – Granitic GLORIA WIM, California

3258m

Number of Species - number unique Low Mid 1 Mid 2 High Exotic Region WIM 25 26 21 7 1 54 14 6 7 4 A few conclusions from Sierra Nevada (SND) vs White Mtns (WIM) GLORIA studies:

* 65 taxa SND, 51 WIM, 25 in common * Only one non-native species, found in WIM * Greater species diversity at lower than higher summits: -38 vs 13 SND; 26 vs 7 WIM; -low captures transitional flora * Aspect not a strong determinant * 2 major structural elements: widespread, cosmopolitan montane group (Sierran/Great Basin) + alpine flora (ground-hugging/cushion ) White Mountains – Dolomite GLORIA

WDS, California, Dennis/Millar 3734m 3490m

3612m Piloted new quantitative method for estimating cover in summit area sections (SAS) – fixed 10m x 10 m plots, --Dennis, 2005 Assessed repeatability of methods with different botanists using GLORIA occular method and new approach

Point estimates every 1m along 100 m line, 10 traverses

Satellite studies •Butterfly census 10m x 10m plot in each •Microbial study SAS •Geomorphology Some results from WDS (carbonate) & compared to WIM (non-carbonate):

* 46 total species on 3 WDS summits * 19 new – ie, not found in WIM summits * Abundant species were common between WIM & WDS * Elymus elymoides was ubiquitous * Eriogonum gracilipes, Phlox condensata, and Erigeron pygmaeus were dominant members of the alpine mat- forming community * Shrub/subshrub community abundant on WIM missing on WDS * No exotic species were found within plots North Cascades National Park GLORIA North Cascades, Washington NOC, Mitchell

Photos S Mitchell Planned summits Canadian Coast Range GLORIA British Columbia, Canada Swerhun & Smith

Photos K Swerhun

Planned summits BERGHEIL!