Evaluation of Climate Monitoring Needs in Southwestern National Parks: The Saguaro National Park Pilot Study
M. Crimmins1,T. Mau-Crimmins2, J. A. Hubbard2
(1)Department of Soil, Water, and Environmental Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
(2) Sonoran Desert Network Inventory and Monitoring Program, National Park Service, Tucson, AZ 85710
A major part of protecting resources is knowing what they are, where they are,
how they interact with their environment and what condition they are in.
- U.S. Congress, 2000
The goal of the National Park Service's Natural Resource
Inventory and Monitoring Program is to acquire the
information and expertise needed by park managers in their
efforts to maintain ecosystem integrity in the approximately
270 National park System units that contain significant
natural resources.
Inventory &
Monitoring
AA natural
natural resource
resource inventory
inventory isis an
an extensive,
extensive, point-in-time
point-in-time
survey
survey of
of the
the location
location and
and condition
condition of
of plants,
plants, animals,
animals, and
and
abiotic
abiotic environment
environment (water,
(water, soils,
soils, and
and air).
air). ItIt forms
forms the
the
basis
basis for
for monitoring,
monitoring, which
which adds
adds the
the dimension
dimension of
of time.
time.
The
The goal
goal of
of the
the NPS
NPS Inventory
Inventory and
and Monitoring
Monitoring Program
Program isis
to
to identify
identify trends
trends inin resources
resources that
that potentially
potentially direct
direct
management
management actions
actions or
or trigger
trigger new
new lines
lines of
of inquiry.
inquiry.
Sonoran Desert Network I&M
The Sonoran Desert Network covers a geologically and
biologically diverse region. The basin and range
topography is characterized by lower desert and
grasslands and “sky islands”, isolated mountain ranges.
Sky islands are composed of many biological
communities organized along an elevation gradient.
Increasing in elevation is biologically similar to increasing
in latitude; conifer forests found on mountain tops in the
southwest are similar to those occurring in the northwest
and Canada.
Adapted from Warshal 1995
The great diversity in habitats results in remarkable
biological diversity. This region contains:
• at least 60 species of mammals
• more than 350 bird species
• 20 amphibians
• over 100 reptiles
• about 30 species of native fish
• more than 2,000 species of plants
Corresponding Author Contact Information:
Michael A. Crimmins
Dept. of Geography and Regional Development
The University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85721
Email: crimmins@u.arizona.edu
Importance of Climate Monitoring in National
Parks
Climate variability is strongly linked to ecosystem
function. Spatial and temporal patterns in precipitation
can limit or promote the growth of different plant
species while patterns in temperature can induce
mortality in vegetation and wildlife during hard freezes.
Current climate monitoring systems capture variability
at scales too coarse to be utilized in park level natural
resource and ecosystem management. Many different
management activities would benefit greatly from
climate information collected at much higher spatial and
temporal resolutions within park management units.
Such activities include:
•Wildlife studies: Predicting amphibian movement
patterns based on high-resolution precipitation data.
•Hydrological monitoring: Addressing water rights
issues and maintaining baseflows in critical riparian
habitats.
•Wildfire Management: Monitoring spatially explicit
fuel moisture conditions and predicting fine fuel
accumulations.
•Invasive Species Management: Establishing links
between climatically induced disturbances and
invasions of non-native species.
•Air Quality Management: Monitoring airflow
patterns from urban airsheds carrying harmful
pollutants; understanding smoke dispersion during
prescribed burns for fuel management.
•Education: Providing the opportunity for park
visitors to learn about the importance of climatic
variability on different ecosystem processes and
about coupled ecosystem-climate monitoring.
Saguaro National Park Climate Monitoring Pilot
Study
ARIZONA
I-40
CALIFORNIA
Weather Stations
Inexpensive, data-logging weather stations are
being used in the first phase of this pilot study.
Stations will be temporarily installed at locations
agreed upon by the research team and park
personnel.
Station #2 at 1400m in chaparral-pinyon/juniper
ecotone
NEW MEXICO
Phoenix
I-10
Saguaro National
Park - RMD
Tucson
±
MEXICO
View of Mica Mountain in Saguaro NP
Location of Saguaro NP in Arizona
The east park unit of Saguaro National Park encompasses
one of the unique ‘sky islands’ that characterize the
landscape of southern Arizona. The Rincon Mountains
make up most of the 27,000 ha east unit with elevations
ranging from 800 to over 2,700 meters. This range in
elevation produces a steep gradient of climatic conditions
and ecological community types. The broad floral and
faunal diversity in the park poses unique natural resource
management challenges that are strongly tied to climatic
variability. Activities from prescribed burning to wildlife
tracking depend on the local scale variability in climatic
conditions in a specific ecological community type. Climate
monitoring is fundamentally important to resource
management at Saguaro National Park, making this an
ideal setting to introduce and evaluate new and higher
resolution monitoring techniques.
Onset Corporation Weather Station Specifications*:
•15 channel, 512K logger (1 minute sampling)
•Wind speed/direction (10 minute average speed,
gust)
•Rainfall (0.01 tip)
•Temperature (10 minute average)
•Dew Point (10 minute average)
•Atmospheric Pressure (10 minute average)
•Solar Radiation (10 minute average, 300-1100 nm,
watts/m2)
•Photosynthetically Active Radiation (10 minute
average, 400-700 nm, umol/m2/sec)
•Soil Moisture (10 minute average, m3/m3)
*All instruments meet or exceed World Meteorological Organization monitoring standards (WMO 1983)
Preliminary Data
Soil Moisture (m3/m3)
10-min. Precipitation (mm)
Long Duration
Events
Short Duration
Event
Field setup of Station
#2 at 1400 meters.
All monitoring locations are in
backcountry wilderness
requiring equipment to be
brought in by non-motorized
means. This station was
carried up in several
Soil Moisture and Precipitation at Station
#1
Two low-intensity/long duration events
occurred during October and November with
subsequent rises in soil moisture. A highintensity/short duration event occurred in
December producing mostly runoff and little
infiltration. The character of precipitation
events and accompanying soil moisture
changes are important in understanding local
climate-vegetation dynamics.
October 2004 Wind Direction/Speeds
N
N
61.80N
61.80
N
Wind Regime at Station #1
A previously undocumented nocturnal drainage flow
has been identified at station #1. This is an important
finding for managing smoke during prescribed burns.
backpacks.
1.66
0.95
2.84
1.66
0.95
2.84
1.54
3.08
1.54
3.08
3.91
3.91
3.91
3.91
W
W
4.38
4.38
2.01
2.01
11.26
11.26
19.43
19.43
0.1
1.54 3.09 5.14 8.23 10.8
15.40
15.40
10.43
10.43
Monitoring sites were chosen to satisfy several different research and resource
management needs. Stations 1 through 5 represent a transect through the
dominant ecological community types found in the park. They are also in an
important watershed that supplies water to Rincon Creek and recharges local
groundwater sources used by communities adjacent to the park.
5
10
Saguaro National Park
Rincon Mountain District
Mica Mountain
Installation
Elevation
Aspect
1
Sept. 2003
1052 m
(3450 ft.)
S
Upper Sonoran Desert
Scrub
2
Dec. 2003
1402 m
(4599 ft.)
S
Madrean Evergreen
Woodland/Chaparral
3
Jan. 2004
1980 m
(6500 ft.)
S
Pinyon/Juniper Woodland
4
Jan. 2004
2417 m
(7929 ft.)
Level Area
5
Jan. 2004
2430 m
(7972 ft.)
6
Jan. 2004
7
6
3
2
7
W
W
S
6.68
6.68
4.59
4.59
2.61
2.61
1.46
1.46
0.73
0.73
S
Calms excluded.
Rings
drawn
at 5% intervals.
Calms
excluded.
Wind
flowdrawn
is FROM
theintervals.
directions shown.
Rings
at 5%
NoWind
observations
were missing.
flow is FROM
the directions shown.
No observations were missing.
S
0.1
1.54
0.1
3.09
1.54
5.14 8.23
3.09
10.8
5.14 8.23
10.8
Wind Speed ( Meters Per Second)
Wind Speed ( Meters Per Second)
Day
Phase 1 (Sept. 2003-Sept. 2005)
•Evaluate existing climate monitoring strategies at the 11 Sonoran Desert Network
national parks.
•Interview park personnel to assess how climate information is used and the limitations
of current monitoring systems.
Mixed Conifer Forest
•Evaluate utility of new climate data and target new parks for monitoring
2325 m
(7627 ft.)
E
Broadleaf Deciduous
Woodland
Phase 2 (Begins Spring 2005)
Feb. 2004
1923 m
(6309 ft.)
W
Pinyon/Juniper Woodland
8
Feb. 2004
2166 m
(7106 ft.)
N
Mixed Conifer Forest
9 (proposed)
Spring/Summer
2004?
2450 m
(8038 ft.)
S
Chaparral
10 (proposed)
Spring/Summer
2004?
1450 m
(4757 ft.)
N
Pinyon/Juniper Woodland
11 (proposed)
Spring/Summer
2004?
2027 m
(6650 ft.)
W
Ponderosa Pine Forest
Rincon Peak
9
Calms excluded.
Rings
drawn
at 20% intervals.
Calms
excluded.
Wind
flowdrawn
is FROM
the directions
Rings
at 20%
intervals. shown.
No Wind
observations
were missing.
flow is FROM
the directions shown.
No observations were missing.
Night
N
8
E
0.84
0.84
0.42
0.42
0.42
0.42
0.21
0.42
0.42
Ponderosa Pine Forest
1
E
0.73
0.73
0.21
0.21
0.21
•Collect high resolution (spatial and temporal) climate data at Saguaro National Park in
support of existing management activities.
4
11
Ecotone/Community
Type
Station
Pilot Study Strategy
E
9.00
9.00
Wind Speed ( Meters Per Second)
Wind Speed ( Meters Per Second)
Monitoring Sites
E
5.69
5.69
1.54 3.09 5.14 8.23 10.8
0.1
13.36
13.36
4.49
4.49
1.04
1.04
4.50
4.50
S
CITY OF
TUCSON
Natural Resource Inventory and Monitoring in
the National Parks
•Use spatial and temporal information from initial monitoring to establish long-term
climate monitoring sites within park.
•Install high-quality, permanent monitoring equipment at these locations with real-time
data access capabilities.
•Institute new ecological monitoring (e.g. vegetation, wildlife, wildfire) in conjunction with
permanent climate monitoring sites.
Acknowledgements: Special thanks to Jeff McGovern for project and
logistical support. Thanks to Kristen Beaupre and Amy Tendick for
field support and pictures used on this poster, Matt Daniels at
Saguaro NP for media services and Don Swann and Kathy Schon
(Saguaro NP) for feedback on project logistics. Support for this project
was provided by the Sonoran Desert Network of the National Park