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Reporting Year:
2022
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Park:
Great Sand Dunes
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Permit Type:
Monitoring
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Name of principal investigator or responsible official:
Dr Emmi Felker-Quinn
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Office Phone:
303-969-2011
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Mailing Address:
Air Resources Division
12795 W. Alameda Parkway Lakewood, CO 80228 United States |
Office Fax:
Office Email:
emmi_felker-quinn@nps.gov
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Additional investigators or key field assistants
Name
Phone
Email
Cody Clemens
303-969-2617
cody_clemens@partner.nps.gov
Lisa Devore
303-969-2072
lisa_devore@nps.gov
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Project Title
Conducting scouting surveys for ozone sensitive plants at Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
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Park-assigned Study or Activity #:
GRSA-00057
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Park-assigned Permit #:
GRSA-2022-SCI-0006
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Permit Start Date:
Aug 02, 2022
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Permit Expiration Date:
Dec 31, 2022
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Scientific Study Starting Date:
Aug 01, 2022
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Estimated Scientific Study Ending Date:
Aug 31, 2022
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Study Status:
Continuing
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Study Closeouts:
___ 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.
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Activity Type:
Monitoring
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Subject/Discipline:
Air Pollution Effects
Air Quality
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Purpose of Scientific Study or Science Education Activity during the reporting year:
Ground-level ozone forms in the air from human-caused air pollutants as well as emissions from natural systems. Ground-level ozone can affect the health of park staff and visitors as well as the health of plants growing in parks. Ground-level ozone levels are changing in the intermountain west, as a result of rising temperatures and growing populations, both of which tend to increase ozone concentrations. Despite national and state regulatory actions taken to reduce ozone precursors, interpolated ground-level ozone concentrations at the park are characterized as high enough to be in poor condition for human health and vegetation health (NPS ARD 2022).
There are a number of bioindicator plant species that respond to ozone uptake by forming distinctive leaf injuries (pinprick marks or bronzing that occur on the top of the leaf between leaf veins, more severe injury on older leaves). This study proposes to identify the locations of ozone bioindicator species at GRSA and to document the appearance of possible ozone symptoms on the leaves of sensitive individuals. Any ozone injury observed could suggest that ground-level ozone pollution in the park is elevated to levels that negatively impact natural resources. |
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Findings and status of Scientific Study or accomplishments of Science Education Activity during the reporting year:
In August 2022, Lisa Devore (ARD) and GRSA staff conducted scouting surveys for populations of ozone-sensitive plants at GRSA. Biomonitoring recommendations for ozone-sensitive plants suggest that researchers locate one to three co-occurring ozone sensitive plants with at least 30 individual plants total (USFS 2011).
The surveys located 17 locations where at least one ozone-sensitive plant occurred along the Mosca Pass trail and Medano Pass 4-wheel drive road. Plant species located included chokecherry, serviceberry, coneflower, aspen, sagewort, and evening primrose. GRSA received nine inches of rain in July 2022, so vegetation was in very good condition. In no case were 30 ozone-sensitive individual plants closely co-located; this advice was based on eastern meadows and forests and needs to be reevaluated for western plant communities. The NPSpecies vegetation list for the park lists five other ozone-sensitive species which were not located by the survey, although they are likely present in the park and future surveys for ozone damage may include them. The ARD team will assemble a more detailed report on the locations of ozone sensitive species and the 2022 ozone conditions to allow the park to assess whether further, more detailed ozone injury surveys are warranted, and send it to the park in 2023. |
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For Scientific Studies (not Science Education Activities), were any specimens collected and removed from the park but not destroyed during analysis?
No
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Funding (specific for this Park and this year) |
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| NPS Funding $0.00 | |
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Other Governmental Agencies Funding
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| All other Funding $0.00 | |
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OMB # 1024-0236 Exp.Date 09/30/2023 Form No. 10-226 |