Fall 2009 • Volume 26 • Number 2 www.nature.nps.gov/ParkScience PARK SCIENCE • VOLUME 26 • NUMBER 2 • FALL 2009 National Park Service PARKScience U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Program Center Integrating Research and Resource Management in the National Parks Office of Education and Outreach PARKScience Integrating Research and Resource Management in the National Parks Volume 26 • Number 2 • Fall 2009 www.nature.nps.gov/ParkScience ISSN 0735–9462 From the Editor Published by U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Program Center Lakewood, Colorado Continuity Director, National Park Service Jon Jarvis Associate Director, Natural Resource I am thrilled to publish a case study about a resource inventory and Stewardship & Science Bert Frost condition assessment of desert springs at Saguaro National Park. The Director, Natural Resource Program Center authors credit the fi rst edition of Park Science with inspiration for this George Dickison work. Published in 1980, this inaugural issue highlighted the intensive 11- Editor day gathering of researchers and resource managers to “take the pulse” of Jeff Selleck Natural Resource Program Center, Offi ce of Education a wilderness drainage lying mostly within Olympic National Park. Three and Outreach years later the pulse model was adopted at Sequoia–Kings Canyon na- Associate Editor tional parks, where it was repeated in 1994 to illuminate resource changes Katie KellerLynn Writer-Editor, Colorado State University (cooperator) over that period. I was lucky to be a participant in the second Sequoia pulse study, covering the story as the new editor of Park Science. I know Contributing Editor Betsie Blumberg how stimulating the pulse approach can be on account of its daily surveys, Writer-Editor, Pennsylvania State University (cooperator) nightly group progress reports, and the opportunities for professional Copyeditor/Proofreader growth through meaningful collaboration and fi eldwork. The Saguaro Lori D. Kranz (contractor) pulse study, as the authors note in this issue, continues to invigorate and Layout/Design Jeff Selleck, Editor inform the park science and resource management program. I am grati- Editorial board fi ed to trace continuity in these articles, which show how good ideas can John Dennis—Deputy Chief Scientist, Natural Resource spark applications for other areas, a primary purpose of Park Science. Stewardship & Science Jon Jarvis’s recent confi rmation as 18th director of the National Rick Jones—Interpretive Planner, Harpers Ferry Center Park Service signals to me the value of continuity for leadership. Though Bob Krumenaker—Superintendent, Apostle Islands several directors have come from within the Service, Mr. Jarvis is the fi rst National Lakeshore of these with a biology background and extensive resource management Charles Roman—NPS Research Coordinator, North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, experience. In 1996 we ran an article that tracked the career develop- University of Rhode Island ment of NPS Natural Resource Trainee Program alumni and featured a Bobbi Simpson—Supervisory Biologist and California group photograph (above) of the fi rst class in 1982. Fifth from the right in Exotic Plant Management Team Liaison, Point Reyes National Seashore the bottom row is our new director, then a trainee from Crater Lake Na- Kathy Tonnessen—NPS Research Coordinator, Rocky tional Park. Each time Mr. Jarvis’s career has evolved to a new position Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, of leadership, I have taken pride that “one of us” was moving up. While University of Montana he brings many important characteristics to his new job, I am especially Editorial offi ce Jeff Selleck pleased that his broad understanding of park issues and the role of sci- National Park Service ence in their resolution is squarely among them. NRPC/OEO P.O. Box 25287 Finally, the recent Ken Burns/Dayton Duncan television series The Denver, CO 80225-0287 National Parks: America’s Best Idea amplifi ed for me the tremendous E-mail: [email protected] advances we have made in park stewardship informed by science since the Phone: 303-969-2147 earliest days of the National Park Service. We should not forget that our Fax: 303-987-6704 work to understand, manage, and protect the enduring qualities of na- tional parks is a great service to Americans and generations yet to come. —Jeff Selleck CONTENTS 3 Contents NPS/JOY MARBURGER MATTHEW S. BERG USGS/DON CAMPBELL 30 38 58 DEPARTMENTS IN FOCUS: CESUs By Thomas E. Fish and Betsie Blumberg From the Editor 2 Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units at 10 years 10 Continuity Reconstructing prehistoric ecology at Effi gy Mounds 12 In This Issue 5 Index by park area Impact of a cougar decline on Zion Canyon 14 20 Years Ago in Park Science 6 Sea-level rise, climate change, and salt-marsh How the past saw the present and future development processes at Fire Island 16 At Your Service 7 Archaeological fi eld school at Hawaii Volcanoes 18 Rising tide: Jeffrey Cross focuses resources Burmese pythons at southern Florida’s Everglades 19 on ocean and coastal park issues Assessing economic impacts of national parks 20 Profi le 41 Jack Potter: Glacier National Park’s veteran of resource management RESTORATION JOURNAL Information Crossfi le 45 Restoring native vegetation along Hermit Synopses of selected publications relevant Road in Grand Canyon National Park 21 to natural resource management By Allyson Mathis, Kassy Theobald, Janice Busco, and Lori Makarick Field Moment 99 Mussels protected from horses at Big South Fork 24 By Steve Bakaletz and Wallace Linder Mount Whitney night skies Development of a rapid assessment tool for ecological restoration 26 By Ron Hiebert, Diane Larson, Kathryn Thomas, Nicole Tancreto, and Dustin Haines ON THE COVER Case Example: Application of RRAT to a watershed on Santa Cruz Island 29 Eastern deciduous and northern hardwood forests are the focus SCIENCE FEATURES of resource managers who are Exploring the infl uence of genetic diversity on pitcher plant restoration in developing a forest vegetation Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore 30 monitoring and reporting framework By Jennifer M. Karberg, Joy Marburger, and Margaret R. Gale that facilitates data compatibility and sharing. Discussed on pages Sidebar: Ecology of plant carnivory 36 76–80, this collaboration enables Students to the rescue of freshwater mussels at managers to observe forest conditions Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway 38 and long-term change in forest By Jean Van Tatenhove health over a broad region of the Northeast. Photo: Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. STATE OF SCIENCE NPS/JIM COMISKEY Contaminants study provides window onto airborne toxic impacts in western U.S. and Alaska national parks 58 Results and implications of the Western Airborne Contaminants Assessment Project By Colleen Flanagan 4 PARK SCIENCE • VOLUME 26 • NUMBER 2 • FALL 2009 NPS PHOTO NPS/JIM COMISKEY NPS PHOTO 70 76 81 FUTURE ISSUES CASE STUDY Pulse study links scientists and managers: An Winter 2009–2010 example from Saguaro National Park 64 January. Theme issue: Soundscapes Since 2003, when scientists and park staff came together to rapidly assess the research and management in resources in a lush oasis of spring-fed, desert pools, the Madrona pulse study has the National Park System. informed planning and spurred continued investigations and monitoring. Spring 2010 By Don E. Swann, Margaret W. Weesner, Sarah Craighead, and Larry L. Norris May. Accepting articles, news, updates, and photographs. Contributor’s deadline: 15 December 2009. RESEARCH REPORTS Fall 2010 A rapid, invasive plant survey method for national park November. Accepting proposals, articles, units with a cultural resource focus 70 news, updates, and photographs. Investigators develop and test a simple, rapid survey method intended to simultaneously Contributor’s deadline: 15 May 2010. inventory, monitor, and map invasive plants in national parks with a cultural resource focus. By Craig C. Young and Jennifer L. Haack Visit http://www.nature.nps.gov/ ParkScience/ for author guidelines or Forest vegetation monitoring in eastern parks 76 contact the editor at jeff_selleck@ Eight Inventory and Monitoring networks and three prototype parks are collaborating nps.gov or 303-969-2147 to discuss to develop forest monitoring protocols and reporting results that will enable data from proposals for upcoming issues. individual parks and networks to be shared and compared over broad regions. By Jim Comiskey, John Paul Schmit, Suzanne Sanders, Patrick Campbell, and Brian Mitchell Prescribed fi re and nonnative plant spread in Zion National Park 81 Investigators highlight the need to plan for unintended consequences of prescribed fi re, PARK SCIENCE ONLINE particularly the control of invasive plant species before they can disrupt natural fi re regimes. www.nature.nps.gov/ParkScience/ By Kelly Fuhrmann, Cheryl Decker, and Katie A. Johnson • Meetings of interest listing Partnership behaviors, motivations, constraints, and training needs among NPS employees 87 • Access multimedia fi les and full-length Survey identifi es preparedness of NPS staff to design, implement, and manage fruitful tabular data for selected articles partnerships and indicates areas for improvement in partnership training. • Complete catalog of back issues, By Melissa S. Weddell, Rich Fedorchak, and Brett A. Wright with keyword searching Sidebar: The partnership phenomenon 87 • Author guidelines Distribution and abundance of Barbary sheep and other ungulates • Editorial style guide in Carlsbad Caverns National Park 92 • Share comments on articles Surveys along canyon, ridge, and escarpment transects inform managers of the potential to control exotic Barbary sheep and restore native desert bighorn. • Manage your subscription By Anthony Novack, Kelly Fuhrmann, Kristin Dorman-Johnson, and Scott Bartell IN THIS ISSUE 5 In This Issue INDEX BY PARK AREA Noatak N Pres, pp. 58–61, 63 Gates of the Arctic NP & Pres, pp. 58–61 Denali NP & Pres, pp. 58, 60 Wrangell-St. Elias NP & Pres, pp. 49, 58 , pppp. 49, 78 Glacier NP, pp.pp 41–44, 58, 62 Saint Croix NSR, pp. 38–40, 54–55 , pp.pp 7, 31–32 Olympic NP, pp.