A Multi-Regional Assessment of the American Pika (Ochotona Princeps) in National Parks

American pikas are conspicuous and charismatic inhabitants of mountainous regions of the western United States. Due to their sensitivity to high temperatures, they are considered an important early warning indicator species for detecting the ecological effects of climate change. This study addresses the potential threat of climate change to American pikas by assessing current occupancy patterns, modeling current gene flow patterns, and combining these two components to project habitat-specific models of occupancy and connectivity into the future under various climate change scenarios. The preliminary results presented here reflect field work conducted in Grand Teton National Park during the summer of 2010 and 2011. We conducted occupancy surveys, collected non-invasive genetic samples, and conducted preliminary genetic analyses.

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Socioeconomic Indicators for the Evaluation and Monitoring of Climate Change in National Parks: An Analysis of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (Spain)

Environments ◽

10.3390/environments5020025 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 25 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Iván López ◽

Mercedes Pardo

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

National Parks ◽

National Park ◽

Socioeconomic Indicators ◽

Evaluation And Monitoring

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Littoral macroinvertebrate communities of alpine lakes along an elevational gradient (Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria)

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0255619 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (11) ◽

pp. e0255619

Author(s):

Anne Bartels ◽

Ulrike G. Berninger ◽

Florian Hohenberger ◽

Stephen Wickham ◽

Jana S. Petermann

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

National Park ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Alpine Lakes ◽

Benthic Macroinvertebrate ◽

Climate Change Scenarios ◽

Macroinvertebrate Communities ◽

Rocky Habitats ◽

Lake Size ◽

Habitat Parameters

Alpine lakes support unique communities which may respond with great sensitivity to climate change. Thus, an understanding of the drivers of the structure of communities inhabiting alpine lakes is important to predict potential changes in the future. To this end, we sampled benthic macroinvertebrate communities and measured environmental variables (water temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, nitrate, turbidity, blue-green algal phycocyanin, chlorophyll-a) as well as structural parameters (habitat type, lake size, maximum depth) in 28 lakes within Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria, between altitudes of 2,000 and 2,700 m a.s.l. The most abundant macroinvertebrate taxa that we found were Chironomidae and Oligochaeta. Individuals of Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Tricladida, Trombidiformes, Veneroida were found across the lakes and determined to family level. Oligochaeta were not determined further. Generalized linear modeling and permanova were used to identify the impact of measured parameters on macroinvertebrate communities. We found that where rocky habitats dominated the lake littoral, total macroinvertebrate abundance and family richness were lower while the ratio of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) was higher. Zoo- and phytoplankton densities were measured in a subset of lakes but were not closely associated with macroinvertebrate abundance or family richness. With increasing elevation, macroinvertebrate abundances in small and medium-sized lakes increased while they decreased in large lakes, with a clear shift in community composition (based on families). Our results show that habitat parameters (lake size, habitat type) have a major influence on benthic macroinvertebrate community structure whereas elevation itself did not show any significant effects on communities. However, even habitat parameters are likely to change under climate change scenarios (e.g. via increased erosion) and this may affect alpine lake macroinvertebrates.

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Effects of Climate Change on Natural-Caused Fire Activity in Western U.S. National Forests

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos12080981 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (8) ◽

pp. 981

Author(s):

Hadi Heidari ◽

Mazdak Arabi ◽

Travis Warziniack

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

United States ◽

Forest Fire ◽

Forest Fires ◽

Western United States ◽

National Forests ◽

Climate Change Scenarios ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Fire Activity ◽

The Future

Climate change, with warming temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns, may increase natural-caused forest fire activity. Increasing natural-caused fires throughout western United States national forests could place people, property, and infrastructure at risk in the future. We used the fine K nearest neighbor (KNN) method coupled with the downscaled Multivariate Adaptive Constructed Analogs (MACA) climate dataset to estimate changes in the rate of natural-caused fires in western United States national forests. We projected changes in the rate of minor and major forest fires from historical (1986–2015) to future (2070–2099) conditions to characterize fire-prone national forests under a range of climate change scenarios. The results indicate that climate change can add to the occurrence of forest fires in western United States national forests, particularly in Rocky Mountain, Pacific Southwest, and Southwestern United States Forest Service regions. Although summer months are projected to have the highest rate of natural-caused forest fire activity in the future, the rate of natural-caused forest fires is likely to increase from August to December in the future compared to the historical conditions. Improved understanding of altered forest fire regimes can help forest managers to better understand the potential effects of climate change on future fire activity and implement actions to attenuate possible negative consequences.

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Elk Food Habits and Range Interactions with other Herbivores in Wind Cave National Park

The UW National Parks Service Research Station Annual Reports ◽

10.13001/uwnpsrc.1978.2123 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

pp. 171-174

Author(s):

Adrian Wydeven

Keyword(s):

National Parks ◽

Cervus Elaphus ◽

Food Habits ◽

National Park ◽

Good Health ◽

Field Work ◽

Cervus Elaphus Nelsoni

The elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) population in Wind Cave National Park (WCNP) has varied considerably during the last 20 years (Lovaas 1973, Varland et al. 1978). Leopold et al. (1963) recommended that ungulates in national parks "be reduced to levels that the range will carry in good health and without impairment to the soil, the vegetation, or to habitats of other animals". Because elk are able to occupy a wide variety of habitats (Murie 1951), and have such varied diets (Kufeld 1973), they have great potential to compete with other herbivores. Data are needed on specific elk food habits and herbivore habitat relationships in WCNP to adequately manage ungulate populations. A description of WCNP was given by Lovaas (1973), and the previous report on the present study (Wydeven 1978). Field work was conducted from 6 June 1976 through 12 August 1977.

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Preserving fossils in the national parks: A history

Earth Sciences History ◽

10.17704/1944-6178-36.2.245 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

pp. 245-285 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Vincent L. Santucci

Keyword(s):

Resource Management ◽

National Parks ◽

National Park ◽

National Park Service ◽

Field Work ◽

Scientific Publications ◽

Historical Aspect ◽

Park Service ◽

History Of ◽

The Rich

ABSTRACT The fossil record preserved throughout the National Park Service spans more than a billion years and is documented in at least 267 park units. The discovery, collection, study, and resource management of fossils from localities which are currently within parks sometimes predate the establishment of the National Park Service and many of the parks. Public education and interpretation at parks such as Agate Fossil Beds and Tule Springs Fossil Beds national monuments and many other designated areas include information on the rich history of paleontological field work by notable paleontologists undertaken prior to the areas being preserved as national park areas. Another important historical aspect for several dozen parks involves the conservation efforts undertaken by the public and interest groups to preserve and protect these important fossil localities. The evolution of the science and methodologies in paleontology is reflected in the resource management undertaken by the National Park Service and documented in park resource management records and archives, scientific publications, and agency policy. Today the National Park Service celebrates fossils by coordinating the National Fossil Day partnership which helps to promote the scientific and educational value of fossils.

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Changes in runoff in two neighbouring catchments in the Bohemian Forest related to climate and land cover changes

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics ◽

10.1515/johh-2015-0037 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 63 (4) ◽

pp. 342-352 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Jana Bernsteinová ◽

Claus Bässler ◽

Lothar Zimmermann ◽

Jakub Langhammer ◽

Burkhard Beudert

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

National Park ◽

Hydrological Cycle ◽

Tree Cover ◽

Slope Position ◽

Late Winter ◽

Climate Change Scenarios ◽

Bohemian Forest ◽

The Bohemian Forest ◽

High Flows

Abstract There is public concern that large-scale disturbances to forest cover caused by insects and storm winds in the Bohemian Forest could intensify high water flows and enhance the expected flooding risks predicted in current regional climate change scenarios. We analysed stream discharge in Upper Vydra and Große Ohe, neighbouring catchments in the Bohemian Forest, the largest contiguous forested area in Central Europe. Upper Vydra, in the Šumava National Park, and Große Ohe (including the Upper Große Ohe headwater catchment in the Bavarian Forest National Park) are similar in size, but differ in land use cover and the extent of disturbed Norway spruce stands. Publicly available runoff and meteorological data (1978–2011) were examined using non-parametric trend and breakpoint analysis. Together with mapped vegetation cover changes, the results were used to address the following questions: 1) are there significant changes in the hydrological cycle and, if so, do these changes relate to 2) the extent and expansion of disturbance in forests stands and/or 3) altered precipitation dynamics and thermal conditions? We found no marked overall change in annual runoff or in annual or seasonal precipitation, but a significant increase in high flows in March. This overall trend related to the marked warming in late winter and early spring (+~4 K in April, p < 0.01), irrespective of altitude and slope position. It significantly shifted the end of the snow cover period by more than three weeks to the beginning/middle of April depending on altitude, and intensified snow melt. In the Upper Große Ohe catchment, a significant decrease in catchment balance, the difference between the long term precipitation and runoff (–72 mm, 11%) was found when the loss of tree cover reached 30% of catchment area. Diminished evapotranspiration losses from severely disturbed stands increased groundwater recharge during summer and caused a significant rise in low flows in autumn. However, observed increases in late winter high flows were due to warming only. They could be further intensified by the increasing winter precipitation predicted under present climate change scenarios, and would therefore increase the risk of flooding at lower elevations.

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Taxonomy and Ecology of Ectomycorrihizal Macrofungi of Grand Teton National Park

The UW National Parks Service Research Station Annual Reports ◽

10.13001/uwnpsrc.1984.2429 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. 51-61

Author(s):

Kent McKnight ◽

Kimball Harper ◽

Karl McKnight

Keyword(s):

Plant Pathology ◽

National Parks ◽

Stream Flow ◽

National Park ◽

Field Work ◽

Fundamental Information ◽

Symbiotic Fungi ◽

Work Done ◽

Vegetation Samples ◽

Major Emphasis

This installment is one of a series of reports (McKnight, et al 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984) on an extended project studying taxonomy and ecology of ectomycorrhizal macrofungi in and around the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. It reports the work done on the project during the last year by scientists with specialties as follows: L. R. Batra, Mycology-Plant Pathology; K. T. Harper, Ecology; K. H. McKnight, and M. Moser, Mycology-Taxonomy; K. B. McKnight, Mycology-Biometry. The significance of this program lies in obtaining fundamental information on symbiotic fungi as indispensable intermediates in the uptake of minerals by Tracheophyta. The latter are a major force in building soil regulating stream flow, and in erosion control. This continuing study adds to the inventory of Park fungi (McKnight, 1982) and the supporting documentation of annotations, descriptions, and illustrations. Very little field work was undertaken during the 1984 collecting season, the major emphasis being on analysis of soil and vegetation samples obtained previously.

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