AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Jan Alan Henderson for theDoctor of Philosophy inPlant Ecology (Botany) presented on 9 7/' / 7? Title: Composition, Distribution and Succession of Subal ne Meadows in Mount Rainier National Park Abstract approved: --' Dr. W. W. Chilcote In 1970 a phytoscxiological reconnaissance consisting of 135 plots in the Subalpine Meadow Zone was made. These samples were sorted using an association table and several Alpine Zone and very early seral communities were set aside, An additional hundred plots taken by M. 3. Hamann were incorporated with these and compiled in another association table and com- bined in a two-dimensional ordination.This analysis yielded 18 major and 16 minor described community types which were clustered into five vegetation types. A key to the vegetation and community types is also presented. Soil moisture and temperature data were taken during 1971 and 1972 and are used to help characterize selected important communities. Soil moistures did not drop much during either season, although differences between corn- munities are apparent. The difference in temperatures (of the top 2 cm of soil) of the same selected communities were more striking. The Festuca domi- nated communities experienced soil temperatures over350C, while maximum temperatures in other communities rarely ranged over 20 C Low mght- time temperatures were relatively similar from conimumty to commumty, ranging from near freezing to about + 5° C. Several successional patterns were uncovered. In general the com- munities in the Low-Herbaceous Vegetation Type are early seral and are replaced by members of the Wet-Sedge, Lush-Herbaceous and the Dry-Grass Vegetation Types. Trees appear to be invading all vegetation typeswith considerable variation in pattern and frequency. This variation is attributed to differences in soil moisture and temperature and depth and duration of winter snowpack. Analysis of the ages of invading trees indicates that there was an intensive invasion in the early 193 0's and several àther minor invasion periodsSev- eral factors are discussed which must be favorable for the successful invasion of meadows by trees The Subalpine Meadow Zone, using vegetation types as map units, is mapped at a scale of about 1 50, 000The total area of the meadow vegetation in the zone is 14, 650 acres (6,000 hectares)The entire zone including open subalpine woods covers 24, 650 acres (10, 000 hectares) Composition, Distribution and Succession of Subalpine Meadows in Mount Rainier National Park by Jan Alan Henderson A THESIS submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy June 1974 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Dr. W. W. Chilcote and Dr. J, F. Franklin for continued guidance and assistance throughout the course of this study and my entire graduate program; N. A. Bishop, The National Park Service and the Mount Rainier Natural History Association for financial andlogisti- cal support and assistance in perceiving the problem; M.J. (Hamann) Wolfe for field assistance; Dr. W. H. Moir for assistance in running the SIMORD ordination; and my wife Bernetta who helped substantially in collection of the field data and in many other uncountableways. TABLE OF CONTENTS I.Introduction 1 ILDescription of theArea 4 Location . 4 Climate 5 Geologic History of Mt. Rainier 7 Surficial Geology . 15 Glacial History . 19 Methods 23 Results 27 Phytosociological............ 27 Succession 37 Distribution . 45 Environmental Data 46 Descriptions and Keys to the Subalpine Meadow and Community Types 55 Key to Subalpine Meadow Vegetation Types 57 Key to Subalpine Meadow Community Types 58 The Vegetation Types. 62 The Community Types . 67 Discussion . 115 Meadow Classification us Post Glacial Succession 117 Succession on Upper Slope Pumice Slopes 120 Succession Related to Fire....... 122 Meadow Invasion 124 Summary and Conclusions . 137 Bibliography . 140 AppendicesAppendixl.......... ..............145144 Appendix II 147 Appendixill 148 AppendixrV 151 Appendix V. 152 Appendix VI 153 LIST OF TABLES Table Page Average July, August and September temperatures 6 Association Table 29 Alliance Table for Mt. Rainier Subalpine Meadow Stands . 38 Computed similarity coefficients between all major community types . .....39 Water stress in the soil (in atmospheres) of selected communities 48 Phvflodoce/Vaccinium Community Type . 73 Vaccinium deliciosum Community Type ..... 77 Phvllodoce/Lupinus Community Type 79 Phyllodoce Glanduliflora Community Type 81 Festuca/Aster Community Type 82 Festuca/Lupinus Community Type 85 Festuca/Potentilla Community Type 87 Valeriana sitchensis Community Type 89 14 Valeriana/Veratrum Commumty Type 91 Lupinus/Polyonum Community Type 93 Valeriana/Lupinus Community Type ..... 95 Carex nigricans Community Type ....... 100 Carex nigricans/Carex spectabilis Community Type 103 Carex nigricans/Aster alpigenus Community Type 104 Table Page Antennaria lanata Community Type ....... 106 Saxifraga tolmiei Community Type . 108 Luetkea pectinata Community Type.......... 109 Growth characteristics of invading trees by Vegetation Type. 124 Correlation between spring temperatures and cone crop production 1 1/2 years later. 128 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Location of Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington Average May, June, July and August temperatures centigrade Average July temperature 8 Average annual temperatures for two weather stations on Mt. Rainier Total annual precipitation for two weather stations of Mt.Rainier 10 Total seasonal snowfall Precipitation during July, August, September, in Paradise. 11 The maximum snowpack depth for the Paradise Weather Station, 1920-1972 12 Last day of spring snowpack - Paradise 13 SIMORD Ordination of major Community Types on Mt. Rainier using the Carex nigricans, Festuca/Aster, Valeriana/Veratrum, and Phyllodoce/Vaccinium Com- munity Types as the four reference points on a two- dimensional ordination 36 Successional patterns from barren, high elevation Pumice Slopes or snow basins to late seral and forest climax communities 42 Successional relationships as influenced by fire 43 Frequency of seedling establishment ............44 Ranges in daily temperature of the surface 2 cm of soil in Phyllodoce/Vaccinium community above and Carex nigricans community below - Paradise 1971 49 Figure Page Ranges in daily temperature of surface 2 cm of soil in Festuca/Lupinus community - Sunrise area, 1971 . 50 Ranges in daily temperature of surface 2 cm of soil inFestuca/Aster community - Paradise, 1971 . 51 Ranges in daily temperature of the surface 2 cm of soil in a Phyllodoce/Vaccinium community - Paradise, 1972 52 Ranges in daily temperature of the surface 2 cm of soil in a Lupinus/Valeriana community - Paradise, 1972 53 Ranges in daily temperature of the surface 2 cm of soil in aFestuca/Aster community - Paradise, 1972 . 54 The Subalpine Meadow Zone on the southwest side of Mount Rainier as seen from Pinnacle Peak 56 Klapatche Park . ............ 73 Indian Henry's Hunting Ground . 74 A Festuca/Aster community being re-invaded by fast-growing subalpine firs........ 83 Yakima Park, Sunrise Ridge 96 Valeriana/Lupinus community in Paradise Park area 97 The Mimulus lewisii Community Type above Paradise Park on the way to the ice caves 110 The Luetkea pectinata Community Type near Fan Lake . 111 Low-herbaceous communities in Grand Park .....118 Days between last day of spring snowpack and first fall freeze . 130 Days between last hard freeze (, 28° F) in spring and first hard freeze in fall . 130 Mass invasion of a Heath-Shrub community by subalpine fir and mountain hemlock in Kiapatche Park 136 COMPOSITION, DISTRIBUTION AND SUCCESSION OF SUBALPINE MEADOWS TN MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK I. INTRODUCTION Mount Rainier was established as the Nation's 5th National Park in 1899. Since then the number of visitors has increased from about 700 in 1894 (Haines, 1962) to about 2 million in 1971. The spectacular features of the mountain, however, were recognized in the mid-nineteenth century. Tolmie made his famous collecting trip to Mt. Rainier in 1833. Attempts to climb it finally succeeded in 1870. From 1870 to 1916 it was already a popular place for sum- mer outings, particularly in Paradise Park, although another popular trail led to Mowich Lake and Spray Park. In 1911 the first automobile reached Paradise Park. General automobile traffic, however, was not permitted until 1915. By 1893 it was already noted that people were damaging the vegetation significantly (Haines, 1962). Trees and limbs were cut for firewood and bedding.Cattle, horses and people ate and trampled the vegetation heavily and individual trees and clumps were set afire to provide spectacular con- flagrations (Haines, 1962). A few farsighted people persuaded Congress to include Mt. Rainier among America's National Parks but management of the Park's features and visitors evolved slowly. The need was seen early to preserve the mountain and its surrounding terrain. The subalpine meadows rank with the grandeur of the mountain and its glacier system as the most significant features which merit preservation. 2 Taylor (1922) noted that the meadows "... are among the most famous natural flower gardens in the world." It is disturbing that an area which is so heavily used, the value of which was recognized so early, and contains so many socially and scientifically valuable plant communities has received so little attention from botanists. To date two major compilations of the Park's Flora have been