This study was conducted for the Strategic Environmental Research and Develop ment Program under a subset of Work Unit SERDP 507/45678, "Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive Resources." Mr. Bradley P. Smith is Executive Director, SERDP. The technical monitor was Dr. Femi A. Ayorinde, Cleanup and Conserva tion Program Manager.
The work was performed by the Natural Resource Assessment and Managment Division (LL-N) of the Land Management Laboratory (LL), U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories (CERL) and by the Natural Resources Division (NRD), Environmental Laboratory (EL), U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experi ment Station (WES). The CERL principal investigator was Ann-Marie Trame. The WES principal investigator was Chester O. Martin. Bruce A. MacAllister was employed as a Scientist II and Mary G. Harper was employed as a Research Associate, under an interagency agreement with the U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Range and Forest Experiment Station, and Colorado State University. Dr. Harold E. Balbach is Chief, CECER-LL-N; Dr. John T. Bandy is Operations Chief, CECER-LL. The CERL technical editor was Gloria J. Wienke, Technical Information Team.
The Director of CERL is Dr. Michael J. O'Connor.
Contents
SF 298 1
Executive Summary 3
Foreword 6
1 Introduction 9
Background 9
Objectives 10
Approach 10
Scope 11
Mode of Technology Transfer 12
2 Ecological Description 13
Range 14
Cross Classification 18
Environmental Factors 19
Disturbance Regime 21
Physiognomy and Structure 22
Commonly Associated Plant Communities 23
Successional Relationships 23
Biological Composition 23
3 Ecological Quality 26
Biodiversity and TES 26
The Use of a Community Quality Assessment 30
4 Land-Use Practices and Activities 35
Fire Management 35
Agricultural and Forestry Practices 36
Development 36
5 Impacts and Management Recommendations 38
Fragmentation and Land-Use Conversion 38
Fire and Fire Suppression 45
Alteration of Hydrology 61
Groundcover Disturbances 62
Erosion 64
Exotic Species 64
Fertilization 69
6 Summary 70
Appendix A: Community Quality Evaluation and Management 73
References 78
Professional Communications 87
Abbreviations and Acronyms 88
Distribution