Plant Community Composition and Structure Monitoring for Devils Tower National Monument: 2012 Annual Report |
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| Author:
| National Park Service Staff, |
| ISBN: | 978-1-4927-9197-3 |
| Publication Date: | Sep 2013 |
| Publisher: | CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
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| Book Format: | Paperback |
| List Price: | USD $15.99 |
Book Description:
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Devils Tower National Monument (DETO) protects not only the impressive rock tower, but also the ponderosa woodlands, mixed-grass prairies, and riparian plant communities within its boundaries. The Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network and Fire Ecology Program surveyed 14 long-term monitoring plots in DETO in 2012 as part of an effort to better understand the condition of plant communities in the park. We measured plant diversity and cover, tree density, and fuel loads,...
More DescriptionDevils Tower National Monument (DETO) protects not only the impressive rock tower, but also the ponderosa woodlands, mixed-grass prairies, and riparian plant communities within its boundaries. The Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network and Fire Ecology Program surveyed 14 long-term monitoring plots in DETO in 2012 as part of an effort to better understand the condition of plant communities in the park. We measured plant diversity and cover, tree density, and fuel loads, looked for the presence of exotic species that are of concern to park management, and evaluated the amount of human and natural disturbance at all plots. This effort was the second year in a multiple-year venture to document the current status and longterm trends in plant communities in DETO. At the end of five years, there will be an in-depth report describing the status of the plant community. In 2013, there will be a large survey completed in the park to estimate the condition of the ponderosa and riparian forests. In this report, we provide a simple summary of our results from sampling in 2012.