National Park Service Inventory

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National Park Service Inventory Monitoring
ProgramCoastal and Barrier Network
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Coastal and Barrier Network
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Development of the Coastal and Barrier Network
Monitoring Program Based on the Cape Cod Prototype
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What to monitor?

• identified ecosystem types
• -estuaries and salt marshes
• -barrier islands/spits/dunes
• -ponds and freshwater wetlands
• -coastal uplands
• constructed design matrices and conceptual
  models relating
• -agents of change
• -stresses
• -ecosystem responses
• technical workshops focused on key ecosystem
  components and stresses

Conceptual Framework . . . Roman and Barrett,
1999 http//www.nature.nps.gov /im/monitor/caco.pd
f
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Coastal and Barrier Network
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High Priority Management Issues

• Shoreline Change
• Water Quality
• Species and Habitats
• of Concern
• Resource Extraction
• Recreation and
• Visitor Use

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WORKGROUPS
ISSUES

• Shoreline Change
• Recreation and Visitor Use
• Species and Habitats of Concern
• Vegetation Mapping
• Water Quality (contaminants)
• Freshwater (nutrients) Quality
• Estuarine Eutrophication

Shoreline Change Recreation and Visitor
Use Species and Habitats of Concern Resource
Extraction Water Quality
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Workgroup Tasks

• Review existing Cape Cod protocols
• Review Gateway workgroup reports
• Prioritize monitoring questions
• Review candidate indicators
• Evaluate existing monitoring programs
• Develop scope of work to fill data gaps
• List potential cooperators
• Estimate costs for 2001-2002
• Report to Network

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WORKGROUPS
ISSUES

• Shoreline Change
• Recreation and Visitor Use
• Species and Habitats of Concern
• Vegetation Mapping
• Water Quality (contaminants)
• Freshwater (nutrients) Quality
• Estuarine Eutrophication

Shoreline Change Recreation and Visitor
Use Species and Habitats of Concern Resource
Extraction Water Quality
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WORKGROUPS
PROJECTS

• Shoreline Change
• Recreation and Visitor Use
• Species and Habitats of Special Concern
• Vegetation Mapping
• Water Quality (contaminants)
• Freshwater (nutrients) Quality
• Estuarine Eutrophication

• Shoreline Change
• Recreation and Visitor Use
• Species and Habitats of Concern
• Vegetation Mapping
• Contaminants
• Freshwater Quality Assessment
• Salt Marsh Monitoring
• Estuarine Nutrients

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ISSUES
WORKGROUPS
PROJECTS
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PROJECTS
STATUS

• Vegetation Mapping
• Shoreline Change
• Salt Marsh Monitoring
• Estuarine Nutrients
• Freshwater Quality Assessment
• Recreation and Visitor Use
• Contaminants
• Species and Habitats of Concern

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VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION AND MAPPING Chris Lea,
National Park Service
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Vegetation Mapping Schedule

• FIIS (2002) Near completion.
• THST (2003) In progress.
• CACO (2003) In progress.
• ASIS (2004) Pilot finished editing in progress.
• COLO GEWA (2004) In progress.
• GATE SAHI (2005) Cooperative agreements in
  progress.

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Mark Duffy, National Park Service
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Dr. James Allen Coastal Geomorphologist
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LIght Detection And Ranging
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Relationships among Agents of Change, Stresses
and Salt marsh - Estuarine Ecosystem Responses
Geomorphic Processes Sea-level rise,
inlets, storms
Species Displacement Invasion
Sedimentation/ Erosion/Flooding
Habitat Change
Changes in Production
Changes in Competitive Interactions
Trophic Shifts
Altered Species Composition
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Salt Marsh Vegetation Nekton Monitoring
200 km
These protocols are currently implemented at
several USFWS Refuges. and will also be used by
GPAC In the Gulf of Maine
University of Massachusetts Rutgers
University University of Maryland Eastern
Shore
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Candidate Variables for Monitoring Estuarine
Nutrient Enrichment in North Atlantic Parks
Hilary Neckles USGS PWRC Blaine Kopp USGS
PWRC Charles Roman NPS CESU Scott Nixon URI
GSO
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Monitoring Questions

• Are nutrient loads to estuaries increasing?
• Are estuarine resources changing in
• response to nutrient inputs?
• What are the sources of nutrient enrichment?

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Conceptual Model
Agents of Change
Stresses
Ecosystem Responses
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Candidate Vital Signs
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Wetlands and Water Quality Charles Roman MJ
James-Pirri

• Identification of wetland types and area
• statistics for each park
• Description and discussion of threats
• Identification of specific wetlands that are
  unique
• Description of existing inventory and monitoring
  programs
• Review of state 303(d) lists (impaired waters)
• Recommendations on restoration, monitoring,
  management and research

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NPS Coastal Visitor Impact Monitoring

• Christopher Monz, Sterling College
• Yu-Fai Leung, NC State
• Jeffrey Marion, Virginia Tech/ USGS

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Study Objectives

• Phase 1 2002
• Determine NPS units that will benefit from a
  visitor monitoring program
• Identify ecosystems of critical concern where
  visitor impacts are problematic
• Photo document location and extent of visitor
  impacts
• Propose methods and indicators for Phase 2

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Specific Tasks

• Review existing data on contaminants and
  establish a rank for risk posed for each
  identified compound or stressor.
• Conduct an onsite visit and interview to discuss
  with NPS staff as to their concerns from
  stressors in the park.
• Assist in developing a site-specific GIS based
  mapping if non-existent.

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Species and Habitats of Concern

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Data Mining Goals and Objectives Linda Fabre

• Focus on vertebrates
• Monitoring programs conducted by NPS within CB
  parks
• Monitoring programs conducted by others
• Make recommendations for monitoring within CB
  parks based on current data

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ISSUES
WORKGROUPS
PROJECTS
PHASE I Vital Signs
PHASE II Protocols
PHASE III Monitoring
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PROJECTS
ISSUES

• Shoreline Change
• Recreation and Visitor Use
• Species and Habitats of Concern
• Vegetation Mapping
• Contaminants
• Freshwater Quality Assessment
• Salt Marsh Monitoring
• Estuarine Nutrients

Shoreline Change Recreation and Visitor
Use Species and Habitats of Concern Resource
Extraction Water Quality
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Where are the Gaps in our Monitoring Program?
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Things to Consider
Vital Signs Scoping

• Clearly define management issues and goals before
  holding scoping workshops
• Large groups are good for generating ideas but
  small workgroups are more successful at producing
  results

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Things to Consider
Vital Signs Scoping

• Provide workgroups with
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• a list of objectives
• background information
• well-designed questionaires

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Things to Consider
Vital Signs Scoping

• Carefully choose group leaders with the ability
  to
•   keep the group focused and the discussion
  moving
• envision the links between workgroups,
  projects and funding

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Things to Consider
Vital Signs Scoping

• Written reports are necessary to document the
  process
• Once the workgroups have met, bring everyone back
  together to present results
• Continually evaluate progress towards goals

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Things to Consider
Product Specifications
Define project deliverables and deadlines before
the fieldwork begins
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Things to Consider
Product Specifications

• Databases (Database template, NPSpecies)
• Metadata (FGDC metadata, Dataset Catalog)
• Spatial Data (ArcInfo Coverages, Arcview
  shapefiles, GPS data)
• Voucher Specimens (collection and cataloging)
• Reports (progress, final and abstract)

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The End
Modern Pictograph from Sandy Hook (Artist Unknown)