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Biological Studies

Task Objectives

The Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area identified an ecological assessment and a non-native plants inventory as high priorities for development of the management plan. The vegetation sampling conducted as part of the Mancos Shale research program contributes directly to the vegetation portion of the ecological assessment and the non-native plants inventory. In addition the vegetation sampling may be used to develop predictive spatial maps of native and non-native vegetation and to ground-truth vegetation maps developed from remotely sensed data.

Invasives Species Goals

1. Early Detection & Rapid Response - Identify and report new invasions and assess risks to natural areas and waters.
2. Monitoring - Assess changes in populations and distributions of established invaders.

Status and Trends of Biological Resources Goals

1. Develop and evaluate inventory and monitoring methods, protocols, experimental designs, analytic tools, models, and technologies to measure biological status and trends.
2. Collect, archive, and share selected, critical, high-quality monitoring data in cooperation with our partners to enable a determination of the status and trends of biological resources.

Provide multi-scale vegetation data for multiple project objectives.

Data include: (1) cover values (total and by species) for erosion models; (2) plant tissue samples by species and use area for trace element analysis, including selenium; (3) quantitative comparisons (cover, species composition, biological soil crusts) between areas classified as low, medium and high use; and (4) spatial predictive models of cover, for example; and (5) detailed studies of biotic and abiotic conditions for sites with and without Egiogonum pelinophilum (clay-loving buckwheat), a federally listed endangered plant endemic to Delta and Montrose counties, Colorado. Additional soil surface data are collected with the vegetation data including soil surface stability and chlorophyll a content (an indicator of non-visible biological soil crusts).

Statement of Work

Initiate a cooperative agreement through the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit to obtain advanced spatial analyses and test other approaches (e.g., information theoretic) to developing models to estimate surfaces for variables of interest (e.g., non-native plant species cover and distribution and suitable locations for Eriogonum pelinophilum). Collect limited field data as necessary for model checking or enhancement.

Highlights & Key Findings

In 2006, the research team focused on communication with our BLM and other partners and on data analysis, QA/QC, management, and preparation of final data products for analyses by team members and USGS review and publication. Key findings are that almost all samples of soil surface that appear bare to the naked eye contain significant amounts of chlorophyll a, indicating the extensive presence of biological soil components that are likely stabilizing the surface soil and contributing nutrients/carbon fixation to the system. Ongoing work on the endangered clayloving buckwheat (Eriogonum pelinophilum) will help determine site requirements based on existing population locations.

We started the third field season (2005) with a sampling blitz across the entire Mancos Shale portion of the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (GGNCA). Vegetation, soil and site data were collected on 88 points. These data will provide a complete data set for analyses in conjunction with remotely sensed data that are being collected this summer. This data set provides an excellent example of an integrated approach to research on the Mancos Shale.

The second field season (2004) provided an opportunity to expand the spatial coverage of the area sampled for vegetation and biological soil characteristics. 74 plots were placed in Peach Valley, Candy Lane and the Confluence areas of the GGNCA. In addition to classifying visible biological soil crusts, we quantified physical soil stability (slake test) and biological content (chlorophyll a analysis).

The first field season (2003) was successful despite ongoing drought. We sampled 45 plots for vegetation and biological soil crusts, with a subset of plots sampled for physical soil crusts. All data were entered directly into MSAccess for management and analysis, which is in the initial stages. We continue to work with the GGNCA staff to hone areas targeted for future sampling.

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