Changes in the Distribution and Abund

Culturally-Important Plants in the Col

River Ecosystem: A Pilot Study to Ex

Relationships between Vegetation Chan

Traditional Cultural Values

Helen Fairley, Sociocultural Program Man

Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research C

Technical Work Group Meeting, Pho

April 21, 2015
Why do this study?

 Plants have cultural value, as well as biological an

scientific values

 Native Americans traditionally used (and still rely 

for food, medicine, ceremonies, and utilitarian itemplants are cultural resources)

 Cultural values influence why we study plants Cultural values influence how we study plants Plants contribute to the value of many Traditional 

Properties (TCPs)

 Changes in culturally-important plants may affect 

as well as biodiversity, wildlife habitat quality, ecofunction, etc.
Desired Future Conditions: 

Riparian Domain 

 Stakeholders have said they want:

 Native riparian systems, in various stages of maturity, tha

diverse, healthy, productive, self sustaining, and ecologicappropriate. 

 Native, self-sustaining riverine wetlands, and riparian veg

habitat, with appropriate mixture of age classes. 

 Habitat for sensitive species Habitat for neotropical migratory birds, waterfowl, and oth

bird species.

 Healthy, self-sustaining populations of native riparian fau

resident and migratory). 
DFCs: Recreation

 A river corridor landscape that matches natural conditions 

as possible

 A river corridor ecosystem that matches the natural condit

closely as possible, including a biotic community dominateinstances by native species. 

 A dynamic river ecosystem characterized by ecological pa

processes within their range of natural variability

 Management of Glen Canyon Dam that is significantly driv

concern for the cultural values and ecological integrity of thcorridor through the Grand Canyon, with preservation and considered over the long term (multiple generations). 

Former camp at 171.4 mile

1973 
Traditional Cultural Properties

The 2012 DFC document recognizes TCPs to in Archaeological sites Traditional resource use areas (e.g., plant gathe Sacred sites  Culturally-significant landmarks/geographic feat Ethno-ecological resources  Significant event locations Springs The Colorado River  The entire Grand Canyon 

River mile 222, looking Photo by E. La Rue Oct
Desired Future Conditions: TCP

 Attributes are maintained such that National Register eligi

compromised. . . . 

 Attributes may include aspects of the location or physical 

well as intangible elements that link the resource to ongoitraditional practices

 Culturally appropriate conditions of the resource are main

based on traditional ecological knowledge

 integration of the desired condition is included in relevant 

and management programs

 Maintain ongoing 

consultation with the groups for whom the resource has traditional value 

River mile 178.2, looking downstream. Photo by E. La Rue Sept.18,1923
Traditional Ecological Knowledg

 TEK: “all types of knowledge about the environ

derived from the experience and traditions of a particular group of people.” (Usher 2000)

 Emphasis on maintaining relationships with 

life forms-- mutual reciprocity, respect, sustain

 Holistic perspective--

all life is interdependent

Photo by M
TEK implies participatory engag

 Active management for sustainable use Stewardship for past, present, and future 

generations

Its not really ‘knowledgeit’s a way of life.” (Nadasd
Project 12

Project 12 attempts to link TEK with western scienccompiling a variety of existing information that docchanges in the abundance and distribution of culturvalued riparian plants of mutual interest to tribes anscientists, then assesses how those changes affectand other cultural values.Information sources: ethnobotanical inventories historical photographs historical journals scientific articles project 11 data

Photo by M. Yeatts
Drivers of Vegetation Change

 Regional climate change 

(drought, frosts)

 Specific weather events 

(e.g. debris flows)

 Diseases, pathogens  Non-native invasions Human-induced changes to 

natural disturbance regimes (e.g., fire, grazing, visitation impacts, dam operations)
Project 11: Riparian Vegetatio

Monitoring and Analysis of Landf

Change and Aquatic-Terrestrial Lin

 Focus is on studying how 

riparian vegetation affects and is affected by physical processes and biological interactions

 Project 11 monitors change in 

vegetation within a hydrogeomorphic context
Project 12 

Focus on culturally-important plants in thriparian zone of the river corridor

 Question 1: How have culturallyvalued vegetation attributes* changed 

since closure of Glen Canyon Dam?

 Question 2: How have changes in 

abundance and distribution of culturallyimportant plants affected cultural resource values that are important to GCDAMP Tribes?

* Abundance, distribution, density, diversity, size, etc.

Stanton Pho

RH Webb Ph
Project 12 Plan

 Element 12.1 (Year 1) – Data Compilation

 First workshop to review information sources 

and identify focal species of cultural importance to multiple tribes

 Historical imagery analysis and literature 

reviews to identify changes in distribution & abundance of focal species

 Identify changes associated with specific areas 

of cultural importance to individual tribes

 Element 12.2 (Year 2) – Tribal monitoring

 Second workshop to review Year 1 results; 

discuss applications for tribal monitoring 

 Pilot use of historical photographs & data to 

elicit tribal perspectives on landscape changes
February 2015 Workshop 

 February 18-19, 2015 in Flagstaff Presentations by C.Bullets, P.Bungart, D.

E.Palmquist, B.Ralston, L.Stevens, H.Fair

 Lots of Q&A and interactive discussion We agreed to focus on a dozen species fo

pilot study: 

 Riparian and beach zone plants (changes mo

linked to dam operations)

 Valued-species common to multiple tribes Species potentially targeted for restoration
Sources of Information

 Ethnobotanical inventories (1998-2000) Tribal monitoring programs & TEK (1994  Historical photography: matches by RH W

and others (Stanton, Birdseye, Weeden, 

 Historical journals (Clover, Nevills, etc.)  Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring Project 

2004) and current Project 11

 Many other GCES-era and non-AMP stu

contain info about culturally-valued plantCRE (botanical, archaeological, etc.)
Focal species for pilot study

 Trees: Gooding Willow, Cottonwood, Netlea

Hackberry, Honey Mesquite

 Shrubs: Coyote willow, Seep willow, Apache 

Prince’s Plume 

 Reeds: Phragmites, Cattail, Horsetail, Arrow Bunch Grasses: Sporabalus sp., Indian Ric
How to Document & Quantify Long-

Changes in Vegetation?

 Photo matching 

 Limitations: 

 quality of imagery ability to identify species  seasonal differences methods for quantifying 

changes, etc.

 Project 12 will rely on 

existing photo matches as much as possible

Stanton Photo, 1890

RH Webb Photo, 201
Journal data can complement p

Elwyn Blake, September 24, 1923: “Black willows are beginnialong the banks of the river that afford shade which is very wethat there are not high walls close to the river to answer the p
Nevills’ journals (and his clients

 Norm Nevills, July 29, 1947. “Mile 213 LEFT. A cove and 

make this out to be a very wonderful camping spot.” 

 Nevills, July 28, 1948. “Mile 213. Left. Cove with willow tre

Spotted it last year. Beaver have almost ruined the willow we get some good ledge shade for lunch.”

 Nancy Streator, client, July 27, 1948: “Lunch was schedule

cove with a large willow tree. The cove was there but thanbeaver, no willow tree.

 N. Streator, July 29, 1948 (at Diamond Creek) “the remain

day was spent following the shade around the willow trees
How to elicit cultural meaning o

documented changes? Choice experiments using 

photo comparison 

 “Which of the matched photo 

do prefer and why?”

 Semi-structured interviews Structured “opinion 

surveys”

 Other methods?

Former camp at Mile 74.7 



Top photo:1973; bottom 2008
Former Camp at 118.8 Mile

1973

2007
Frank Masland journal, July 29, 

“I spent a good deal of time at Diamond [Creek] under the a large willow tree.... I sat there ... watching the life in the Where there is water there is plant life. Where there is plathere is insect life. Where there is insect life there is bird animal life. I sat under the shade of that great willow tree looked into it. Soon I saw flies crawling around the stems the leaves. Then I saw dragon flies preying on the smalleand lizards wandering all through the tree.... In the tree wof Desert Wrens and a pair of Fly Catchers, I do not know kind.... I could spend many more hours under that willow Diamond Creek. That tree is a world in itself, a world inhadiversity of life which completes the cycle without leaving 
Questions?
Former Camp at Mile 122.6
Former camp at Mile 126.2
Former Camp at Mile 171.4
Mile 222 Upstream 

(1890)
Mile 222 Upstream 

(1991)
Mile 222 Upstream 

(2010)
Stanton Photo Matches