# Presentation: 840142

## Greater Yellowstone Network

**Vital Signs Monitoring Program**
**August 14, 2002 **

## Greater Yellowstone Network Organization Chart

- Tom Olliff (YELL) - Park Representative
- Steve Cain (GRTE) - Park Representative
- Rick Lasko (BICA) - Park Representative
- Kathy Tonnessen (RMCESU)
- Cathie Jean (Program Manager)
- Mike Britten (IMR, I&M Coordinator) - Ex Officio

**Scientific Advisory Committee**
- Lisa Graumlich
- Duncan Patten
- Michael Ivie
- Timothy Kittel
- Joel Berger

## GRYE SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE

**GRYE SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE**

**Duncan Patten**

**Joel Berger**

**Timothy Kittel**

**Michael A. Ivie**

**Lisa J. Graumlich**

## Park Units of the 

**Park Units of the **
**Greater Yellowstone Network**

- Bighorn Canyon NRA
- 68,490 acres
- Established in 1966

- Grand Teton NP
- 310,251 acres
- Established in 1929

- Yellowstone NP
- 2.2 million acres
- Established in 1872

## Characteristics of an intact ecosystem 

- Characteristics of an intact ecosystem

## Slide 6

## Slide 7

## Slide 8

## Loss of palatable grasses on the wild horse range at Mustang Flats

- Loss of palatable grasses on the wild horse range at Mustang Flats

## Non-conforming uses at Teton NP:

*airport, grazing, hunting*

## Elk effects on the ecology of the Northern Range
Effects of Winter use on wildlife, air quality, sound and visitor experience
Bison emigration and brucellosis
Water quality
Spread of exotic plant species 
Wolf and grizzly bear management

- Effects of Winter use on wildlife, air quality, sound and visitor experience
- Bison emigration and brucellosis
- Water quality
- Spread of exotic plant species
- Wolf and grizzly bear management

- Current Management Issues

## Elk effects on the 

- ecology of the Northern Range

## Winter use and conflicts over wildlife, air quality and visitor experience

## Spread of exotic species

*plants, aquatic and disease*

## Bison emigration and brucellosis

## Research at Yellowstone NP(1444 permits over 7 years)

## Delphi Decision Support Process 100 participates involved

- Delphi Decision Support Process 100 participates involved

## Delphi Round II Vegetative Indicators Ranked

- Delphi Round II Vegetative Indicators Ranked

## Slide 19

## Possible Vital Signs

**Geothermal**

**Climate**

**Topography**

**Parent material**

**Fire**

**Humans**

**Disease**

**Hunting **
**Pressure**

**Growing **
**Season**

**Water **
**Budget**

**Fire**
**Suppression**

**Soil Type**

**Winter**
**Severity**

**Predator**
**Abundance**

**Soil **
**Nutrients**

**Roads**
**& Dams**

**Exotic **
**Species**

**Erosion**

**Habitat **
**Fragmentation**

**Water Flux**
**Streams/river**
**Lake**

**Flow Rate**

**Foraging **
**Ecology**

**Physical **
**Condition**

**Population **
**Dynamics**

**Species**
** ****Richness**
**Local**
** ****Extinction**

**Colonization**

**Sediment **
**Transport**

**Nutrient **
**Transport**

**Genetic Diversity**

**Abundance**

**Distribution**

**Community**
**Composition**

**Trophic **
**Structure**

**Exotic **
**Spieces**

**Edge-of **
**Range Species**

**Species**
**Rareness**

**Beta **
**Diversity**

**Water Chemistry**

**Ecotones**

**Soil Chemistry**

**Gallons/minute**

**Exotic Species **
**Richness +/-**

**Population growth rate+/-**
**mortality rate +/-**
**Recruitment rate +/-**
**disease frequency**
**population abundance +/-**
**populaiton fidelity to park**

**Genetic density +/-**

**Beta Diversity**
**Spatial Heterogeneity**

**Soil  pH +/-**
**Soil Nutrients +/-**

**Bacterial level +/-**
**Water pH**
**Salinity level**
**Water nutrients +/-**

**Air/Water**
**Pollution**

**Isolation**

**Drivers/Sources**

**1st Stressor**

**2nd Stressor**

**Ecological Effects**

**Indicators**

**Metrics**

**Eutrophication**

**Possible Vital Signs**

**Greater Yellowstone Networ****k**** Draft Conceptual Model -Duncan Patten/Glenn Plumb**

**Draft Dated 6.9.02**

## Integrating water quality into the GRYE

- Vital Signs Monitoring

## Review of Water Quality Monitoring

- Review completed in June 2002
- Preliminary results of existing of existing water quality data presented
- Potential water quality issues identified
- Future work recommended

## Slide 23

## Bio-prospecting:

- the discovery of rich diversity in geothermal features

## GRYE Vital Signs Planning Process

- Technical Comm.

- BOD

- SAC