Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU

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The goal of this project is to promote continued cooperation between the USGS and a Rocky Mountain University in order to support long-term monitoring or riparian vegetation along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona. In 1996 the Record of Decision for Glen Canyon Dam operations established an adaptive management forum for the management of resources below Glen Canyon Dam. Included in adaptive management is the need for long-term monitoring of resources that may be affected by management actions. The riparian resources which include native and introduced exotic species are directly affected by operations, as well as climatic, floristic ranges that the Colorado River bisects and geomorphic elements within the river corridor that influences community composition. This purpose of this project is to work with GCMRC to stratify the Colorado River Corridor into climatically, hydrologically and ecologically distinct units, and use a GRTS (Generalized Random-Tessellation Stratified) Survey Design to select a spatially balanced sample based on survey design specifications. Long-term monitoring development is a critical link in the Glen Canyon Dam adaptive management processes and its success. Furthermore, information dissemination is essential for adaptive management of the Colorado River ecosystem and for other systems working within an adaptive management framework across the country. The data from these efforts will be incorporated into monitoring protocol plans that will be accessible to the general public, public schools, universities and public interest groups and state management agencies through the GCMRC website. This project will provide a statistically based design to select sites for long-term riparian vegetation monitoring. The monitoring goal is to detect vegetation changes due to the operations of Glen Canyon Dam. The statistical design should be based upon subdividing the Grand Canyon using major climatic, hydrological, geomorphic and ecological drivers that are known to control the composition, functioning and dynamics of riparian vegetation. The design provided should be balanced to allow all major habitats within the Grand Canyon to be sampled and analyzed. Elements of the university research role will include

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