Ecological Inventory and Assessment and Integrated Weed Management for the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (NCA) and Wilderness
| BLM Project Officer: Karen Tucker, Manager Gunnison Gorge NCA BLM Southwest Center 2465 S. Townsend Avenue Montrose, Colorado, 81401 Voice: 970-240-5309 Fax: 970-240-5367 karen_tucker@co.blm.gov USGS Contacts: |
Problem Statement I and Implications (Ecological Inventory and Assessment of the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (NCA) River Gorge and Wilderness): What are the important ecological components of the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (NCA) River Gorge and Wilderness and how well are the biological components and processes functioning? Are there any unique biotic or abiotic resources that should receive special management?
Problem Statement II and Implications (Integrated Weed Management for the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (NCA) and Wilderness): What is the most effective management scheme for controlling existing weed infestations and preventing the expansion of noxious and invasive weeds throughout the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (NCA) and Wilderness?
Partnerships and Roles:
Partner(s): Jim Ferguson (970-240-5307) and Amanda Clements (970-240-5306), BLM Gunnison Gorge NCA.
Role(s): Field support for vegetation sampling and post-sampling data management: assistance as available from Ferguson and Clements, two trailers for field crews, assistance with arranging to cross private land as needed; NDIS data;1:40,000 color IR photos;1:6000 canyon photography (~10 years old).
Partner(s): Sarah Beetch, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, NPS-GIS, 2565 S.Townsend Ave, Montrose, Colorado 81401; 970-240-5433.
Role(s): Coordination of NPS vegetation characterization efforts and their overlap as possible with the BLM efforts; assistance from NPS staff as possible (Ginger Bradshaw, seasonal Biological Technician working on the vegetation maps for Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP and Curecanti NRA, and Dangoule Bockus, Ecologist, will start with NPS January 13, 2002).
Partner(s): Carol Dawson, Botanist, BLM Colorado State Office, 2850 Youngfield St., Lakewood, Colorado 80215; 303/239-3725, fax 303/239-3808, carol_awson@co.blm.gov
Role(s): Coordination and guidance from the BLM State Office
Partner(s): James D. Von Loh, Consulting Senior Ecologist, engineering-environmental Management, Inc., 1510 West Canal Court, Suite 2000, Littleton, Colorado 80120; 303 721-9219; fax 303-721-9202, jvonloh@e2m.net
Role(s): Coordination and guidance on vegetation characterization. Conduct both a training meeting in March 2002, and an April 2002 field training on collection and data analysis. A formal quote from e2M and Mr. Von Loh’s resume are available from Karl Brown. (Jim has extensive previous experience through the Bureau of Reclamation remote sensing and GIS group with the USGS/NPS Vegetation mapping program. He has ongoing vegetation mapping projects with the program through the USGS National Mapping division, and state ecologist contacts through NatureServe)
Type of Support Requested: Primarily technical assistance, with an invasive plant research component.
Integrated Problem Statements and Implications: Managers need a baseline characterization of the ecology of the BLM Gunnison Gorge NCA, which must include information on invasive plants for the development of weed management alternatives and recommendations. Protocols for characterizing both plant associations (vegetation ecology) and invasive plant status, including accuracy assessments, can yield a scientifically valid baseline of ecological information (spatial databases, maps, data for predictive spatial models) for resource management.
Objectives:
Combine the BLM staffing and efforts with the neighboring NPS staff and efforts to produce a common and interrelated vegetation characterization product. Utilize invasive plant survey techniques to evaluate their status in the Gunnison Gorge NCA. This information will contribute directly to addressing the two problem statements above.
Goal:
Facilitate the potential for common data collection efforts in support of sister bureau efforts around the Gunnison Gorge area of the BLM Montrose office. Currently, stratified sampling methods are present at Black Canyon and Curecanti by the NPS. The Gunnison Gorge borders these public lands. Relevant community associations span this common boundary, and an adjustment of sampling can address the needs of the BLM.
Methods and Study Area:
Invasive species sampling will initially be carried out using stratified random sampling, based on existing information (air photos, topographic maps, trail and road maps, managers knowledge, etc.), to locate points to sample using the Modified-Whittaker (20 m x 50 m, multi-scale) vegetation plot (http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/projects/stohlgren/howtomodwhitt.htm).
These plots can be sub-sampled (20 m x 20 m or less) to provide the information for the vegetation characterization referenced below.
Vegetation characterization will follow The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Vegetation Mapping Protocols, which use a structural approach that is described by Grossman et al. (Grossman, D. H., D. Faber-Langendoen, A. S. Weakley, M. Anderson, P. Bourgeron, R. Crawford, K. Goodin, S. Landaal, K. Metzler, K. D. Patterson, M. Pyne, M. Reid, and L. Sneddon. 1998. International classification of ecological communities: terrestrial vegetation of the United States. Volume I. The National Vegetation Classification System: development, status, and applications). The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia, USA, links their Natural Heritage Network at http://www.abi.org/. Program documentation for the USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program can be found at http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/standards.html. James Von Loh and a facilitator would implement the 1-day training meeting objectives, and Jim would lead the 1.5 day field characterization training to employ a 0.5 ha minimum mapping unit methodology.
The combination of methods will provide short- and long-term information to resource managers to help characterize overall vegetation ecology (contributing to the Ecological Inventory) as well as provide more detailed information on invasive plant species (finer resolution than the vegetation maps alone) for development of the Integrated Weed Management plan. Both types of data will complement each other (e.g., Modified Whittaker data will provide increased detail to the vegetation classification and the vegetation classification will help direct future sampling and landscape-scale management).
The study area is the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area, although the methods should be easily transferable to other BLM lands in the region. Depending on funding and time, the initial study area may be confined to a subset of the NCA (e.g., to areas at high risk for weed invasion such as roads, trails, disturbed areas, and wet areas).
Project Duration:
Start March 1, 2002, and end March 1, 2003. Extend and expand as funding becomes available. Additional NCA support in other BLM project areas can employ this team approach to characterize their ecological condition and invasive plant inventories.
Priority:
Invasive species management is a national priority for the BLM and other land management agencies. The two problem statements at the top of the proposal provide a clear indication of the priority Gunnison Gorge NCA managers place on vegetation information for general ecological purposes, as well as specific threats to resources from invasive species.
Products and Schedule:
MSAccess database with built-in analysis forms for the Modified-Whittaker data, March 2003. Preliminary weed maps (point maps, developed from the MSAccess database), March 2003. Methods training for local staff as requested and with presentation of final products (informal workshops or briefings). Modified-Whittaker data dovetail to vegetation mapping data protocol, March 2002. Vegetation characterization facilitated 1-day meeting in March 2002 in Montrose, Colorado. Characterization field training of 1.5 days in April 2002 at Black Canyon and Gunnison Gorge field sites. Vegetation data analysis and preliminary mapping March 2003. In order to develop a vegetation map, funding for a winter-time seasonal and access to software and hardware would be required for automation of GIS polygons, accuracy assessment of maps and database.
