Plant Community Changes Over 54 Years Within the Great Basin Experimental Range, Manti-La Sal National Forest

Authors

Scott C. Walker, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
David K. Mann, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
E. Durant McArthur, USDA Forest Service

Document Type

Article

Source

Tech. Rep. INT-GTR-338.

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Proceedings: Shrubland Ecosystem Dynamics in a Changing Environment

Publisher

U.S. Department of Agriculture

First Page

66

Last Page

68

Location

Ogden, UT

Publication Date

5-1995

Creative Commons License

This work has been identified with a Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0.

Abstract

Plant community changes and natural succession over time impact forage values, watershed quality, wildlife habitat, and ecosystem dynamics. Comparisons were made between a vegetation map of community types completed in 1937 by the U.S. Forest Service, and vegetation maps compiled in 1990 of the same areas by satellite imagery, and through 1991 areal photo interpretation combined with ground truthing. The study area includes nearly all of the drainage in Ephraim Canyon located in central Utah which consists of 6,027 acres (2,439 ha). Elevation ranges from 6,600 to 10,400 feet (2,040 to 3,210 m). Vegetation types ranged from pinyon-juniper woodland through oakbrush, mountain shrub, aspen, conifer and subalpine herbland. The comparison showed significant plant community changes and successional trends over the 54 year period.

Recommended Citation

Walker, Scott, C.; Mann, David K.; McArthur, E. Durant. 1996. Plant community changes over 54 years within the Great Basin Experimental Range, Manti-La Sal National Forest. In: Barrow, Jerry R.; McArthur, E. Durant; Sosebee, Ronald E.; Tausch, Robin J., compilers. Proceedings: shrubland ecosystem dynamics in a changing environment; 1995 May 23-25; Las Cruces, NM. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-GTR-338. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 66-68.