Restrictions for Cave Information at Lava Beds National Monument
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Integrated Monitoring Protocol for Cave Entrance Communities and Cave Environments in the Klamath Network Narrative, Version 1.0 Natural Resource Report NPS/KLMN/NRR—2017/1400 ON THE COVER Caldwell Ice Cave, Lava Beds National Monument Photograph by: Jean K. Krejca Integrated Monitoring Protocol for Cave Entrance Communities and Cave Environments in the Klamath Network Narrative, Version 1.0 Natural Resource Report NPS/KLMN/NRR—2017/1400 Jean K. Krejca1, G. Robert Myers III1, Alice Chung-MacCoubrey2, Eric C. Dinger2, Sean Mohren2,4, David Riggs3, Daniel Sarr2,†, Katrina Smith3, Allison Snyder2, and Shawn Thomas5 Edited by Sonya Daw2 1Zara Environmental LLC Manchaca, Texas 78610 2National Park Service Klamath Network Inventory and Monitoring Program Ashland, Oregon 3NPS Lava Beds National Monument Tule Lake Unit, WWII Valor in the Pacific NM Tulelake, California 96134 4Crater Lake National Park (current affiliation) Crater Lake, Oregon 5Bat Conservation International (current location) Flagstaff, Arizona March 2017 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, high-level peer review based on the importance of its content, or its potentially controversial or precedent-setting nature. Peer review was conducted by highly qualified individuals with subject area technical expertise and was overseen by a peer review manager. Standard operating procedures associated with this protocol received the same level of review as the protocol narrative but are stored as unpublished documents on the National Park Service Integrated Resources Management Applications web portal. 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 Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network website and the Natural Resource Publications Management website. To receive this report in a format optimized for screen readers, please email [email protected]. Please cite this publication as: Krejca, J. K., G. R. Myers III, A. Chung-MacCoubrey, E. C. Dinger, S. Mohren, D. Riggs, D. Sarr, K. Smith, A. Snyder, and S. Thomas. 2017. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network: Narrative, Version 1.0. Natural Resource Report NPS/KLMN/NRR—2017/1400. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 963/136789, March 2017 ii Contents Page Figures.................................................................................................................................................. vii Tables ................................................................................................................................................... vii Appendices ........................................................................................................................................... vii Revision History Log ............................................................................................................................ ix Standard Operating Procedures ............................................................................................................. xi Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................xiii Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................ xv 1 Background and Objectives ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Monitoring History ................................................................................................................... 2 1.2.1 Monitoring History in Lava Beds ..................................................................................... 2 1.2.2 Monitoring History in Oregon Caves ............................................................................... 4 1.3 Integration of Cave Environment and Entrance Community Vital Signs ................................ 7 1.4 Vital Signs Monitoring Objectives ........................................................................................... 8 1.5 Management Actions ................................................................................................................ 9 2 Parameter Selection and Sampling Design ....................................................................................... 11 2.1 Selected Parameters ................................................................................................................ 11 2.1.1 Abiotic Parameters ......................................................................................................... 11 2.1.2 Biotic Parameters............................................................................................................ 11 2.1.3 Rationale for Selected Parameters .................................................................................. 11 2.1.4 Alternative Parameters Considered ................................................................................ 13 2.2 Sampling Frame and Site Selection ........................................................................................ 14 2.2.1 Oregon Caves ................................................................................................................. 14 2.2.2 Lava Beds ....................................................................................................................... 15 2.2.3 Protocol Development History ....................................................................................... 19 2.3 Delineating Zones and Marking Sites .................................................................................... 19 2.4 Sampling Frequency ............................................................................................................... 21 2.5 Statistical Power ..................................................................................................................... 21 iii Contents (continued) Page 2.5.1 Climate Power Analysis ................................................................................................. 22 2.5.2 Bat Power Analysis ........................................................................................................ 22 2.5.3 Vegetation and Invertebrate Power Analyses ................................................................. 23 3 Methods ............................................................................................................................................. 25 3.1 Schedule ................................................................................................................................. 25 3.2 Facilities and Equipment ........................................................................................................ 25 3.3 Field Methods ......................................................................................................................... 25 3.3.1 Cave Climate (SOP #5) .................................................................................................. 26 3.3.2 Water Levels in Subterranean Pools at ORCA (SOP #4) ............................................... 26 3.3.3 Ice Levels in Ice Caves at LABE (SOP #6).................................................................... 27 3.3.4 Human Visitation (SOP #7) ............................................................................................ 27 3.3.5 Entrance Vegetation Monitoring (SOP #9) .................................................................... 27 3.3.6 Bat Monitoring (SOP #8) ............................................................................................... 28 3.3.7 Scat and Visible Organics (SOP #10) ............................................................................ 29 3.3.8