National Park Service Northern Colorado Plateau Network U.S. Department of the Interior Park Monitoring Brief Intermountain Region Inventory & Monitoring Program Natural Resource Monitoring at 2007 Arches National Park

Landscape Arch/NPS

The Northern Colorado The Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN) covers a geologically and biologically di- Plateau Network verse region comprising 16 national parks in four western states. These parks contain desert grasslands, shrublands, forests, caves, large rivers, perennial streams, seeps, springs, and striking geology. Invasive plants, trampling and grazing by livestock, and adjacent land-use activities are some of the most signifi cant threats to NCPN parks. The NCPN is designing and implement- ing a long-term monitoring program to measure key indicators of ecological integrity, or “vital signs.” Multiple monitoring eff orts will help inform managers of the health of park resources and provide early detection of potential problems. This brief describes recent NCPN activities at Arches National Park.

Landbirds Birds play an important role in the fl ow of en- broader, landscape-scale, breeding-bird mon- ergy through ecosystems because they occupy itoring program. The NCPN has monitored various levels in the food web. Birds are also one plot in pinyon-juniper woodland, and sensitive to habitat changes, which make them three in low-elevation riparian areas at Arches good indicators of habitat quality. The NCPN NP since 2005, continuing the riparian bird is partnering with the Rocky Mountain Bird monitoring conducted by park resource man- Observatory (RMBO) to assess breeding agement staff from 1993 to 2004. The NCPN

Gray vireo/RMBO bird species trends in three habitats: riparian, and RMBO will begin to look at trend data in pinyon-juniper, and sagebrush-shrubland. 2009, after fi ve years of data collection. NCPN data will contribute to the RMBO’s

Vegetation Mapping The NCPN is continuing work on a multi- tion, collecting accuracy-assessment data, year, multi-partner eff ort to map vegetation at creating a geodatabase, and writing the fi nal Arches NP. This project has included gather- report. These maps will be a valuable resource ing aerial photography, collecting initial veg- for use in park management, natural resource etation-plot data, using the vegetation data to monitoring, interpretive programs, park plan- classify vegetation types and write vegetation ning, prescribed fi re, and as a baseline for de- descriptions, writing a dichotomous vegeta- signing ecological studies. Pinyon-juniper woodland/NPS tion-type key, performing photo interpreta- Uplands Integrated upland monitoring includes mea- designed to obtain an estimate of the variance suring soil and site stability, hydrologic func- in key parameters. The information gathered tion, biotic integrity, and vegetation composi- will be used to determine the number of plots tion and structure. To determine the vegetative necessary for long-term monitoring. Pilot sites communities of interest in the monitoring will be selected in a manner that ensures they eff ort, discussions with park staff will begin will be incorporated into data analysis in the in 2008, followed by a three-year pilot study future, full-scale monitoring program.

Uplands/©A.W. Biel

Water Quality At Arches NP, the NCPN is cooperating with solved oxygen and high total phosphorus con- park staff to collect water quality monitor- centrations were the most common problems. ing data used to assess condition and trends Although these conditions often indicate eu- relative to the Clean Water Act, human health, trophication or deterioration in water quality, and ecological function. Monthly monitoring in Arches they may occur naturally due to low visits between January 2005 and January 2007 fl ow and warm temperatures in summer, and indicated that 4 of 7 sites sampled did not the presence of phosphorus-bearing miner- Water quality sonde/NPS meet state standards for secondary contact als in the watersheds. A closer examination of and warm water game fi sh species. Low dis- conditions in the watershed is warranted.

Species Lists The NCPN has completed NPSpecies certifi - by park, by status of the species in the park cation at Arches NP for six taxonomic catego- (e.g., present, historic, unconfi rmed), and by ries—birds, mammals, reptiles, fi sh, amphib- individual species—allowing users to query, ians, and vascular plants—and has posted the for example, does Arches NP have a verifi ed results on its website. An interactive applica- report of a Great Basin spadefoot toad? The tion allows users to select a desired taxonomic resulting species list can be downloaded into category and an alphabetic sort function (i.e., an Excel spreadsheet for use by the public, by common name, scientifi c name, or family– park staff , or park cooperators. Great Basin spadefoot toad/NPS scientifi c name). Additionally, users can search

Climate Climate plays a crucial role in regulating bio- peratures. In 2006, Arches NP received 13 logical and physical processes; rainfall and inches of precipitation and had average an- temperature are the primary factors that limit nual maximum and minimum temperatures an ecosystem’s structure and function. The of 72 and 42 degrees, respectively. Arches NP NCPN compiles and analyzes climate data climate data is available for the years 1980– from an existing weather station in Arches NP. 2006 in an interactive, graphical format on the Over the past 26 years, Arches NP has shown NCPN webpage.

Snow at Delicate Arch/NPS an increase in average annual maximum tem-

Future Projects The NCPN is continuing to expand ecologi- hanging gardens; invasive exotic plants; and cal monitoring at Arches NP. Protocols for human demographics and development are monitoring aquatic macroinvertebrates; land underway and planned for future implemen- condition; land cover and land use; integrat- tation. ed riparian communities; springs, seeps, and

For more information Northern Colorado Plateau Inventory & Monitoring Program National Park Service P.O. Box 848 Moab, UT 84532 435-719-2346 http://www1.nature.nps.gov/im/units/ncpn/index.cfm