2021

Wind Cave

Research

Dr Amy Symstad

605-745-1191

Wind Cave National Park
26611 U.S. Highway 385
Hot Springs, SD 57747
US

605-745-1162

asymstad@usgs.gov

Supplemental vegetation monitoring plots at WICA to accelerate learning of the Annual Brome Adaptive Management (ABAM) model

WICA-00176

WICA-2021-SCI-0010

Jul 19, 2021

Aug 13, 2021

Jun 01, 2021

Nov 30, 2026

Continuing

___ A final report has been provided to the park or will be provided to the park within the next two years

___ Copies of field notes, data files, photos, or other study records, as agreed, have been provided to the park

___ All collected and retained specimens and retained material originating from such specimens have been cataloged into the NPS catalog system and NPS has processed loan agreements as needed.

Research

Plant Communities (Vegetation)

The Annual Brome Adaptive Management (ABAM) project is a consortium of seven parks in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) working together to better understand how to control invasive annual grasses (including Bromus species) through an adaptive management approach. This approach is supported by a quantitative model that uses current data from standardized vegetation monitoring plots in all seven parks to annually update the model’s parameters and predictions regarding the effects of different management actions on invasive annual grasses and other components of the mixed-grass prairie plant community. This updating of the model is called “learning.”

The ABAM model includes treatments in which the herbicides indaziflam and imazapic are applied alone or in combination with or without a prescribed fire preceding or following their application. However, the ABAM model currently does not have field data for the effects of those treatments on target invasive annual grasses and other components of the vegetation in conditions like those that frequently occur in ABAM parks (i.e., ungrazed). The purpose of this study is to increase the amount of information about these treatments and therefore accelerate the rate of learning accomplished in the adaptive management cycle.

Ten plots were established and data collected in them (once in each plot) at Wind Cave National Park (WICA) in July-August 2021, ten in the Headquarters East burn unit and 2 in the Bison Flats burn unit. Plot dimensions and data collection conform to the protocols used by the National Park Service’s Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring program (Symstad et al. 2012). Figure 1 shows the distribution of different types of plants (groups tracked in the ABAM model) in each of these plots in 2021, as well as the number of native species intercepted by 100 points spread evenly along two transects in the plot. National Park Service staff conducted a prescribed fire in the Headquarters East unit in November 2021, and after that WICA staff applied the herbicide treatments shown in Table 1 to the plots.

Reference cited:
Symstad, A. J., R. A. Gitzen, C. L. Wienk, M. R. Bynum, D. J. Swanson, A. D. Thorstenson, and K. J. Paintner. 2012. Plant community composition and structure monitoring protocol for the Northern Great Plains I&M Network: version 1.01. Natural Resource Report NPS/NGPN/NRR--2012/489, National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado.

These data are preliminary or provisional and are subject to revision. They are being provided to meet the need for timely best science. The data have not received final approval by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and are provided on the condition that neither the USGS nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the data.

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