Status and Trends of Ecological Health and Human Use of the Cabrillo National Monument Rocky Intertidal Zone (1990-2005)
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Pacific West Region Seattle, Washington Status and Trends of Ecological Health and Human Use of the Cabrillo National Monument Rocky Intertidal Zone (1990-2005) Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/PWR/CABR/NRTR—2006/03 ON THE COVER Conducting photoplots in Zone III of Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego, California. Status and Trends of Ecological Health and Human Use of the Cabrillo National Monument Rocky Intertidal Zone (1990-2005) Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/PWR/CABR/NRTR—2006/03 Bonnie J. Becker, PhD National Park Service Cabrillo National Monument 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive San Diego, California 92106-3601 June 2006 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Pacific West Region Seattle, Washington The Natural Resource Publication series addresses natural resource topics that are of interest and applicability to a broad readership in the National Park Service and to others in the management of natural resources, including the scientific community, the public, and the NPS conservation and environmental constituencies. Manuscripts are peer-reviewed to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and is designed and published in a professional manner. The Natural Resources Technical Reports series is used to disseminate the peer-reviewed results of scientific studies in the physical, biological, and social sciences for both the advancement of science and the achievement of the National Park Service’s mission. The reports provide contributors with a forum for displaying comprehensive data that are often deleted from journals because of page limitations. Current examples of such reports include the results of research that addresses natural resource management issues; natural resource inventory and monitoring activities; resource assessment reports; scientific literature reviews; and peer reviewed proceedings of technical workshops, conferences, or symposia. Views and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect policies of the National Park Service. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the National Park Service. Printed copies of reports in these series may be produced in a limited quantity and they are only available as long as the supply lasts. This report is also available from the Cabrillo National Monument website (http://www.nps.gov/cabr ) on the internet, or by sending a request to the address on the back cover. Please cite this publication as: Becker, Bonnie J. 2006. Status and Trends of Ecological Health and Human Use of the Cabrillo National Monument Rocky Intertidal Zone (1990-2005). Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/PWR/CABR/NRTR—2006/03. National Park Service, Seattle, Washington. NPS D-62, June 2006 Contents Tables............................................................................................................................................................v Figures .........................................................................................................................................................vi Executive Summary......................................................................................................................................1 Introduction...................................................................................................................................................7 Methods ......................................................................................................................................................10 Basic Study Approach ............................................................................................................................10 Study Area..............................................................................................................................................10 Study Design ..........................................................................................................................................11 Circular Plots..........................................................................................................................................12 Photoplots...............................................................................................................................................12 Line Transects.........................................................................................................................................13 Timed Searches.......................................................................................................................................13 Bird and Visitor Censuses ......................................................................................................................14 Data Management...................................................................................................................................15 Data Analysis..........................................................................................................................................15 Results.........................................................................................................................................................17 Sampling Effort and Anomalous Events ................................................................................................17 Circular Plots..........................................................................................................................................17 Photoplots...............................................................................................................................................18 Acorn barnacles..................................................................................................................................18 Thatched barnacles.............................................................................................................................18 Mussels...............................................................................................................................................18 Goose barnacles..................................................................................................................................19 Rockweed...........................................................................................................................................19 Line Transects.........................................................................................................................................19 Red algal turf......................................................................................................................................19 Surfgrass.............................................................................................................................................19 Boa kelp .............................................................................................................................................20 Aggregating anemones.......................................................................................................................20 Sargassum weed.................................................................................................................................20 Timed Searches.......................................................................................................................................20 Abalone ..............................................................................................................................................20 Sea stars..............................................................................................................................................20 Bird and Visitor Censuses ......................................................................................................................21 Visitors ...............................................................................................................................................21 Birds...................................................................................................................................................21 Interaction between birds and visitors................................................................................................22 Discussion...................................................................................................................................................23 Comparison to Engle and Davis Report .................................................................................................23 “Stable” in Engle and Davis...............................................................................................................23 “Moderate decline” in Engle and Davis.............................................................................................24 Dramatic decrease or increase in Engle and Davis ............................................................................24 “Absent” in Engle and Davis .............................................................................................................25 Owl Limpet Size-Frequency Distribution ..............................................................................................25 Loss of largest limpets........................................................................................................................25