National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Natural Resource Condition Assessment Natural Resource Report NPS/HTLN/NRR—2011/427 ON THE COVER Missouri State Guardsmen fighting on Bloody Hill Scene from interpretive film Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Natural Resource Condition Assessment Natural Resource Report NPS/HTLN/NRR—2011/427 Gust M. Annis1, Michael D. DeBacker2, David D. Diamond1, Lee F Elliott1, Aaron J. Garringer1, Phillip A. Hanberry1, Kevin M. James2, Ronnie D. Lee1, Michael E. Morey1, Dyanna L. Pursell1, and Craig C. Young2 1Missouri Resource Assessment Partnership (MoRAP) School of Natural Resources University of Missouri 4200 New Haven Road Columbia, MO 65201 2National Park Service Heartland I&M Network 6424 West Farm Road 182 Republic, MO 65738 July 2011 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 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 high-priority, current natural resource management information with managerial application. The series targets a general, diverse audience, and may contain NPS policy considerations or address sensitive issues of management applicability. 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 informal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data. 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 from http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/htln/, and the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/). Please cite this publication as: Annis G., M. DeBacker, D. Diamond, L. Elliott, A. Garringer, P. Hanberry, K. James, R. Lee, M. Morey, D. Pursell, and C. Young. 2011. Wilsons Creek National Battlefield natural resource condition assessment. Natural Resource Report NPS/HTLN/NRR—2011/427. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS XXX410/108235XXX, ,Month July 2011 Year iii Contents Page Figures.......................................................................................................................................... viii Tables ........................................................................................................................................... xiii Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... xvii Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... xxi Prologue ....................................................................................................................................... xxi Chapter 1 NRCA Background Information .................................................................................... 1 NRCA Approach for Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield ..................................................... 3 Natural Resource Condition Assessment Terminology ........................................................... 4 Chapter 2 Park Resource Setting and Resource Stewardship Context ........................................... 7 Park Resource Setting .............................................................................................................. 7 Description and Characterization of Park Natural Resources ............................................. 7 Landscape and Watershed Context and Threat Assessment .................................................... 9 Climate .............................................................................................................................. 11 Landform History.............................................................................................................. 11 Cultural History ................................................................................................................ 11 Natural Communities ........................................................................................................ 16 Aquatic Resources In and Near Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield .............................. 17 Wildlife ............................................................................................................................. 18 Resource Stewardship Context .............................................................................................. 18 Park Enabling Legislation ................................................................................................. 18 Fundamental Resources and Values ................................................................................. 18 Desired Conditions for Natural Resources ....................................................................... 19 Chapter 3 Study Approach ............................................................................................................ 21 iv Contents (continued) Page Preliminary Scoping .............................................................................................................. 21 Assessment Framework Used in the Study ........................................................................... 21 Resource Types, Attributes and Indicators ............................................................................ 23 Landscape Condition ........................................................................................................ 24 Biotic Condition ................................................................................................................ 24 Chemical and Physical Characteristics ............................................................................. 25 Hydrology and Geomorphology ....................................................................................... 27 Natural Disturbance Regime ............................................................................................. 28 Chapter 4 Study Methods.............................................................................................................. 29 Landscape Condition ............................................................................................................. 29 Biotic Condition..................................................................................................................... 31 Bird Community Composition .......................................................................................... 31 White-tailed Deer .............................................................................................................. 31 Rare Species: Missouri Bladderpod (Lesquerella filiformis) ........................................... 32 Invasive Exotic Plants ....................................................................................................... 32 Plant Community Structure and Composition .................................................................. 32 Fish Community Composition .......................................................................................... 33 Aquatic Invertebrate Community ..................................................................................... 37 Chemical and Physical Characteristics .................................................................................. 39 Water Quality .................................................................................................................... 39 Air Quality ........................................................................................................................ 39 Hydrology and Geomorphology ............................................................................................ 41 Surface Water Flow .......................................................................................................... 41 v Contents (continued) Page Natural Disturbance Regime .................................................................................................. 41 Fire Regime ....................................................................................................................... 41 Chapter 5 Natural Resource Conditions ....................................................................................... 43 Condition Summaries by Reporting Units ............................................................................. 44 Reporting Unit: Park-wide ................................................................................................ 50 Reporting Unit: Bottomland Forest .................................................................................