USDA United States Department of Agriculture Research Natural Areas on Forest Service National Forest System Lands Rocky Mountain Research Station in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, General Technical Report RMRS-CTR-69 Utah, and Western Wyoming: February 2001 A Guidebook for Scientists, Managers, and E'ducators Angela G. Evenden Melinda Moeur J. Stephen Shelly Shannon F. Kimball Charles A. Wellner Abstract Evenden, Angela G.; Moeur, Melinda; Shelly, J. Stephen; Kimball, Shannon F.; Wellner, Charles A. 2001. Research Natural Areas on National Forest System Lands in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Western Wyoming: A Guidebook for Scientists, Managers, and Educators. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-69. Ogden, UT: U.S. Departmentof Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 84 p. This guidebook is intended to familiarize land resource managers, scientists, educators, and others with Research Natural Areas (RNAs) managed by the USDA Forest Service in the Northern Rocky Mountains and lntermountain West. This guidebook facilitates broader recognitionand use of these valuable natural areas by describing the RNA network, past and current research and monitoring, management, and how to use RNAs. About The Authors Angela G. Evenden is biological inventory and monitoring project leader with the National Park Service -NorthernColorado Plateau Network in Moab, UT. She was formerly the Natural Areas Program Manager for the Rocky Mountain Research Station, Northern Region and lntermountain Region of the USDA Forest Service. Melinda Moeur is Research Forester with the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain ResearchStation in Moscow, ID, and one of four Research Natural Areas Coordinators from the Rocky Mountain Research Station. J. Stephen Shelly is Regional Botanist and Research Natural Areas Coordinator with the USDA Forest Service, Northern Region Headquarters Office in Missoula, MT. Shannon F. Kimball is an independent botanical consultant working in the Northern Rockies. She was formerly the Natural Areas Ecologist with the Rocky Mountain Research Station in Missoula, MT. Charles A. Wellner is retired Assistant Station Director of the USDA Forest Service, lntermountain Research Station and former co-chair of the Forest Service Research Natural Areas Committee. He has been instrumental in identifying and establishing research natural areas in the Northern Rocky Mountains, particularly in the state of Idaho, for more than five decades. Acknowledgments The authors thank the following individuals for helpful review and input on the draft manuscript: Tom Andrews, Steve Arno, Dennis Ferguson, Mick Harrington, John Joy, Mark Mousseaux, John Pierce, and Steve Rust. We also thank Jeffrey Evans, Rocky Mountain Research Station cartographer, for drafting the color map. You may order additional copies of this publication by sending your mailing information in label form through one of the following media. Please specify the publication title and number. Telephone (970) 498-1392 FAX (970) 498-1396 E-mail rschneiderC2fs.fed.u~ Web site http://www.fs.fed.us/rm Mailing Address Publications Distribution Rocky Mountain Research Station 240 West Prospect Road Fort Collins, CO 80526 Cover Photos: Upper Right: Avariety of ponderosa pine (Pinusponderosa)forests are represented within the RNA network. This stand occurs within Upper Sand Creek RNA along the southern face of the Aquarius Plateau on the Dixie National Forest in southern Ut;h. The dominant understory shrub is bitterbrush(Purshia tridentata). Photo by Joel Tuhy ," "-. - ' ' Upper Left: Research and monitorin,istudies are conducted'whhin many Forest Service Research Natural Areas. Photo by Angela Evenden. Bottom Right: Subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) and Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannil) forests on granitic substrates within Bruin Mountain RNA on the Payette National Forest in Idaho. Photo by Charles Wellner. Bottom Left: Shrub steppe communities, dominated by threetip sagebrush (Artemisia tripartita) and mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana), are well-represented in Horse Prairie RNA on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in southwestern Montana. Photo by Steve Chadde. Contents Page Research Natural Areas-An Overview ......................................................................................................................1 A Nationwide Network .........................................................................................................................................1 RNAs in the Northern Rocky Mountains and Intermountain West ......................................................................2 The Role of RNAs in National Forest Management ................................................................................................23 Benchmark Reference Areas ............................................................................................................................23 Inventory and Monitoring ..................................................................................................................................23 Biodiversity Conservation .................................................................................................................................23 Stewardship and Management Opportunities .........................................................................................................24 Research, Monitoring, and Educational Opportunities ............................................................................................25 Color Plates: Examples of Ecosystems ..................................................................................................................28 Examples of RNA Monitoring and Research .......................................................................................................40 Benchmark Monitoring ......................................................................................................................................40 Long-Term Ecological Monitoring .....................................................................................................................40 Stewardship Monitoring ....................................................................................................................................41 Population/Demographic Studies ......................................................................................................................41 Ecological Processes/Ecosystem Functions .................................................................................................. 42 Genetic Research and Conservation ............................................................................................................... 42 Landscape Ecology ........................................................................................................................................43 Educational Activities in Research Natural Areas ................................................................................................... 43 Accessing and Using the RNA Network for Research, Monitoring, and Education Activities ................................. 43 Requesting Approval to Use Research Natural Areas ......................................................................................43 Educational Activities and Field Trips ...............................................................................................................44 Concluding Remarks ..............................................................................................................................................44 References ..............................................................................................................................................................44 Appendix A Research Natural Areas on National Forest System lands in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and western Wyoming by National Hierarchical Framework Ecological Units ................................................. 48 Appendix B Addresses and phone numbers of Forest Service offices in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and western Wyoming, with contact information for Region and Station RNA Coordinators .............................53 Appendix C Bibliography of research and monitoring studies conducted in Forest Service Research Natural Areas in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and western Wyoming, listed alphabetically by author ............... 55 Appendix D Bibliography of research and monitoring studies conducted between 1925 and 2000 in Forest Service Research Natural Areas in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and western Wyoming, arranged alphabetically by RNA within state and National Forest ............................................................................. 64 Appendix E Research Use Request Form for Forest Service Research Natural Areas in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and western Wyoming ........................................................................................................................81 RMRS-FILE COPY Research Natural Areas on National Forest System Lands in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Western ~yoming:A Guidebook for scientists, Managers, and Educators Angela G. Evenden Melinda Moeur J. Stephen Shelly Shannon F. Kimball Charles A. Wellner Research Natural Areas-An RNAs provide opportunities for low-impact educa- tional activities. These areas are available for educa- Overview tional use by university and school groups, native The Forest Service Research Natural Area (RNA) plant societies,