USGS Status and Trends of Biological Resources - NPS Inventory and Monitoring

Park Oriented Biological Support

Predicting spread of invasive exotic plants into de-watered reservoirs following dam removal on the Elwha River, Olympic National Park, WA
Andrea Woodward - FRESC 206/526-6282x332, awoodward@usgs.gov

Removal of two high-head dams on the Elwha River in Olympic National Park, WA will expose 276 ha of barren soil in the de-watered reservoirs. Preventing the establishment of invasive exotic plants is the highest management priority for the reservoirs. We propose to facilitate achieving this goal by updating a past survey for exotic plants then spatially modeling the spread from known sources and identifying unexplored potential sources of priority species using gravity models. MORE

Soil Chemistry Changes Affected by Pine Trees and Exotic Plants in Native and Disturbed Pine Rockland, Everglades NP
J.Snyder - FISC 239/695-1180, jim_snyder@usgs.gov

The South Florida pine rocklands are a globally endangered ecosystem and only less than ten percent of the original habitat remains. Controlling exotic plants, especially Schinus and reestablishing pine trees are critical for restoring pine rocklands. The proposed research will determine effects of pine trees (natives and replanted) and exotic plants on changes of soil properties.
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Seagrass Condition Assessment Within the NPS North Atlantic Coastal Parks: Site Selection, Training, and Integration with National Programs
H. Neckles - PWRC 207/ 622-8205 x 119; hilary_neckles@usgs.gov

The NPS Northeast Coastal and Barrier and Northeast Temperate Networks have identified seagrass condition indicators as a critical component of Vital Signs monitoring. Seagrass condition assessment requires expertise in the ecology of seagrass species and sampling techniques. This project will provide USGS technical assistance for assessing the condition of seagrass beds at three north Atlantic coastal parks (FIIS, ASIS, and ACAD), developing a data management system for NPS seagrass data, and linking NPS data to broader regional and international information systems. MORE

Population dynamics and pollination ecology of the threatened Haleakala silversword
Lloyd Loope - PIERC 808/572-4470; lloyd_loope@usgs.gov

The current population status of the federally Threatened Haleakala silversword is unclear, with compelling but inconclusive evidence suggesting that its population may be on the decline after decades of recovery. We propose to develop and conduct an accurate baseline map and census of silversword subpopulations in Haleakala National Park, and develop a monitoring protocol for tracking annual population trends. We also propose to research the spatial dynamics and effects of the invasive Argentine ant on insect pollinators and rates of seed set in the Haleakala silversword. MORE

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