PACIFIC 

PARK 

SCIENCE 

VOLUME 1 - NUMBER 3 

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

SPRING 

1981 
PACIFIC ;;~;;SERVICE 

PARK lg8’ A report t park managers of recent and onSCIENCE 

going research in parks with emphasis on its 

implications for planning and management 

From the Editor 

Take two events widely separated in time and space - interpret them in 

terms of the human reactions they touched off - give the scientific 

evidence of the interconnectedness of these events both in geologic and in 

human impact terms - and you have the mgredrents for an immeasurably 

heightened “visitor experrence.” 

Mount St. Helens and Sunset Crater, NM are only the most recent and 

dramatic examples of how “tying together” seemingly separate events and 

information can enrich interpretation and make outstanding use of the 

scientific research that takes place in and around parks. 

The cataclysmic explosions of May 18. 1980 in the state of Washington 

and of a similarly ash-blackened day in 1065 A.D. 130 miles south and east of 

the Grand Canyon not only make excellent grist for the NPS interpretation 

mill, but they take advantage of the visitor interest already at white heat, 

thanks to the St. Helens eruption. The similarities berween the two explosions have drawn increasing visitation to Sunset Crater, despite the rising 

cost of fuel. interpretive planners are meeting this interest more than 

halfway by turning the scientific evidence that links the events into a 

fascinating story for visitors - and casting the presentation in terms of 

human impact, then and now Thoughtful visitors have even brought to 

Sunset Crater samples of volcanic ash from St. Helens for incorporation in 

the Sunset Crater visitor center exhibit. 

Glen Hinsdale’s superlative piece of interpretive writing, ‘The Incident at 

Mount St. Helens,” reponed in Pacific Park Science’s Fall 1980 issue - 

touched off the interest of Denver Service Center interpretive planners lsee 

item p. 3 I and the connection gave rise to the current interpretive 

In thii Issee 

RIQM. kSOU,CeS 

Ram. Forest Research 

Yellowstone Elk 

WAS0 Publications 

lnformat~on System 

Haleakala Research 

People and Places 

HAVO Exotrcs 

Regmnal Hlqhliqhls 

Iniormat~on Crossf~le 

Nrght Lizard Study 

RMP’s - Next Step 

Burro Impact 

Coastal Management 

AIOINPS Bulletin 

Page 1 

Page 3 

Page 4 

Page 6 

Page 1 

Page 9 

Page 10 

Page 11 

Page 12 

Page 13 

Page 14 

Page 15 

Page 15 

Page 17 

back cover 

effort at Sunset. 

News of this salutanl use of scientific information by interpreters was 

underscored by several phone calls from interpreters around the natron, 

commenting on the unexpected wealth of interpretive material they were 

picking up from Pacific Park Science expressing appreciation for help in 

pin-pointing where specific information can be found. 

This is a side of our bulletin’s mission we haven’t emphasized Yet. Delightfully, recognition of it has come first from the field. Our first job was - and 

remains - to report research in terms of its applicability to the solution of 

management problems. This, in turn, requires reponing it in terms that 

don’t require a Ph.D. to decipher. And THIS brings the whole fascinating 

scientific level of park understanding into the realm of interpretation for 

visitor edification. 

And finally, this brings us to a specific invitation to the field - managers, 

maintenance people, interpreters - all of you who serve the parks and the 

public from out there. You are cordially invited to use these pages to propose solutions - to ask for solutions to suggest needed research - to 

do, in short, whatever You feel is needed to help you manage and mamtain 

and interpret the areas you serve. 

We felt in the beginning - and the feedback since we started is convincing evidence that the feeling was justified - that much more could usefully 

be made of the information we already have and are continuing to accumulate. The clearinghouse and connective nature of this quarterly bulletin 

saw that objective: To make everything we do in the area of scientific 

research as widely available, as easily applicable, and as thoroughly 

understandable as the printed word makes possible. 
Riparian Resources 

And Endangered 

Ecosystems 

Nowhere is the term “conserve and enjoy” more 

appropriate than for the rivers of our National Park 

System. A national park wthout a war is a rarity I”- 

dead. Some of the mast magnetic park attractlons 

are along rivers: the grand canyons of the Colorado 

and the Yellowstone, the RIO Grande I” Big Bend and 

the Merced River in Yosemite Valley. Falls along 

these rivers are among our most photogenic sltes. 

Yosemite Falls, the falls of the Yellowstone. and in 

the Grand Canyon, Lava Falls the king of North 

America’s navigable whitewater rapids. 

Thus, riwne landscapes are an important part of 

our NatIonal Park System. Other areas that have 

been designated speclflcally because of rivers include such national recreation areas as Lake Mead, 

take Powell, and Flaming Gorge. Outstanding wars 

named as national or wild and scenic warways vanl 

from small streams such as the St. Cro~x to “the nap 

tion’s rive? the Potomac. 

Great emphasis has been placed on management 

of aquatic msources and water based recreation. 

MillIons of wtors annually engage in whltewater 

recreation, fishing, swimmmg and other stream 

based activities. They launch. beach, camp and p~c~ 

nit on the banks of those streams. Thus. ripwan 

lstreamsidel research and management is at once 

one of the most important and most neglected of the 

natural resource areas today. 

A computerized blbllographic search of biological 

literature, conducted recently through a joint effort 

by the Eisenhower Consortium of the Rocky Mauri 

tain Forest and Range Experiment Station and the 

NPSICPSU at the Umversity of Arizona. found tens of 

thousands of citations referrIng TV papers on aquatlc 

or upland biology. For rlparian Ikterature, the count 

was in scant hundreds. Eight aquatic fishery biolo 

gists and six coastal specialists are listed I” the NPS 

“1980 Science and Technology Directory” while only 

one riparlan ecologist made the pages. In a r~parlan 

syposium by Johnson and Jones 119771, publlshed by 

the U.S. Forest Setwe. David Parton pointed out 

that of 24,000 research resumes I” the U.S. Depart 

ment of Agriculture’s Current Research Information 

System ICRISI only 10 related to riparlan h&at. 

A situatwn similar or worse in many other 

resource management agenc,as despite the “ndenlable impotlance of r~par~an resources, points 

strongly to the need for more and batter research I” 

this wtal area. 

NPS natural areas have been establlshed for the 

preservation and maintenance of natural processes 

that occur in native ecosystems. The Grand Canyon 

lone of the orIgInal seven wonders of the worldl. 

Everglades, and Yellowstone NPs are world rep 

nowned for their scenic grandeur, and large numbers 

of visitors flock to these parks. In addillon. wewe 

enwonments ,n many of our recreat,on areas such 

as Curecantl and Whiskeytown~Shasta-Trlnlty, support outstandlng rip&n habltats prime arenas 

for a variety of wtor activities including campIng 

(permItted I” many of the areasi. hiking, pIcnickIng. 

photography, and “nature watching” in general. 

Snce the natural attributes of these areas are 

what make for thw recreatIonal value. a lessening 

or loss of any of these natural values leads to a COIrelated loss in recreational opportunities. Yet we 

tend to expend large percentages of the manpower 

and budgets in our natural areas for wtol serwes 

wth very lhttle reciprocal effort toward a commute 

men1 to re%lurce ma”agement I” recreatIonal areas. 

This can allow for neglect of the very set of 

natural factors that originally led to establ~shmenr of 

the recreat,on area. 

Protectlan and proper management of iiparian 

areas on NPS lands loom as crmcal when one conslders that these areas are high on the list of the 

most endangered native ecosystems of North 

America. 

Riparian areas are preferred habitats for wildllfe, 

cattle, and recreatlonlsts, both consumptive and none 

consumptive. Such areas also serve as choice $tes 

for farms, cities, vacation lands and parks. Most of 

the population centers I” the US, or the world for 

that matter, occur along wars. Overuse has led to 

1 

drastic reductlans in the extent of ripawn habitat. 

Swift and Barclay, U.S. Fish and Wtldlife Service. 

estimate that at least 70 percent of the orIgInal 

ripar~an ecosystems have been destroyed. This may 

be an optimistic figure. An interagency team 

estimates that less than 2 percent of the original 

r~par~an habltat of the Sacramento River Basin of 

California remains. At the 42nd Nonh American 
WIldlife and Nar~onal Resources Conference 119771, 

Korte and Fredrickson estimated that more than 95 

percent of the rlparian lowland forests I” Mwouri 

have been cleared Only abour 5 percent of rhat state 

was covered by this type of forest when Missouri 

was settled. Now only 98,000 of the original 2.4 

million acres, or .4 percent of the sure supports this 

lmporlant habitat type. The rest has been replaced 

largely by agricultural and urban developments, make 

ing the picture particularly bleak I” lowlands and 

aJricultural areas. 

Why then, the discrepancy between the obvious 

importance of r~parian areas and the lack of a con 

cormtent effon ,n research and leSo”lCe manages 

ment? First, perhaps, has been the multipurpose, 

often conflicting demands for this lbmited resource 

coupled with an “ostrich~like” approach of not 

recoJnirinJ values that would be destroyed by cer~ 

tarn uses. Second IS the complexity of these ecosystems, baffling even those who have honestly all 

tempted 10 determine the best methods for using 

these areas while pieserung them a mandate some 

times referred to as “the NatIonal Park SewIce 

dilemma.” 

These riparian habitats support some of the 

world’s richest ecosystems. The “bottomlands” 

along creeks in Redwood Nat~onel Park produce the 

greatest biomass lpounds of IiwnJ matterfumt areal 

of any place in the world, even exceedlog productloo 

in troplcal rain forests. Studies by Johnson and 

Carothers publIshed in the American Zoologisl in 

1974 disclosed that the highest known populations 

for non colowl nesting birds I” North America occur 

along Southwestern streams. Numerous other ex~ 

amplas of the outstandlog productlvltyinthesescarce 

ecosystems occur throughout r~par~an literature. 

Riparlan areas serve as ecotones between aquatic 

ecosystems on one side and upland ecosystems on 

the other. This results ID an “edge affect,” defined by 

ecologist Eugene Odum as, “the tendency for ins 

creased variety and density at commun~ry ]unctions.” 

Thus, upawn areas are commonly composed of a 

two-sided, complex assemblage. From one side 

come characteristics and organisms of the adjacent 

aquatic h&tat lsuch as ncreased soil moisture and 

wetland plantsl, and from the other side, characteris 

TICS and organisms representative of the upland eco 

system (such as terrestrial vertebrates and upland 

plants1 In addltlon, the unique environmental condi 

tions of these r~par~an ecotones support many 

species of plants and animals thal occur only in 

r~par~an ecosystems 

Recent studies show that numerous offlclally 

bsted endangered speues, both aquatic and tar 

restwl, are dependent on r,par,an ecosystems 

Johnson, Haight, and Simpson recently published an 

analysis of habIta1 requirements of the 166 nesting 

spew of birds in the Southwest Lowlands. They 

found that 45 percent of these species were ab 

solutely dependent on riparlan habitat and adlacenl 

wetlands while an additional 26 percent preferred 

riparian to upland h&tat The loss of rlparian h&tar 

in the Southwest has directly affected almost % of 

the nestlog av~an species. Continued loss of riverine 

ecosystems, including r~par~an. may lead 10 the ex 

t~nct~on or significant reduction of species nor currently bsted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as 

threatened or endangered 

Our mandate clearly states that we are to peipetl;~ 

ate the bvlng systems in our charge. It thus becomes 

the job of researchers and manageis alike to work 

for the understandlog. intelligent use, and preserva~ 

tion of these riparlan ecosystems on NatIonal Park 

Service lands. 

Meetings and Symposia 

Hawaiian Volcanoes NP will host a Conference on 

the Feral PIJ, August 7. 1981. TOPICS will include 

biology, control. cultural aspects, and impacts. Only 

mvlted papers will ?e presented. An agenda WIII be 

awlable in late June through the NPS CPSU at the 

University of Hawail or from the NatlanaI Park. 

The Center for Field Research in Belmont, MA, 

together with its affiliate. EARTHWATCH, IS orgawed to provide cltlzen sponsorship of field research 

and to encourage public understandlog of science. 

Nancy Bell Scott, assouate director of the Canter, in 

a recent letter to Dr. Wllllam P Gregg, Jr., of the 

NPS Office of Science and Technology in Washing 

ton, D.C., asked that NPS sc~armsts be made awe 

of the Center’s capablllws. 

‘Very simply,” she wrote, “we support prolecrs 

conducted by postdoctoral scholars whose recovery 

of lnformatlon and data in the field can constructive 

ly employ the skills and talents of non~speclal6ts. In 

1981, we will provide fundlog and volunteer asw 

lance 10 70 worthy research projects in the bfe 

sciences, marine wences, physlcal sciences, social 

sciences and humanltles. We are now rewewlng prop 

posals for 1982 research.” 

To apply, submu a Z~page Prelmwxy Proposal 

outlimng your research ablectlves. project dates. 

planned use of voIun~eers, and need for funds. 

FOIIOWI~J favorable raww. a Formal Proposal will 

be iwed; this musl precede field work by nine 

monlhs. 

For appllcatlon guldellnes and a bstlng of projects 

currently race~wng support, write: Nancy Bell Scolt, 

Center for Field Research, Box 127~BM. 10 Juniper 

Road, Belmont, MA 02178. 

2 
Incident at Mount 

St. Helens?? 

Ash blackened the sky and cinders rained from a 

thunderous cloud. The magnitude of the volcanic 

eruption so far exceeded expectations that early 

news of the event was consrructed of fragmentary. 

often hysterical accounts. Real knowledge of what 

happened that day would be years away I” the learnt 

Ing product of science’s striving to match hlstorlc 

occurrence with scholarly, definitive descriptions of 

the process. 

The event so described was not the incident at 

Mount St. Helens. It took place I” the shadow of the 

San Franc~sco Peaks near the Grand Canyon in 1065 

A.0 Archeological investigations wer the decades 

confirm the presence of prehistoric people, who 

would have been srruck with terror and whose total 

environment - lncludlng sowI, economic and 

political - would be changed by the event. 

The contemporary t,e~,n wllh the Mount St. Helens 

eruption, already establlshed in the minds of park 

witors. has been noted and used much as set forth 

above, by Don Follows. team capra~n for the General 

ManagementiOevelopment Concept Plan now undw 

way at Wupatki and Sunset Crater Narional Monuments. These tw sites were impacted by the 1065 

A.0 explosions. and Supt. Henry L. Jones reports 

that in spite of wing fuel costs, interest is such that 

visitation at Sunser Crater has increased. 

The 1930 act for esrabllshing Sunset Crater NM 

contams language speclfylng that the cinder cone 

and its associated lavas should be preserved “IO ill 

luslrate the dramatic effects of the violent eruption 

and aftermath upon the prehistoric people lkvlng in 

Ihe area.” 

Rainforest Canopy 

Research Underway 

In Olympic NP 

By Nalini M. Nadkarni 

The upper tree canopy of the ra,nforest IS an unexplored world of both aesthetic and biological sIgnIf!- 

came Processes fundamental to forest growth and 

regeneration - photosynthesis, pollination, fruiting, 

numenr exchange take place high above the 

forest floor. With fundlng from the Man and the BIO~ 

sphere IMABI Secretariat, forest ecologists at the 

tln~vers~ty of WashIngton have nrlated a study of 

nutrient cycling within the canopies of two ralnforest 

ecosystems, one temperate and the other. tropical. 

Our two-year project concerns the role which 

epiphytes [plants dewing support but not nutrttion 

from host trees1 play in the nutrient dynamics of a 

temperate and a tropical rainforest. Eplphytes con 

prose a large ponion of the canopy in both sites: the 

Olympic rainforest. on the west coast of WashIngron 

State, and the Manta Verde Cloud Forest Reserve, in 

Costa R~ca. By focusing on how this one component 

of the ecosystem affects other parts, we simpltfy the 

bewddermg complexity of rainforest interactions. By 

comparing analogous mteractions ID two geographically distant but environmentally similar ecosystems. 

we increase our understanding of some of the fundamental processes underlymg rainforesr dynamics. 

To carry out the necessary measurements for investlgating processes of wIthIn-canopy nutrient 

storage and exchange, longterm suppon was 

needed. Oblectives of the MAB Consanium. outlined 

in the 1979 MAB Bolletn, matched almost exactly 

the work goals we envisioned. Their primary objectives include: carlying out basic research on struc- 

‘ture and dynamics of tropical and temperate forest 

ecosystems to provide a basis of natural reso”rce 

management; implementation of langterm biological 

monltoring I” established Biosphere Reserves; pm 

motion of intematlonal involvement of forest 

research and management, especially in developing 

countries; expansion of publlc underslanding for 

forest ecosystems; and promotion of conservation as 

a strategy for safeguarding the genetic diversity of 

blota. 

A Z&month proposal was submitted early in 1980. 

Happily, the profact was funded, and field and 

laboratory work 1s proceedlag in the temperate site. 

the Hoh River Valley of lhe Olympic National Park, an 

established Biosphere Reserve. The tropical flald~ 

work in montane Costa Rica will be carried oul in 

1982. 

Progress to data includes esllmatlon of epiphyte 

biomass and nument content to learn the magrwde 

of nutrients stored in the epiphyte component of the 

canopy. The nutrient flux in precipltatian to quantify 

epiphyte affects as rain falls through the canopy also 

is being monitored. A reference collection of 

3 

eplphytes is growing. and ecological interactions 

such as colonization rates, succession, and competllion are bang monltored wth photographs of 

canopy “mlwquadrats.” 

Anorher future plan Includes lnrerpretarwn of the 

canopy world to park wtors. A slid&pa program 

for use ID the Olympic NP visitor statton is bung 

developed. The presentation wll focus on biological 

interactions of canopy plants and animals, with em 

phasis on parallels and similarities between 

temperate and tropical rainforests. 

RaInforest ecosystems are being recognized righl~ 

fully as valuable and unique. worthy of praservatlon 

and careful management far a multitude of reasons. 

Funding organizations such as MAB have made a 

commitment to supportIng basallne ecological 

research on these fragile and important blames. 
Yellowstone Elk: 

Some Thoughts 

On Experimental 

Management 

The Elk 

Elk are the most abundant large grazing mammals 

in Yellowstone National Park. Those wintering on the 

Yellowstone River in and adjacent to the park have 

become known as the northern Yellowstone herd. 

Management of this largest single ungulate papulation in the park has long been beset by controversy. 

Recent concerns center upon the amount of human 

interference required, if any, to maintain vegetationelk equilibria rn the park. One view a larssez-faire 

approach to park management - counts upon 

natural regulatory processes to produce acceprable 

equflrbrrum states. The contrasting management 

vrew IS that pristine relationships have been 

destabilized by modern man, and that interference 

now IS required to impose vegetation-herbivore 

equilibria more in keeping with park objectives. In 

practice this rnterference has involved periodic 

reductions in ungulate numbers. Both approaches 

have been trred with the northern Yellowstone elk. 

What Was Done 

The nature of exrstrng vegetation-elk relationships 

on the northern winter range was examined from 

1970~1979. to determine 11 population reductions are 

necessary in the park [most of these elk winter in 

the park, but one herd segment winters outside the 

boundarres and IS hunted. Another aspect of the 

study was an attempt to reconcile these two different management objective4 Our approach was to 

set up a series of interrelated research hypotheses 

subject to testing, modification and rejection. The 

test of whether or not progressive “range deteriora~ 

tion” was occurring became far more complex than 

imagined initially. A sound hrstorical perspective on 

changes in elk numbers and in the vegetation was a 

necessary first step. This led to studies of climate, 

fire history and human activities in the park. The elk 

population was examined for evidence of densrtydependent negawe feedback controls ldescrrbed 

below1 on population xe, and for evidence of lhmita~ 

tion through extrinsic forces such as human preda 

Iron or resource levels. 

Testing hypotheses in field studies is drfflcult at 

best. and doubly so I” natIonal parks where ex~ 

pertmental manipulations usually are prohIbited. 

Some hypotheses were rested usrng the method of 

succewe approxrmations, where data are cone 

trnuously examined for consistency with the rep 

search hypothesis.’ Hypotheses are modified or rejected as rncons~stencres appear. However, I” the 

case of northern Yellowstone elk, hypotheses could 

be tested in a somewhat more experrmental manner. 
Human predation had reduced elk numbers m the What Was Found 

northern herd from around 12,000 to 4,000 between 1 An extenwe review of hlsrorlcal records 

1955 1968. A mo~a~owm on reductions went into ef- shows, in contrast to earlier interpretallow that 

feet m the park in 1969, and numbers Increased Yellowstone has served continuously as winter range 

again to around 12,000. These manlpulat~ons were for the northern herd since at least the 1870’s. The 

viewed as an experimental perturbation. useful ior 

testing research hypotheses and for providmg InsIght 

present dismbution and densines seem best Inter 

preted as a remnant of a once far greater biomass of 

into ecosystem dynamics. ungulates that occurred I” the region, rather than es 

an artifact created by establishment of the park 

2. ExamnatIon of the dynamics of the elk pop& 

tlon shows strong density-dependent relatlonshlps, 

I e, lhe percentage of monallty lpartlcularly of 

young1 increases, and the reproducrlve rate decreases as the popular~on ruses. The popular~on IS 

then consldered to be “regulated” because natality 

and mortality show negative feedback from popula 

tion density The population can come ,nto equ 

hbrlum with the park’s vegetation through these 

denslty dependent processes The level of this equ, 

lbbrium, the “ecological carrying capacity,” IS the 

eppropr,ete cairylng capecIty for a native ungulate I” 

a national park. But this IS a very dlfferent, higher 

capaury than that for which wild and domestlc 

ungulates are managed outslde parks Outside parks, 

most populations are managed for a maximum sus 

taned yield and are malniained ar an “economic 

carry,ng capacity” that IS often about one half 01 

ecological capecIty. Managers and biologists have 

not always recognued these different deflmtlons of 

carrying cepaclty. 

3. Studies of growth, condition and behawor sug~ 

gest that the overall elk population is lImited by the 

quality and quan,,ty of w,nter forage, but that 

human predation outside the park modlfles this rep 

swrce lhmitat~on. lntraspeclllc competltlon along 

dominance hlerarchles affected access to scarce 

food resooices 

4 Evidence from studies of the veQetatIon did not 

support an interpreterion of progressive pathological 

range deterloratlon IThe vegetation studies Included 

rephotographing over 300 early scenes of rhe VeQeIe 

tion and analyzing 308 range plots measured over 

the 1930~1978 per1od.l Interestingly, the hlstorlc 

photos showed that re”Qe s,tes considered to be 

“overgrazed” by conventional cr,ter,a had the same 

appearance over a century ego, before the park was 

establlshed. The departures from pr~sllne condltlons 

of vegetation on the writer range were limited and 

seemed to result primarily from fire suppression. In 

short, the elk effects on vegetation did not appear 10 

have exceeded those expected from a population 

near ecological carrying capacity in a stable 

vegetation ungulate system. 

5. Severe Inter-specific competition between elk 

and associated large herbivores lmule deer, bison, 

moose, blghorn sheep, pronghornl could not be 

demonstrated. Differences in dlsrributlon and food 

preferences penmt these less abundant species to 

persist in the presence of much larger numbers of 

elk The management philosophy of mainraIning arbi~ 

vary “balances” among ungulate species by redw 

t,ons of one to favor another seems unnecessary and 

mapproprlate in the park. 

What Was Recommended 

Some changes from the pristine ecologlcal relationships have indeed occurred in Yellowstone National 

Park. However, the park ~1111 IS remarkably intact 
ecologically, and the potenllal for funher reslurat~on 

is very year. Management recommendations were 

amed at compensating or correcting for the m 

fluence of modern man on ecosystem processes. 

Major recommendations include: 

a. Expand the park’s fire management program 10 

include the rest of rhe wnler range in the park and 

implemenr a limited program of experlmental 

prescribed burns. 

b. Do not reduce the numbers of elk or of any 

other large ungulate I” the park to alter rhe present 

vegetation~ungulate equ!hbrium. 

c. Develop innovative strategies for hunting those 

elk herd segments that winter outside the park. This 

wrll require close cooperation among management 

agencies. Even though elk huntlog ourside the park 

alters the dynamics of the hunted herd segments, 11 

seem possible, through serwve management, to 

minimize effects upon the park. 

d. The gray wolf should be restored 10 the park. 

How recommendations are 10 be implemented IS 

as important es what was recommended. All 

mampulawe management of perk blota should be 

regarded as essentially experimenra12 This means 

that hypotheses to be Tested. procedures to be used, 

end criteria to reject or reformulate hypotheses. 

should be stated clearly m advance. The information 

obtalned from managemenr programs should be 

wewed frequently for consistency with the 

hypotheses being tested. 

The experimenral management approach is still 

needed for understandlog both the popularloo 

dynamics of large grazers and the nature of 

vegetation-herbivore equilibria in parks. I generally 

do not advocate menipulatlng wild populations of 

new ungulates below ecological carnjiog capacity 

2 Histories Recommended 

Don Field, associate director for wence and technology in the Pacific Northwesr Region, has recomb 

mended to CPSU libraries in his region the acquistion of two books about the history of the National 

Park Seivice: Alfred Runt& National Parks: The 

American Expwience. and Conrad Winh’s Pwks. 

Politics and the People. 

The Runte book, pubhshed in 1979 by the Univew 

ty of Nebraska Press, examines the different rhetoric 

that was used, over time, to justify the NatIonal 

Parks. Field found weaknesses in the Aunte book 

where he deals with the decades of the ‘50’s and 

‘60’s a deftclency that is remedied ID Wlrth’s 

detailed account of the Mission 66 program that 

developed in the early 1950’s and culminated in 1966. 

“I recommend these two books for your hbrary.” 

Field said, because “as scientists we should know 

somethmg about the human history of the National 

Park System and the National Park Idea.” 

in parks that are complete ecological units. However, 

if park managers have reason to suspect that 

ungulate numbers are “too great,” and reductions 

are being considered, then en experimental approach 

IS clearly indicated. 

An experImental approach to management of “exotic” herbivores. e.g., goals in Hewail, burros in 

wherever, mountain goats ID Olympic. and wild 

boars in Great Smokies, also should be useful to 

managers. A well planned. small scale experimental 

reduction can provide a greet deal of information 

about the statistics of population growth, i.e., lhe 

ability of a population to compensate for increased 

removals. This mformatlon IS then used to determine 

the magnitude of the removal problem, to appraise 

the effectiveness of control strategies and to 

calculate costs? Beyond the immediare needs of 

park managers, an experimental approach to the 

control of exotic species could conmbute substantial~ 

ly to our understanding of the ecology of these large 

mammals. 

WAS0 

PUBLICATIONS 

Three large mammal studies and three works on 

remote sensing are nearing publication by the WAS0 

publications division. Glilres of Mt McKnley is in 

paste up, and two others are ready for paste up - 

Ecology of the Carmen Moonrans Whire-&-led Deer 

and Social Behawor and Ecology of ihe Coflared Peccary in B/a Bend National Park. 

Also being pasted up las of April 11 are Remote 

Sens;ng: Aernl and Terresruel Photography IHand~ 

book Supplement No. 71, Remote Sens;ng: Appbcerlons of Remote Sensjng ;n the North Amencan Centraal Lowlands IHandbook Supplement No. 61. and 

Remote Sensjng: Multispectral Analys;s of Chaco 

Canyon and Bandeker Naoonal Monomenr IHat& 

book Supplement No. 51. 

Lesser-Known Areas of the National Park System 

was released for printing and binding, as also were 

Archeological Surveys of Chaco Canyon NM and 

Conttibuoons ro Gran Ouivira NM Reach Ridge 

Archeology of Cape Krusenstern was released for 

composirlon. ArcheologYcal Overuew of Saguaro NM 

was being designed, and Archeological loveso&+ 

rions of Antelope House, Canyon de Cheffy NM, was 

awaiting galley revision. 

Information on These publications may be obtained 

from Napier Shelron. NPS. DI. WashIngton, D.C. 

20240. or FTS 523 5127. 

6 

WAS0 Publications 

Monograph Examines 

Potomac Island Exotics 

A solid new entry in the scientific monograph 

series out of the Washington office is The Impact of 

Three Exotic Plants on a Potomac Island by Llndsey Kay Thomas, Jr. Thomas examines Japanese 

honeysuckle and English tvy, which are destroyng 

the forests of the upper elevations on Theodore 

Roosevelt island a low lying island in the Potomac 

in Washington, D.C., and the role of European yellow 

Iris in changing thc~ marsh area of the same island. 

The study identifies disturbance as the key to entry 

for all three spew. even in a successional stage. 

The disturbances in all cases were products of 

human aclivity and have resulted in biological explo~ 

sions on the island. “One of the greatest impacts of 

man on the environment.” Thomas concludes, “is hs 

introduction of exotic species into environments that 

he has disturbed. These introductions often trigger a 

sequence of events that counter the goals or best 

interests of man himself.” 

On Theodore Roosevelt Island. Thomas finds, “the 

planned and unplanned activities of man. both before 

and since the area became a park, have set in motion biological forces which are destined, unless 

countered, to destroy the upland and floodplain 

forests and the marshes.” The final community 

there, he predicts, will be dominated by English ivy; 

the only forests on the island will be those of the 

present swamp. and they will have increased in size 

due to the destruction of the marsh by the European 

yellow iris 
INPUTS DSC Develotx 

I 

I OUTPUTS 

Natural Res&rces I 

Information System , 

(NRIS) I 

I 

I 

COMPUTER Maps 

Natural Resource 

I Information System I 

I I I 

J 

By Maurice Nyquist 

A major hindrance IO effiuent NPS management 

and planning has been lack of pertinent data. Too 

ofren the data relied on have been out of date, not 

site specific, Incomplete, andlor gathered “after the 

fact” by costly contracting. Remote sensing and 

computerized data base management techniques for 

acqwng and analyzing resource data can c~rcum 

vent this problem, provldlng accuW? data m a 

timely, cost~effective manner. 

The Remote Sensing and Science Sections at the 

Denver Seruce Center have been using these tech~ 

nlques for five years in many projects In most 

regions of the Service. These sections have assembled the skills, staff, and equipment required for 

an operaonal Narural Resources Information 

System. 

The basic NAIS objectives were to provide a func~ 

iional management tool that could quickly and cost 

effectively gather and analyze mformation needed by 

the Park Service. Remote sensing technology serves 

these objectives by: Ill providing relevani and accurare information qukkly and at low cosi, e.g. most 

projects are completed within a few months with 

mapping accuracies of 90 percent or better, and 

depending on the techniques used. total project 

cosx range between 5 and 50 cents per acre; I21 

flexibhty, in that it IS suited for many types of applicatlon at nearly any level of detail, lit can provide 

borh regmnal and detailed site speclflc lnformatlon 

7 

for an appl~car~on such as vegetation, geology, land 

use. potential habitat for wldhfe, fire models, etc I, 

and 131 the replicabibiy of the technique, especially 

useful for mon,roiing and change detect/on studies. 

Computer technology IS capable of handling large 

volumes of complex data quickly and ~nexpenwely 

to give analyw not possible by other methods, it can 

integrate and update lnformatlon which can be read 

ily accessed from remote SIRS Thus the combined 

attributes of remote sensing and computewed infor 

mai~on management, functlontng in concert, give the 

Natural Resources lnformatlon System much greater 

capabilltles than either functlonmg independently. 

The most lmmedlate benefits 10 the Sewe are 

the NRIS responses to basic needs ldentlfled in the 

State of the Parks 1980 Report, such as preparat~an 

of a comprehenwe natural resou~es wentory, 

establishing accurate resources baseline data for 

monitoring and change detectlon, and identifying, 

documenting and quantifying internal and external 

threats to the parks. This data can be generated and 

used for var,ous levels of planning, reso”rces 

managemenr, mwpreration, operations and budget 

formulation. In addltlon, for little cost IapproxImately 

$10,000 for a yraphlcs terminali lndlvidual parks 

could dwctly access the data base for day-to~day 

management needs once the basic resource themes 

have been mapped and entered mto the computer. 

The use of remote sensmg to gather mformatlon 

relies on many different techniques. such as Landsat 
satellite computer tapes or Imagery lpicruresi aerial 

photos of various types IBIW, color, or color Infrared1 

and scales, and such exotics as microwave or sidelooking radar. The operational program of the 

Remote Sensing Section primarily relies on photos 

mterprerar~on of aerial photography or Lands.% Irn~ 

ayew, although several demonstration projects wlrh 

NASA and the EROS Data Cente[,,bave used come 

puter ~mplamented procewng of Landsat diyltal 

tapes to perform resource mapping and analysis at 

Shenandoah, Death Valley. Olympic. Big Thicket, 

Lake Mead and Everglades. 

Landsat projecr results have been highly successful. For example, a very useful and accurate 21 

class vegetation and landcover map was developed 

for the Olympic peninsula. And. because the data 

were m computerized format the vegetation map 

was easily converted 10 a fire hazardlbehawor map, 

to be used for fire management planning. These 

same data were again manipulated to produce a 

map of potential habitat for the Spotted Owl, a 

threatened species. 

More typically, the Remote Sensing Section photos 

mterprers aerial photos and transfers the desired 

themes le.!., vegetation, landuse, geology. etc.1 to a 

controlled map base. This can be used as it stands 

for the desired resources management. planning, or 

mterpretation activity. In many msrences, however, 

the Science Sect1011 enters the other swces of data 

Into the computer to form a digital data base for ad 

ditlonal analyses. 

A recent example IS the work for A&a NP. The 

Remote Sensing Section is preparing detailed 

vegetation and landuse maps which the Suence Section is digitizing for computer analysis in fire and 

wddlife management and planning. On a much larger 

scale, the Science and Remote Sensing Sections are 

developlog a computerized data base for the entire 

Upper Delaware River Study which mcludes veyela 

rion, geology, landuse. souls, land ownership. roads. 

utilittes, political boundaries, flood plains end other 

themes. The analysis performed such as compositmg, proximity searches, length or area calculations 

and several other types of analysis will be used to 

aid in developing planning alternatives, feaslbilitylwtability determinations, and impacr assess~ 

ment. 

The comparison between an artist’s pallet and the 

NRIS forms an appropriate analogy. The artist’s 

paller has a few basic colors which the artist can 

use to paint nearly any type of picture. Remote sensany can provide the basic resource rhemes 1i.e.. rhe 

basic colors on the pallet1 and these themes can be 

manipulated many dlfferent ways to produce the 

dewed new maps or analysis lthe artist’s picturei. 

Just as the quality of the artist’s picture is depend 

dent on the a&s skill, the quality of rhe NRIS 

products is dependent upon the skill of the people 

worklog with the NRIS [i.e., knowing the correct 

types of data to bring together and asking the right 

questlonsl as well as the quality of the data li.e., colt 

061 put into the system. 

If you have questions about the use of the DSC 

NRIS for your individual management needs, please 

call me Dr. Maurice Nyquist, Chief, Remote Sensing 

Sectionl for informatlon about resource mapping and 

Dr. Harvey Fleet, Chief, Science Sectton, for mforme~ 

tion about diglfal data management, at the Denver 

Sewa Center 1303~234 4527, or FTS 234~45271. 

Editor’s Note: In an excellenr article, “Remote Sensmg: Tool for the Park Manager,” m The Cm/n+ 

/NPS Newslerieri October 1980, Mary K Maruca of 

the WAS0 Anthropology Ow/s;ori wow 

“Remote sensmg IS not a panacea for resource 

managemenrprobiems, but ii IS an essential element 

through wh;ch to gain an understandtng of just what 

resources a park actually protecrs. It is a tool for the 

superintendent, the archeologist, the natural 

resoo~ce manager, the interpreter. The park 

managei, the researcher and the remote sensing 

specialist musk work hand in hand as a team ro 

develop a soitd resources basic inventory on whxh 

to preseive the parks of the future.” 

8 
Plant Research at 

Haleakala 

I I 

By Lloyd 1. Lwpe 

Haleakala IS not among the better known natIonal 

parks to the general public, bul ranks second lo 

none in botanical riches. Located on the Hawaiian 

island of Maul, rhe park Includes the erosional crater 

of a huge dormant volcano with elevations of 3800 

10,023 feet and the adlacent K,pahulu Valley which 

descends to the coasr. First esrabllshed as the 

Haleakala Section of Hawaii National Park in 1916, 11 

was given mdependent swtus in 1961. 

Haleakala IS probably best known for its famous 

silverswords. but this bizarre plant IS only one of 

hundreds of Haleakala species confined to the 

Hawal~n Islands and dozens restricted 10 east Maui. 

Unforrunately. Haleakala has too often been rreated 

as simply a grand yeoloy~cal phenomenon and the 

destruction of 11s biological riches accepted as an 

unavoidable evil. It has long been well known that 

feral gears and pugs are desrroyiny the veyetatlon. 

but park manayers have been largely frustrated I” 

their efforts 10 confront the problem. Although a 

concerted effort at goat reduction by hunllny has 

somewhat allwated goat browsing pressure, hunt- 

,ny alone cannot control the large ieservo~rs of these 

animals ihat exist on adjacent State and prlvately~ 

owned lands Successful yoat impact control and 

restoration effons can be accomplished only by iencany OUT this exlernal source. The magnitude of this 

task has inllmldated park managers until recenl 

years. 

Over the past decade. ienc~ny has proven itself an 

eliectlve strategy for reducmg goats in Hawaii 

Volcanoes NP. The current Haleakala admlmstratlon 

recoymzed the need for a concerted resource 

management and research effort and began 

reoryaninny pr~ormes and shlftlng funds mto these 

activities ID 1975. The University of Hawaii CPSU 

became acwely involved at Haleakala and superbly 

documented how much there IS yeI to lose. A 

research lab and quarters to suppon research and 

resource management projects were created from 

an old mll~tary barracks. Sierra Club volunteers 

beginning in 1979, have constructed 4 5 miles of 

fence. Full~time research and resource management 

posItions were establlshed in 1980. A major fencing 

program for Haleakala now ranks at the top of the 

NPS construct,on program for 1983 

I came 10 the xene at Haleakala last fall to flll the 

newly establlshed research pos,t,on. My research is 

designed to assist in restormg native veyeration and 

flora once the browsmg pressure of goats IS removed. Examples of rhe types of problems which ex 

lst Include lhe followlny. Mamane. once a major 

component of the high elevation veyerat,on, IS a 

favorite food of feral goats and IS “hlghllned,” with 

no reproduction in mast places where ,t occurs 

Although 11 produces abundant seed, there is no in 

dlcation that successful seedllnys are bemy 

produced, even within goat exclosures. Yet healthy 

seedlmys can be readily produced under greenhouse 

conditions. We will rry to resolve the question of 

how to yet successful mamane regeneration. 

Haleakala sandalwood, a speces endemic to rhe 

portion of Haleakala above 5OOOft.. has been reduced 

to a few hundred individuals. Goats have “highlined” 

sandalwood wrtually wherever it occurs. Rats are 

believed to eat sandalwood seeds, so that seedling 

establishment may not occur even in the absence of 

year browng. We are atrempt~ng 10 determlne 

whether sandalwood can reproduce from seed when 

seeds ate protected from rats by we mesh exClOSUreS 

Dry forest on the southern slope of Haleakala is 

composed of nearly 50 wee spews, many of which 

have become ver~ rare throughout their ranges in 
Hawaii. These have not been able 10 reproduce for 

many years because of browsmg by cattle and 

goats Even 11 browsing pressure is removed, severe 

competition from the exotic Klkuyu grass may suf~ 

iice IO pievent reproduction. Rat predation of seeds 

andlor other yet undiscovered factors may stand ID 

the way of reproductive SUCCESS for some spews. 

We will arrempr 10 find out the reqwements for 

reproduction of dry forest spews. We will also try to 

determine what losses and range reduction of dry 

forest spews have occurred I” the Kaupo Gap area 

of Haleakala, with the hope of eventual resmraf~on. 

Haleakala silversword once had a much more ex 

tenwe range on Haleakala than now. Goats browse 

off these rare plants, so that they persisr only I” 

areas of very sparse vegetation on otherwise barren 

cinder cones which are seldom frequented by goats 

With the drastic reduction in the goat population that 

fencing will afford, silversword may be enabled to 

occupy its former range. How precisely can we 

define its former range? How quickly can II be ex 

pected to reestablish in formerly occupied ws, 

follawg goat removal? Would careful anificial scats 

tering of slIversword seed in suitable habitats where 

It IS b&wed to have once occurred be a dewable 

management pracnce? What is the staws of silversword populations currently? Other rare species, 

many of them endemic to Haleakala, require 

answers to questions similar to those for the silversword MY research will build upoil fIndIngs of ins 

vestlgators of the University of Hewa CPSU and 

others. but will only represent a beginning at flnding 

answers to crucial long~term problems involving 

presewatlon of the Hawa~lan biota I” natmnal parks 

and elsewhere. These problems are difficult ones. 

but the rewards of success are great because of the 

outstandmg slgnlflcence of Hawaiian blota in 11~ 

lustrating evolutionary principles. 

* * * 

From William T. lhckwc&, personnel officer for 

the Alaska Region. this bulletin announces other 

science-related positions newly filled: Glacier Bay 

park ranger /resource managementl. Gary Vequist; 

Benles cultural anthropologist. Ray Bane; and Alaska 

regional office appointees Gary Ahlstrand. research 

ecologist. and Francis Singer, wildllfe biologist. 

PEOPLE AND 

PLACES 

Larson Tackles New Job 

Jim Larson 

Jim Larson, whose NPS cateer has had him filling 

slots all over the Park System, is currently settled 

lbut by no means “at rest7 in Seanle. as chief of 

biological sewices for the Science b Technology 

Division in the Pacific Northwest Region. 

A North Dakota native. Larson earned his B.S. in 

zoology at the University of Wisconsin. his MS in 

forest ecology at the University of Washtngton. Staning in 1959. Larson has been a park ranger at Mt. 

McKinley NP, a park naturalist at Rocky Mountain 

NP, chief park naturalist at Haleakala NP, staff 

biologw in the chief scientist’s office in Washington, 

D.C.. regional chief scientist of the Southeast and of 

the Midwest Regions, and most recently chief of the 

Alaska Area Lliwon of Natural Resources. 

His research activities include a life history study 

of ihe Hawaiian dark-rumped petrel in Haleakala 

Crater and the ecological study of lodgepole pine at 

North Cascades NP. He co~authored the National 

Park System Plan - Pan II INatural History1 and 

prepared a natlonal park system plan Inatural hlsroryi 

for Greece. 

Jim’s boss, Don Field, has expressed great enthw 

siasm for the appointmar. and is showing his appreciation by burying Larson under a mountain of 

administrative work. Just before he went under for 

the rhlrd time lwhen the picture was taken1 Jim was 

still smiling. 

10 

Lovaas Closes The Circle 

Allan Lovaas IS back an the north country again. 

A wildlife biologist with a master’s degree from 

Montana State in Bozeman, Lovaas awed in An 

chorage in March to pick up the reins as chief, divi 

sion of natural restwces for the Alaska Region - 

the iob previously held by James Larson. 

Lovaas’ prior awgnment was five years as chief 

scientist for the NPS MIdwest Region out of Omaha, 

Nebraska. Before the Omaha berth, Lows worked 

six years et Wind Cave PN on bison, elk, antelope 

and prairie dogs. Previous to his National Park ser+ 

ice, Lows put in 10 years with the Monrana State 

Fish and Game Department, and that stint was 

preceded by two years of work for the Canadian 

Wildlife Service out of Edmonton - mostly in the 

Canadian National Parks end the Yukon Terntory. 

“In a way,” said Lows. “I’ve come full circle 

back to the Nonh Country again.” 

New Faces in Hawaii Park 

A new face in the ranks of Western Region scien 

tists is that of Charles P. iChuck Stone. research 

sciennst at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Before 

joining the National Park Serw on Nov. 4. 1980, 

Chuck spent 16 years working with the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service. 

He earned his B.S. degree at the Unlverslty of Mtn. 

nesota, hw M.S. at Colorado State University and his 

Ph.D. at Ohio State. HIS research areas are animal 

damage control and wan ecology, pan~cularly no& 

game birds and raptors. 

Most recently, Chuck was for five years chief of 

Charles P. (Chuck) Stone 

the section of WIldlife Ecology on Public Lands at the 

Denver Wildlife Research Center, where he also 

served two years as assistant director and before 

that was research biologist with bird damage 

control. 

The follwng story. submItled just in time far this 

issue of Pm/i Park Suence, suggests that no grass 

Iexotic or natlvel will grow under his feet at Hawail 

Volcanoes. 
Research Focuses 

on HAVO Exotics 

The seemingly impossible task of managing for 

precontact Hawailan ecosystems with the 

hodgepodge of introduced plants and animals Ives, 

even in national parksl, presumes that we know 

what precontact systems were like. It turns out. in 

many cases, we do not. 

What we do know is that, by definition. introduced 

~axof~cl plants and animals were never hare before 

man. We also know that exotic mammals, birds, 

invertebrates, plants, and diseases have had, are 

having, and probably will continua to have tremendous impacts on native spwes and systems. 

Thus. a logical management strategy seems to be 

to try reducing impacts of exotics in some situations 

in the hope that natives eventually will benefit. 

Research in Hawaii Volcanoes NP is geared toward 

ultimately proudlog information about such sitw 

lions and methods of putting exotics at a disadvantage. 

Bullding upon excellent past efforts of Service 

scientists such as C. Van Riper on avian diseases and 

0. Mueller~Dombo~s on plant ecology. currenl 

Haw-based serwce research scientists 0. Gardner, 

L. Loop& and I ISlonel are working on other import 

tam aspects of the exotic-native problem. All are aft 

filiatad with the CPSU at the University of Hawaii, 

headed by C. Smlrh, and are superwed by D. Fenn. 

WRO Chief Scientist. Gardner is stationed in 

Honolulu and speclallzes in plant diseases and exotic 

planr control. Loopa IS stationed at Halaakala and 

concerned primarily with native plant ecology. 1 am 

stationed at Hawaiian Volcanoes ‘and working 

prlmarlly on Impacts and ecology of exotic vertebrates. All three lplus Smith1 are responslbla for 

research in Haleakala and Hawaiian Volcanoes, both 

of which recently were designated Biosphere 

tlaserves. 

As the most recent addition to the NPS research 

ream, I WIII be placing my Initial research emphasis 

on ecology and impacts of feral pigs, mongooses 

and rats. These vertebrates are responsible lwlth I”~ 

traduced plants, invartabraies, and dIseasesi for the 

most mtensiva and widespread perturbatmns to 

Hawaiian ecosystems. 

The challenge is to learn enough about each in dif~ 

farent situations to be able to recommend efficacious methods 10 favor native spec~as and 

systems at rha excmcs expense. Such methods may 

involve exclusion by fencing and other means; 

chemical repellents. attractors or toxins; hunting and 

trapping; blocantrol, or various combinations of 

these. 

Research on the mongoose, thought to be a 

primary deterrent to reestablishment of salfsustainlog Nene IHawaIian goose1 populations in 

Dan Allen 

Skill 

Expansion Supported 

Dan Allen, resource management specialist with 

the North Cascades NPS Complex, began in the fall 

of 1980 a two~yaar traimng program toward a 

master’s degraa in forest rasowcas from the UoiVarsity of Washmgton, with emphasis on fire manage 

ment. Don Field, associate director for science and 

technology for PNR, announced support for Allen’s 

traimng as pan of the overall effort to expand !ha 

skills of the region’s rasourca management cadre. 

“For a science program to be truly successful,” Field 

said, “the application of knowledge acquired must be 

a cornstem prlonty.” 

Allen has been at North Cascades for three years; 

before That ha was a district ranger in the Everglades 

doing backcountry exotic plant control ImaInly water 

hyacmthl and fire management. Ha sees his trainlog 

as a personal step toward more professional 

resoorca management, especially in the field of his 

panlcular interest - natural fire and the possible use 

of prescriptloo fire at Norfh Cascades. His goai IS, 

“more complete understanding of total intarralationships and a wider frame of reference for the 

management tasks we are performing.” 

-.____-_-.- 

Hawaii Volcanoes, already is underway and WI/I be 

reported on in a future Bulletlo. Planning for 

establishment of vegetational transacts to m&or 

feral pig abundance and distribution, determine ef~ 

facts of pig management actions in Hawaiian 

Volcanoes, and provide a baseline for furura testing 

and recommendations already has begun. 

Through combned efforts of researchers inside 

and outslda the Sewa, batter understandlog of exotic organisms and their Impacts on complicated and 

important Hawaiian ecosystems should be reached. 

Recommendations on how to mlmmize Impacts of 

exotics should provide managers wlrh important 

ways to produce less altered systems for future 

generations. 

11 

Regional 

Highlights 

CPSU ANNUAL REPORTS 

The 1990 CPSU Annual Reports for the Pacific 

Northwest Region for the first time reflect both the 

biological and sociological research activities of the 

untts. Distribution has bean made throughout the 

region. and additional copies are available from the 

Association Regional Director for Science and 

Technology. 601 Fourth and Pike Bldg.. Seattle, WA 

99101. 

Denny Farm, Western Region Chief Scientist, announced a shift in that region’s biennia CPSU report 

schedule to January and June. The June reports, one 

for each of the four states ICalifornia. Anzona. 

Nevada and Hawaiil. will contam only progress 

reports on the contracted research projects. The 

January reports will consist of reports on all 48 

research scientist projects and one-page reports on 

all private research in parks as well as progress 

repons on all contracted research. These reports can 

be had from Western Ragloo headquaners. 450 

Golden Gate Ave.. PO. Box 36063. San Francisco. CA 

94102. 

The Alaska CPSU report was published in January 

and reported in the Winter 1981 issue of “Pacific 

Park Sc~ance.” 

OSU/CPSU Reports 

Two fairly recent Reports now available from the 

Oregon State Unlvarsity CPSU Korvallis, OR 973311 

are "limging Ecology of Rairie Falcons During 

the Nesting Sasson. lava Beds NM,” by B. Haak 

and R. L. Jaw, and “Coyotes and Mule Deer al 

John Day Fossil Beds NM: A Management 

Report,” by Brad Griffith 

Haak and Jarw concluded rhat home range size of 

prairie falcons may have been underestimated in the 

past lfalcons in this study urilirlng an area thar 

averaged 388.5 km2 in s~zel and suggested that 

special consideration be granted by prairie falcons in 

management plans - cliff nest-sites and foraging 

areas being areas of mtensive use that are critical to 

falcon nesting succass. 

The Griffith study considers both resident and 

migratory mule dear popularloos. their numbers, 

distribution, and area utiluatlon. and coyote population characienstics, patterns of predation losses and 

food habits. In both cases, management recomman 

datlons begin with “no active control program IS 

warranted at this time.” Continued monitoring is indicated, however, and Griffith delineates the mforma 

tlon needed and the rationale for collectlog It. 
Regional 

Highlights 

Predator Prey 

Model Clarifies 

Research Needs 

at McKinley 

Three levels of research priority. keyed to an adapt 

tive management approach, emerge from the University of Idaho CPSU Report “A Conceptual Simularlon 

Model of Moose~Wolf~Habitat Interactions at Mt. 

McKinley National Park” by R. Gerald Wright. 

A major objective of the study was to synthesize 

past data !n a systems framework. establishing 

priorities as to what factors should be monitored and 

measured on each species, and outlining the 

development of a lonqrerm integrated wildlife 

research program. Specific objectives included: 

1. compiling. condensing and synrhesizinq information on the components of the biological 

system; 

2. looking at interactions among these components; 

3. developlng conceptual models of the system 

based on rhese data, end 

4. using the knowledge to evaluale mdlwdual 

components in terms of their imponance to rhe 

system and to determine the aleas where ins 

formarion gaps are most critical to sound 

management. 

Priority 1 level needs include a better understandmg of the age strucrure and sex ratios of the 

moose populations. development of an optimum pm 

cedure for doing annual or seasonal counts of 

ungulate species, better understanding of the rate of 

predation on newborn moose calves and a more 

thorough knowledge of the role of fire as a mecha 

nism for improving habitat quality and forage quanti 

ty for moose. 

Prtority 2 level needs deal with rhe role of human 

disturbance as an influence on moose. development 

of fuel loadings model for use with burning Indices 

and validation of rhe model with data on fire history. 

and the effects of past use by moose on forage 

quality and quantity. 

Priority 3 level research needs included rhe effect 

of climatic factors on the quality of forage in rhe 

park, disease as a factor in moose mortality, the ins 

fluence of human disturbance on wolf predation. the 

influence of human harvest and poaching on park 

wolf populations, and the role of density and come 

petition ID determining moose movement and habltat 

USS. 

Copies of the bulletin are available from the Univer~ 

sity of Idaho CPSU, College of Forestry Wildlife and 

Range Sciences. Moscow, ID 93843. 

ONBEINGIN 

MOUNTRAINIER 

ATIONALPARK 

Mt. Rainier National Park is a nice place to be. 

‘Flip-Sheets’ Carry Management Message 

A cheaply-execured, tightly written, eye-catching 

linle brochure with an intriguing “other side of the 

coin” approach 10 park interpretation is performing 

an important public relations job for Mounr Rainier 

National Park. 

Brainchild of Glenn Hinsdale ion PNRO’S interpreOlympic Elk Studies 

Reports Published 

Two Roosevelt elk studies in Olympic National 

Park, published this spring by the Oregon State 

University CPSU, contribute to the basic knawledqe 

needed for managemem of this importam ungulare 

population. “Status of Elk Populations and Lowland 

Habrats in Western Olympic NP.” by Kurt Jenkins, 

found rhat no managemem of populations or wmter 

ranges is warranted for elk at this time. Forage cons 

dltions would seem to have improved since the 

1930s studies iconducred by J.E. Schwaml and 

browse pressure has decreased. “Elk and vegetar,on 

in Olympic NP are probably at equlhbwm densirles 

and further changes should not occur in the herbl~ 

we-vegetation complex in the near furure,” the 

report found. However. six specific recommenda~ 

tlons for monitoring and researching the on~qoing 

elklveqetetlon relettonship were put forth in the 

interests of responsible management. 

“Raosevelr Elk of the Hoh Valley” by Jenkins and 

Edward Srarkey. followed the movements and 

habitat use of cow elk in the Hoh Valley to assess 

the influence of land management practices outside 

Olympic NP on “park” elk and provided baseline ins 

formation on the behavior of undisturbed elk in old 

growth forests. Little influence by forest and wildlife 

manaqemem practices occurring outside the park 

was found. The primeval condition of elk on the 

Olympic Peninsula was seen as providing unique 

opportunities for research. 

Both reports are available from the OSUICPSU, 

School of Forestry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331. 

The Crater take NP visitor traffic pattern study by 

Bo Shelby, reported in the Winter 1981 issue of 

Pacific Park SC&~, also is now available from the 

0sulcPsu as a report. 

12 

live staffl, the single-pager carries an upbeat mter~ 

prerlve message on one side and details major 

threats to the park on rhe other. As Glenn said, “The 

wrmng had to be right and spare without being 

terse, and rhe heft and appearance of the thing had 

to say It was wonh reading.” The real message that 

comes through the sweetness and lighr IS that parks 

decide priorities in terms of rhe resources that management has to allocate. It’s a winsome whisper. not 

a bare~knuckle bludgeon and all for a rock-bottom 

cost. 

The February 21, 1981 issue of TheSouti~~~stem 

Naturalist carries an anicle by FL Gerald Wright and 

George M. Van Dyne. “Population Age Strucrure and 

Its Relatlonshlp to the Maintenance of a Semidesert 

Grassland Undergoing Invasion by Mesquite.” Wright 

is with the University of Idaho NPSICPSU. College of 

Forestry. Moscow, IO 83843; Van Dyne can be ads 

dressed at College of Foresrry and Natural Rep 

sources, Colorado State University. Forl Collins. CO 

80523. 

Fort Spokane Rehab 

Alternatives Given 

“A Vegetation Aehabilitarian Program for the 

Parade Grounds at Fan Spokane. Coulee Oam, NRA,” 

by Craig Gehrke, Bob Kinucan and R. Gerald Wright, 

is now available from the University of Idaho CPSU, 

College of Forestry, Wildlife and Range Sciences, 

Moscow, ID 83943. 

The report outlines a program designed to restore 

rhe plant community on rhe 17.acre flat plateau overlooking Lake Roosevelt to a type more closely 

resembling historic conditions, reducing lonq~term 

maintenance costs and fire hazards. and allowing 

better visitor use. Summary information is given on 

the characreristics of the different annual weeds and 

yasses, rhe use of herbicides and controlled fire, 

seedbed preparation. and seeding methods and 

types. The impacts of several alternative techniques 

are evaluated and a recommended program outlined. 
INFORMATION 

CROSSFILE 

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN carries in rts April 1981 

issue an arocle on “Filtwfeeding Insects” by Richard 

W. Merritt and J. Bruce Wallace, the gust of which is 

that underwater filter-feeders of three orders play a 

role m opposing the tendency of ecological systems 

to lose organrc matter downhill Excellenr micros 

graphs and drawings accompany the text. whrch 

describes in great data11 the hfe cycles and feeding 

mechanrsms and habits of examples from all three 

orders of insect. Aldo S. Leopold IS cited for his sog~ 

gesrion thar the continurty and stabrlity of upland 

communrl~es depend on lrfe forms storrng nutrrenls 

and organic matter and panlclpatrng in other pro 

cesses thar retard the downhill trend all materials 

rake I” rhe course of natural processes. The authors 

conclude that although filtwfeedrng owacts utilize 

only a small portloo of the passing organic matler, 

they “converr that proponron into organrc matter of 

a more complex form and wth higher food value” 

namely. their own bodies. These bodies serve as 

food for life hrgher up the food cham ‘7hus.” say 

the aurhors, “they act to retard the dominant downy 

hill moverowl of organrc maner by both rerarning It 

and altering it.” 

Jon F. Haman, Llenver Service Center, wrth William 

J. Todd and Dale G. Gehrrng of TechnIcalor Graphic 

Services, Inc., EROS Data Center, Sioux Falls, SD 

57198, authored a paper on “Landsat Wildland Maps 

pmg Accuracy” in Photogrammetric Engineering 

and Remote Sensing. Aprrl 1980 lpp. 509 5201. The 

research examined rhree prrncipal categories of 

classrfication error in Landsax data wirh regard to 

land-cover classification for the Shvwirs Plateau 

region of Lake Mead NRA. Construction of contrngency tables revealed that there was less confusion 

between aggregated [more generalized1 wildland 

resource classes - grouped on the basis of soils, tw 

rain, and vegetatrve cover similaritres - than detailed 

resource categories. Maurice Nyquist lsee anicle 

page 7 I and Kenneth Railhal of the Denver 

Service Center lent support and guidance throughout 

the project. 

SCIENCE. February 20, 1981 issue. details the curm state of the an of remote sensmg as It IS now 

being used routinely in geologic inrerpretation for 

mineral and energy exploralion. plant siting. waste 

disposal, and the development of models for reglonal 

and continental tectonics. Authors are Alexander F.H. 

Goetz, a senior member of the technical staff of the 

Jet Propulsion Lab. Calflech, Pasadena 91109, and 

Lawrence C. Rowan, geologist with the USGS, 

Resron. VA 22092. “New spaceborne methods and 

associated technologies are being developed to produce dau from which geologic information about 

large areas can be derived much more rapidly than 

by conventiOnal techniques,” they state. 

The urgency of developlog social systems that can 

keep pace wrrh technology drew a nod of recognl 

t~on from Alex Hrlls and M. Granger Morgan, authors 

of “Telecommunrcatrons rn Alaskan Vrllages.” in the 

January 16. 1981 issue of SCIENCE. The artrcle 

describes a recently insraIled salell~te system now 

providing modern long-drstance telacommunlcatron 

sewices to 100 rural Alaskan vrllages, most of whose 

residenrs are Alaska Natives. The authors look ar the 

need for both hardware and organizatlonal corn 

ponents rhat will be required to delrver television in 

Alaska villages, and conclude that the “organizatlonal 

arrangements may be the more important, srnce 

they will probably endure far longer than any partrcular technical solution.” The anrcle considers the 

speclfrcs of technlcal and organizational struclores 

and the varroos possible roles of state and private I”~ 

fluence. 

Wrangell St. Elias 

Bibliography Ready 

An annotated bibliography of Wrangell St. Elias NP 

by R. Gerald Wright is available in CPSU Repan form 

from the University of Idaho CPSU at Moscow, IO 

83843. It contains more than 300 citarions. numbered 

and listed alphabetically and categorized inro 18 subject areas. 

“Two Aspects of Sciantiflc Responsibility,” by John 

T. Edsall, Harvard emeritus professor of biochemistry 

and former chairman of the AAAS Commrttee on 

Scientific Freedom and Responsibility, appears I” the 

April 3. 1981 issue of SCIENCE. He discusses the 

rrgoroos world of scientrfic research and the equally 

rmportant common,cat~on of results, and the 

associated responsrbrlirras of a very drfferent order - 

the choices in the area of social responsrbility and 

poll%al decrsions. Ha speaks of value judgments 

that stern from research results - “the uses and 

hazards of toxic chemicals and radroactrve materlals, 

the choice among various modes of producrng or 

conserving energy, or 1he crileria for deciding 

whether to dam a river or let It flow freely.” These 

are very different problems from those of basic 

research, he says, “Nevenheless. applied scientific 

knowledge IS an important element rn the making of 

such decisions.” Because science and therefore 

sciantrsts - are so often plunged into these areas of 

drsputation, it behooves the scientist to consider 

carefully what constitutes responsible behavior. 

The new 1981 CONSERVATION DIRECTORY IS 

available for $6 by writlog to the National Wrldlife 

Fed&on. 1412 16th St., N.W.. Washington, O.C. 

20036, The 300.page directory lists about 12.000 ins 

divrduals and 1.800 organizations concerned wllh 

nawral resource use and management. 

JOURNAL OF FORESTRY for January 1981 carp 

rias an article by J. Robert Stotrlemyer. former chief 

sciantlst of the NPS Mid~Allantic Ragion, entitled 

“Evolution of Management Policy and Research I” 

the National Parks.” He traces management policies 

through the Years since 1916. when the Park Service 

came mto belog, and‘compares them with the many 

dates described in varrous parks’ enablmg legislation. 

He makes a strong case for continuing research 

within park boundaries and cites present admrnrsrra 

we authoriry as being “sufficient to mitigale most 

countervailing factors origrnating within park bow 

daries,” but concludes that “rhe mosl significant 

challenges now come from beyond park bow 

daries” and acknowledges rhar “their SOIUIIO~ IS very 

complex and will challenge the best scientific exper11se: 

Managers whose responsrbilities include old~ 

growth coniferous forests wrll find much of Interest 

in USFS General Technical Report PNW~ll8, 

Ecological Characteristics of Old-Growth 

Douglas-fir Forests. publIshed in February 1981 

With the end of unreserved old~growth foresls a 

mere matter of four decades or less away. the repOn 

suggests that, “rhe public, screnlists, and land 

managers are mcreasingly concerned about whether 

species, communities, and functions are I” danger of 

belog elimrnated. Although the authors IJerry F. 

FrankIln, Kermlr Cromack. Jr., Willlam Denison, 

Arthur Mc~ae. Chrrs Maser. James Sedell. Fred 

Swanson and Glen Judayl found a few plant or 

animal spews solely confined to old-growth forests, 

they identified several species as finding optimum 

habitat in such forests and a few that “may reqwre 

old~growth to maintarn viable populations.” The 48 p. 

GTR IS available from the Pacific Northwest Forest 

and Range Experrment Station, Ponland. OR 97232. 

THE SCIENCES. published 10 times a year by the 

New York Academy of Sciences, IS a forum for 

scien%ts to drscuss current issues and research 

developments in a non-technrcal format. BeginnIng I”. 

1961 as a 16.page. pocket-sized pamphlet. llstiog the 

Academy’s monthly program of actiwtves, il has 

grown to an 8% by ll~inch format wrlh 32 or more 

pages per issue. Each rssoe contains at least four 

major ardcles on current research. science polrcy 

and cultural affairs, plus several departments. Single 

issues sell at some news stands for $1.50; a sobs 

scription costs $12.50 par year and may be ordered 

by wrrling The Scb~s. Subscription Dept., 2 Easl 

63rd St., New York, N.Y. 10021. Surveys show that 

84 percent of the readers hold an MD or a PH.D.. 

and an even higher percentage have authored papers 

rn primary journals. It is almed at the workrng scientist who is interested in developments in other fralds, 

and wrrnen rn terminology that is readily understandable to the educated layperson. 

13 
INFORMATION 

CROSSFILE 

NEXUS, in Its Winter 1981 issue. 1951 Highland 

St., lpswch, MA 019381. carries several artrcles on 

peat bogs how they are formed, their curious 

preservewe properties lover 600 human bodies 

one estimated to be 2,000 years old, numerous pre 

historlc animals and pollen grains found in European 

bogs have recorded the millenla of bog evolutionl, 

end the possrble energy future of Maine and New 

Brunswick’s bogs. In en accompanying edrtonal, Carrle Kopllnka writes 

“Drawing en appropriate line between pearland 

development and preserval~on requires that the deersron makers citizens, scientists, lobbyists, polirrclans have a clear understandlog of the resource 

and carefully consider the Impact whrch manages 

ment WIII have on the ecosystem for today and 

tomorrow.” 

A NEW HANDBOOK about the petrified forests 

of Yellowsione entombed by volcanic eruptions 50 

millwn years ego - IS now available from the 

Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Govt. Printing Oft 

flee, Washingron, O.C. 20402. The price is $2 and 

stock number IS 024-005-00786~5. The Dpage handbook, issued by the Natronal Park Service, is by Dr. 

Erlmg Dorf. professor emerltus at Princeton thww 

sity. Based on extenwe freld studies and laboratory 

analyses of fosstl speciments, the book describes the 

more than 25 lrvrng forests I” the area that were 

buried upright and revegetated over a period of 

20,000 years. In addition, It contains graphic summar,es of current theories about the hot spots below 

Yellowstone take and elsewhere in the park. 

Island Night Lizard Study Initiated 

By Gary M. Fellers 

The island nrght lizard is listed federally as a threatened specres. It is found only on three islands off the 

Coast of southern Cellfornia; one of these, Santa Barbara Island. is pan of Channel Islands NP 

Currently, very little IS known about the abundance, distribution or ecology of this rare lizard. Knowledge of 

its life history is a necessary part ot the program to reduce 01 elimmate the rabbit population on Santa Barbara Island. The lizard study now underway there WIII also provide useful data es 10 where vlsitor use should 

be drscouraged I” rhe Interests of protecting the lizard and where such visttatrons would have no srgnificant 

Impact. 

Even more important, data on hrard habitat preference will be essenttal for planning any major effort to control or eliminate exotic plants. especially tceplanr. lln following park practice of restoring sites 10 prey 

manipulative conditions, we don’t want inadvertently to destroy important habitat for en endangered spec1es.1 

Working with Charles Drost. a graduate student at the tlniverslty of California, I have begun a study desIgned to fill the major voids in our knowledge In January we worked with two VIP’s IVolunteers in Parks1 to 

install 150 pitfall traps lone gallon plastrc jars1 to capture lizards. About 50-75 traps are operated at a time and 

are checked on a dally basis. BY repeatedly caplurIng marked indivrduals, we can evaluate patterns 01 mow 

ment and population dewy for each of several mafor habitats on the Island. We also are gathering mformalion on growth rales, food habIts end reproducrlve efforr. 

The IUCN BULLETIN lout of Gland, Swttzerland 

11961 for November~Oecember 1980 carries word 

about the remarkable mterdependence of fish and 

forest in the Amazon basin. A survey showed rhac 

the Amazon and Its tributaries flood a 40,000 square 

mile area between June and November, and when 

this happens the fish migrate into the forest and 

feed on the seeds and frurts falling into the water. 

The trees, I” turn. depend on the fish 10 dwbute 

their seeds. More than 200 fish and tree speues 

have been identified as relylog on one another in this 

way. The fish have become specially adapted with 

molars to crunch nuts and bloated stomachs to 

enable them lo burld up a store of fat for the dry 

season when the rivers terreat. 

“Management of Western Forests and Grasslands 

for Nowgame Birds,” the proceedings of a workshop 

held earlier this year, has been published and IS 

awlable from the U.S. Forest Service, Ogden, Utah 

84401. 

OREGON WILOLIFE for March 1981 contains a 

story on the common prgeon lor rock dovel, with en 

couraglng words for the endangered peregrine 

falcon. It describes ihe lifehablts and nuisance quo~ 

tient of rock doves in relation 10 city structures and 

dwellers. l’7he birds have been known to pick mortar from between bricks to use es grrr, thus weakening the slrucwres. The health and aesthetic probe 

lems surrounding pigeon droppings also are well 

known.“1 And then 11 prophesies. 

“Now that the worst pollution lof otiesl has been 

cleaned up, the peregrine pilot program appears to 

be working. In Ihe end, the predator~prey relations 

shop lthat held in cities a century ago1 may once 

agarn make the noble falcon a cfty bird and the rock 

dove a useful lhnk I” rhe biological food chatn.” 

14 
RMP’s - 

The Next Step 

By Bill Supernaugh 

“Let’s see now, if the park’s GMP or OCP’s have 

a” approved EIS, rhen the SW’s which gai wr~lla” 

up I” the RMP only need a” EA. but .” 

The new Year brings new anagrams and, we be 

lheve, a renewed commiimenl and diractlva to carry 

out our prnary mandate to preserve and protect the 

natural and cultural resources that are “Xagral to the 

exis~ance of rhe 320 or so ““IIS of the NatIonal Park 

System. 

December broughr fonh the long awaltad guideline 

for dealing with resource planning and programming 

I” a uniform mannai It became policy to lleat both 

“alural and cultural resources in a common dew 

mant and the required content of Resources 

Management Plans IRMP’sl was set out along with a 

rime frame 10 be met. 

The Plan, I” effect, becomes a compendium of 

managamenr dacislons proposed to be cawed out I” 

order 10 meat a laglslatlva, regu~el0~. or QOliCy re 

quirement The accomplishment of any single actlo” 

mlghr be for the benefit 01 a spacillc cultural 

resource or of a type rhat will affect several 

raso”rca compo”an,s I” both natural and cultural 

catagorles. The important element to be grasped is 

the need for the decwon o/ftc~al To be able to pro/t-ct 

what ihe cumulatwe effect of the action w,il be on 

the enfre park’s re.wwce mveniory. 

It IS Therefore necessary to Include project state 

ments on a// of the park’s ongoIng and anticlpatad 

activities which involve manlpulatlo” of the rasowca. 

This will reqwa the manager to evaluate the 

ra~oorces under hislher stewardship and make accountable decisions based on a” awareness of how 

ma~“!e”e”ce, prorectlo”, monitoring and research 

wll ulrlmately affect all resources. 

This long range goal WIII be accomplished through 

a time phased program IO be carried out in 1981. 

Dunng January, park staffs airlculated Significant 

Resource Problems ISRP’sl that warranred special 

ldentlficarlon and emphasis. Prioritized SAP’s icultural and “aturall, supported by 10~2371238 funding 

requests were reviewed and integrated into RegIonal 

SRP listings 

The Regl~oel Directors and Direclorate met I” 

February TO develop a Servicewide list I” pnorlly 

order - used es a component of the FYB3 budget 

submlsslon. It follows than that the SRP’s also WI 

indicate rhe prolacts 10 which the FY83 research 

budget submiss@” will be dnctad. Those research 

actlvitles that need 10 be carried out in order to deal 

wth the Serwa’s highest priority resoorCe managament problems will be give” primary emphasis for 

WAS0 fundmg. Regions and parks era expected to 

make the same so” of decisions with regard lo 

dlscretlonary funds for research al every level. 

The SRP’s thus identified will, in most cases. 

become the core of complex act~o” ISSUES documented I” the area’s Resources Management Plan, 

which should be completed and approved by 

Regions prior to Dec. 1, 1981. Emphasis and support 

should be ~~ven TO completing RMP’s I” each area 

where no approved Plan now axlsts. RegIonal staff 

and parks should identify those areas having Plans 

which reqwe ma,or changes or have not rewed 

updates. and see that those areas are give” the 

directlo” needed to meat the due data. 

Where the Regional Olrector finds that a currently 

approved RMP adequately addresses the x110” 

plans, a comprehenwe narrative summary which 

is the decislon~suppon component must still be 

submltted. The flwyear strategy for accompllshlng 

recommended resoorces ma”ageme”t acttons must 

include a schedule of proposed accomplishments 

and staffing and funding needs Ii” sufflclent data11 to 

allow annual progress evaluatiool, in prlorlty order. 

After all, commitment, accomplishment and accou”~ 

tabillty are the name of the game! 

The Resources Managamenr Plans are but a single 

element surfacing during the 1981-82 budget years 

which will tie together a Servicewide efforl cross~ 

Ing all &visional lanes - and involve us all I” a” I”~ 

tegrated effon to rebuild, rededicate, and reInforce 

our perspective of resources for the future. 

Burro Impact On 

Bighorn Habitat 

Studied 

By Charles 1. Douglas 

A study of ecosystem altaratlo” whl” a nat~anal 

park by a” axotlc speuas of anlmal eight years ID 

the bullding and stlll five years from camplallo” IS 

yleldmg informallo” vital 10 the management of bIQ 

horn sheep and burro populations I” Death Valley, 

and with impl~catlons for management of Similar 

exow mtrwons elsewhere I” the National Park 

System 

The problem of axot~cs IS wdespread I” the Park 

System M~QI~Q from mongoose, rats and feral 

goats m Hawaiian parks to feral pIQs in the Great 

Smoky Mountains and feral burros I” Grand Canyon, Bandeller, Lake Mead and Death Valley. Exotic 

plants, birds and mammals have been astabllshed 

almost everywhere, and unfortunately they often 

surwa at tha expanse of “awe spac~es. 

Our studies in Death Valley IDEVAI began I” 1973. 

OvergrazIng by feral burros had led to reduction I” 

habltal of the endangered desert bighorn, and 

management needed to understand the nature. 

savemy, and consequences of burro blghor” Interactlo” there Burro control stopped in the 1950s and 

the hard had increased steadily, while the blghorn 

decreased commensurately. 

Burro impact IS a degradativa process, Insidious 

and seva~e It affects plant species compositlo” and 

covar, promores arldlfy by l”creas,“g eros~o” 

through soil compact~o” and surface dlsturbancas, 

and adversely affects water sources by fouling and 

usurpar,on. 

Subtle changes I” the ecosystem such as changes 

in solI organisms. losses of invertebrate segments of 

the food web, changes I” small mammals, Impacts 

on ground~nesung birds, and overall effects on 

“utr,e”t and e”erQy exchange, may “war by fully 

understood. Perrurbatlons reverberare throughout 

rha sys~am. and dasens are especially sensitive and 

vulnerable to changes. Recovery may raqulre Ce”~ 

twos; however, enlIghtened management may be 

able to shonen the recovery period. 

Managers also need lnformatlo” on endangered 

plants as wall as a detailed vegetational map of the 

park. To amass these data, we started in rhe 

southernmosr mountains on the east soda of the park 

and the” worked counter-clockwe, range by range. 

Graduate investigators now era completing thesis on 

flora and community stroctore I” the first two 

ranges; a third study is underway all providing 

data ~mporta”~ in evaluating the extent and condition 

of bighorn habitat. 

We hope within another five years. to complete 

vegetatmnal mappfng, blghorn habitat evaluation, 

popularlo” assessments, and management racommendations for the entlra park - a” area ancorn15 
passing almost as much terraIn es Yosemite, Grear 

Smoky Mountains, and Glac~ar NatIonal Parks corn 

blned. 

Our twyear telemetry and marking study of burro 

movements and distrlbutlon in the Wildrose area of 

DEVA showed a disturbed herd with a yearly 18 pw 

cant rate of fncrease. Half of all plants ,n ,ts 600 

square krlometer area showed browse impact, with 

favored species browsed 10 the brink of ellminatlon. 

A concurrent shldy by a Uwrsity of Nevada 

ltas Vegas1 graduate student clartfled aspects of 

burro physiology. This knowledge enabled us to 

evaluate rhe herd’s pasr exposure to disease 

organisms that mighl be useful for management, and 

to establish normal blood values of healthy animals. 

A second study area Butte Valley - was chosen 

for its isolation and because bighorn were thought to 

be mole numerous there. Again, we used relemetry 

and marking-collars and replicared parts of our 

research. This was important because conditions 

were significantly dlfferent there; hard denslry was 

much higher. home ranges were consmcred; emlgration of young animals was taking place. and the 

plant communiry and burro herd had established 

equilibrium. Thus. the two study areas represent ex~ 

tlemes along a cont,nuum of hablrat degradatron 

Varlatlon in coat colors throuphout the Panamint 

Mountains made us cur~oos about the extent of 

movements between burro groups. In some herds, 

burros had mostly dark coats; orhers were shades of 

gray or brown. In Butte Valley, colors ranged from 

whne through browns and grays to black. We realized that 11 there were high interchange between 

groups. effons to temove burros from one alea 

could be negated by influx from adjacent areas. 

In 1976, a study of population genetics was cow 

ducted. Signlflcantly. we found that burros from five 

localituzs were largely Isolated from one another 

genetically. Even herds in adjacenr canyons operated 

as separate breeding oni% Explanation lkes in rhe 

fact that the peak of breeding colnctdes wrth the 

hottest months of summer, when burros are under 

the most water stress. Consequently, they remain 

near springs and bread with mdivlduals in rhe same 

canyon. In winter, with water stress reduced. adja~ 

cenl herds mtermlngle, but breeding in writer is 

greatly reduced so interbreeding IS negligible. 

ear management purpwes. the importance of 

these IISUJIS IS the discovery that burros are faithful 

to their home range areas and probably can be removed from small areas without the vacancies 

immediately being fllled by orher lndlvlduals. 

In 1979, rhe Tin Mountalwlluartz Spring area was 

found to contain btghorns and burros !n sufhclenr 

numbers to permit simultaneous study. We are 

beginning now to unravel some of rhe complexities 

of resource partitioning between these species. We 

consider food, space, and water sources. The studies 

indicate that burros and bigharns in the Tin Mow 

taln aiea use some of the same terram Bighorn 

appear to use ridges and upper slopes more than 

burros, and rams appear less restricted by burros 

than ewes and lambs are. Such knowledge IS fun 

damental 10 an understanding of compet~we inter 

actions. 

Ungulates ate either selecttve feeders, oi generals 

rsts. Burros probably are mme general in their food 

habits than bighorn. Burros are larger and reqwe 

much more food and water than blghorns. Burros 

also can ~XISI on poorer qualrry forage because they 

are able to vary Ihe rate of gut cleawnce by continued eating, whereas ruminants do no1 have this 

optron. 

Food habits of both species are betng analyzed 

monthly. The abrlity of a ewe to raise a lamb through 

weaning depends upon adequate water and propet 

nutrltlon. Nutrient and energy content of major 

forage spews are being studied so that nuvmonal 

stress periods can be rdentifled. Major competltlon 

for forage resources could occur during These stress 

ful periods. 

CornpetitIon between ungulates IS drfficult 10 

prove. We intend to study the dlsmbutlon and 

seasonal use areas of burros and bighorn I” the Tin 

Mountain area for two years, then remove burros 

and document the responses of bighorn. BIghorn 

may expand their home ranges and use areas Thls is 

not cerlaln owing to mtangibles such as the length 

of lime the bighorn range has been consmctad, and 

the poss~b~llty that degraded vegetatron adjacenl lo 

present bighorn habitat may not be able to suppon 

bighorn at thus time. 

Throughout California, and most of Death Valley, 

bighorn exist in habitat islands thar are remnams of 

former range. Populations have been fragmented by 

changes I” vegetatlan caused by overgrazing, by 

road construction. and by disappearance of tradt~ 

tlonal waterrng So”rces. 

Small remnant herds of sheep almosT surely will 

not surwe mdeftmtely. PopularIon genetrcists 

esrtmate that If a herd remains at 50 enrmals for 

20 30 generations, about 25 percent of their genetic 

variation WIII be lost. The smaller rhe herd, rhe 

greater the effects of inbreeding depresslon, which 

leads to lowered ,mmune responses and reduced 

vllality One obvious sign of such problems IS re 

duced survival of lambs. A herd of 25 animals can 

experience a 25 perceni lowering of reproduction 

wrthln five years. Most herds ,n DEVA have fewer 

than 50 animals. Some have fewer than 25, which 

makes them extremely vulnerable to extrrpation 01s~ 

eases also present special and severe threats to 

small groups. Some herds have died out in California 

during recent times; others presently are showrng 

almost no survwaI of offsprIng. A few herds are 

doing exrremely wall. 

If bighorn sheep are K be preserved I” OEVA for 

more rhan another 100 years or so, l&ted remnanis of the herd must be encouraged to reloan ona 

another as an Inlerbreedrng enmy Aestorat~on of 

brghorn habitat and reconnection of habltat frag 

mew by means of corridors, depends upon iemov~ 

ing burros Without burro removal, any habitat 

restoration for blghorn is likely also 10 enhance Thai 

habltar for burros. 

lnnovat~ve and agyresswemanagement IS requrred 

If blghorn are to swwe ID DEVA. Restoration of 

burro~lmpacted areas in bighorn habut, and reforn~ 

Ing isolates of the herd wdl require a Iong~term corn 

mrtment But rremendous as the challenge IS, 11 con 

slsts equally of opportunrty - the chance for NPS 

managers and scientists. together. to demonsrrate 

that a resource problem of thus magnitude can be 

dealt wth in an aggresswe. co&effective and timely 

manner. 
‘PACIFIC 

PARK 

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Coastal 

Management at 

Gateway NRA 

“Coastal Management Policy Emphasis m an Urban 

Natlanai Recreation Area” is the title of a paper an 

eluded in the proceedings of the Coasral ‘80 Con 

ference held last November in Florida. Authored by 

Gateway NRA Supt. Herbert S Cables, Jr., and 

Natural Resources Management Spec~ahst John T. 

Tanacredl, the paper explores the myriad of management activities that will be necessary in rhe develop 

ment of this NRA - such specific management 

scenarios as barrier beach and bathing beach 

stablllzatlon, marsh stabllizatlon, water quality and 

public health aspects of bathing beaches, wIldlife 

refuge resouices, and the couplmg of research 

priorities ID the National Parks wth management 

decisions in our coastal zone. 

The paper deals wrh “the paradox of Gateway” 

its potential as a recreation resource, and the ways 

,ts advantages of location are offset by the severe 

stresses tq the park’s lands and waters because of 

the densely populated, highly urbanized area I” 

which they lie. In shorr, one of Its main advantages 

IS at the same time one of IIS most severe draw 

backs. 

However, eve” Jl”e” these stresses. Gateway’s 

barwr beaches, marshes. upland forests and bay 

provide unparalleled opportumties for experiencing a 

natural coastal system. 

“In order 10 properly harmonize the varied areas 

encompassing Gateway. the park has been allocated 

into six management zones.” the paper states, “each 

of which has specific mana~emeni strategies and 

types of allowable use and development. Oflshore 

waters, including those of Jamaica Bay, have not 

been zoned The six zones are Protection, Use~by 

Reservar~on. Beach, Unstructured Recreation, 

Structured Recreation, and Development. The 

Development zone Includes two subzones: Support 

and Gareway Village” 

The paper describes the Protection Zone as 1”~ 

cludmg “natural areas so sensiwe to human actlvlly 

that they will be awlable for use only under special 

conditions.” Included are high and low salt marshes, 

primary dunes, freshwater marshes, and identifted 

crltlcal areas such as waterbIrd nesting sites. Uses 

of lands in the Protection Zones will be strictly 

regulated and conflned to research and ma~nrenance. 

Areas sensitive to overuse will be zoned for use bye 

reservanon, enabling management to control access. 

Included in this zone are most forests. some upland 

marsh areas and secondary dunes. and grasslands 

wtth significant values. Spew use areas such as 

nurseries and hormultural experiment sites WIII be 

placed I” this zone, and low ~mpacr uses such as 

nature study. enwronmental education, and historical 

mterpretation WI/I be allowed 

The Beach Zone encompasses ocean and bay 

shores able to lake moderate to substantial recrea 

tian use. Management strategies WIII reflect shoreline dynamics Iinterrupting them only as necessary 

to reduce ems~on and maintain beach use m major 

public use areasl. Techmques may Include 

maintenance or establishmenr of dune systems, 

plantings, wndbreaks, and sand nourishment ID pro 

wide for planned levels of recreat,on use.. s.wnm 

in!, surfing, sunbathmg. beachcomblng and, in a few 

locations, surf fishing 

Unstructured Recreation Zones are predominantly 

natural areas other than beach that can accommodate recreal~onal use They include open grasslandlthicket areas with no particularly sensitive 

resources, managed to preserve the vegetation and 

scenery while esrabllshlng sites that support casual 

outdoor uses. Spews that can coe~,st I” such areas 

will be protected by appropriate management tech 

n~ques 1e.g. Rlnged neck pheasants, rabblrs, owls, 

grasshopper sparrows, etc IP~cnlcking, walking,, blrd~ 

ing, kite flymg, blklng and informal athletics - ac 

tiVltleS requlrlng little SUperVIsiOn and few suppan 

faclllties belong here. 

Slructured Recreation zones encompass outdoor 

areas that can be developed and landscaped TO support acllve organized sports and mcreat~on all act 

tlwtles that requre hard surfaces, struclured grounds 

and playing fields. 

The Gateway Village concept IwIthIn the Oevelop~ 

ment Zonel WIII establish at Floyd Bennert Field ID 

Brooklyn and at Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island act 

tlwtles lhke ihose already happening at Fan Hancock 

in Sandy Hook - educatlonal programs. theatrical 

productions, research by orher federal, slate and 

tOCal agencies, community Wenls, day ca”lpl”J, 

formal and mformal athletics. staff hOuSIng, 

hlstorlcal interpretation and organized group %mgs. 

The Gareway concepr dews from ecological pr~n 

@es which demonstrate the enter dependence that 

binds natural and urban systems together and a 

recognltlon that 11 IS no longer construcwe for those 

who consider themselves environmentalists To 

separate their concern for the manmade enwon 

ment from the rest of the natural world 

Coastal Resources Policy lmplementat~on the 

flnal sect,on of the paper - deals with “manage 

ment scenarios.” The key word is “flexible,” and 

Cables and Tanacredl argue that “letting nature take 

its curse IS m concert with the conservatinnl 

presewatlon ethic of the Nar~onal Park Service” m 

addition to which, they note, It often “IS the most 

economical way to handle a particular ecological 

Sltuatlon.” 

A rich variety of managemenr problems, proposed 

solutions, and actual pra]ecrs follow. One example 

deals with Floyd Bennett Field, where “planners 

failed ro recogm that restoration Ireturn of the ate 

IO natural processes1 would have resulted I” crown 

and destrucwe modlflcatmn of the entire site by 

swift tidal currents through the Jamaica Bay inlet 

system Flexible coastal management approaches 

coupled wth sound scientific data averted a potent 

rially significant alteration to the Floyd Bennett Field 

area for the future.” 

%,dJe disposal, landfill aperatIons, EfUJe ma”aJe~ 

mm all figure in the xenar!c section of this papet. 

Conclusions emphaxe the brldglng of the hap 

between scientlflc research I” parks and traditmnal 

lnterprewe skills “This type of mterpretwe connect~on.” the author WII&X, “the taking of complex 

sclentlfic data and making It palatable to the general 

public. WIII reduce the sclentiflc credtbllity gap.. At 

Gateway, management IS integrating this coastal 

ecosystem consciousness into Its dally and longterm 

development.”