North American GLORIA
A CIRMOUNT Work-Group Project
Connie Millar
USDA Forest Service
Sierra Nevada Research Ctr
Albany, CA USA
cmillar@fs. fed. us
Dan Fagre
USGS Science Center
Glacier National Park
W. Glacier, MT USA
dan_fagre@usgs. gov
Dedicated to two very special
GLORIA pioneers: Georg & Hari
Georg, June
in California
*A collaborative, interdisciplinary research consortium dedicated
to understanding climate and its effects on western North
American mountain ecosystems and resources
*Seeks to improve knowledge of high-elevation climate systems
and integrate knowledge of mountain ecosystem response to
climate into natural resource management and policy
CIRMOUNT Coordinators:
Co-Chairs: Henry Diaz, NOAA, Constance Millar, USFS, PSW Research
Daniel Cayan, UCSB, SCRIPPS
Michael Dettinger, USGS, WRD
Daniel Fagre, USGS, BRD
Lisa Graumlich, Mont St Univ
Gregory Greenwood, Mtn Res Init
Malcolm Hughes, Univ AZ, LTRR
David Peterson, USFS, PNW Research
Frank Powell, UCSD, WMRS
Kelly Redmond, West Reg Climate Ctr, DRI
Nathan Stephenson, USGS, BRD
Thomas Swetnam, Univ AZ, LTRR
Connie Woodhouse, NOAA, Paleoclimatology
Coast Range
Mountainous Regions of
Western North America
Cascades
Sierra
Nevada
SW Desert
Ranges
Basin
Ranges
Rocky
Mtns
Diversity of Bio-Climatic Mountain Regions
Great Basin Ranges
Canadian Coast Range
K Swerhun
N Cascades
C Millar
Sierra Nevada
S Mitchell
C Millar
GLORIA Multi-Summit Target Regions
Planned
5. N Cascades
6. BC Coast Range
7. Niwot Ridge LTER
8. San Juan Mtns
6
Completed (# summits)
9. Lake Tahoe Basin
1
5
1. Glacier National Park GNP 4
2. Sierra Nevada SND 4
3. White Mtns WIM (granitic) 4
4. White Mtns WDS (dolomite) 3
9
2 3,
4
8
7
Glacier National Park GLORIA
Northern Rocky Mountains, Montana
GNP, Fagre
Seward
2717m
Pitamakan
2493m
Glacier National Park GLORIA
GNP, Northern Rocky Mountains, Montana
Bison Head
2387m
Dancing Lady
2245m
Number of Species:
________Summit_________
Low
Mid 1
Mid 2 High
51
82
59
39
___Region__
Exotic Total
1
136
A few conclusions from the Glacier National
Park (GNP) GLORIA
* Difficult to find sites in this region due to:
- steep/glaciated terrain
- treeline influenced by site more than elevation
* High species diversity: 51 to 82 taxa/summit, total 136
* Slope and aspect were important diversity factors
* Souring winds are particularly associated with aspect
* Four species were common throughout:
Smelowskia calycina var americana, Polemonium viscosum, Achillea
millefolium, Erigeron compositus var glabratus, Potentilla fruticosa
Sierra Nevada GLORIA
SND, California, Dennis/Millar
3749m
3570m
3322m
Hulsea algida
Mt Dunderberg
Leptodactylon pungens
Sierra Nevada GLORIA
SND, California
3341m
Cassiope
mertensiana
Number of Species - number unique
Low
Sierra 38
18
Mid 1
36
8
Mid 2 High
13
22
3
5
Exotic
0
Region
65
White Mountains – Granitic/Volc GLORIA
WIM, California
Dennis/Millar
3975m
4285m
4285m
3722m
White Mountains – Granitic GLORIA
WIM, California
3258m
Number of Species - number unique
WIM
Low
25
14
Mid 1
26
6
Mid 2 High
21
7
7
4
Exotic
1
Region
54
A few conclusions from Sierra Nevada (SND) vs
White Mtns (WIM) GLORIA studies:
* 65 taxa SND, 51 WIM, 25 in common
* Only one non-native species, found in WIM
* Greater species diversity at lower than higher summits:
-38 vs 13 SND; 26 vs 7 WIM;
-low captures transitional flora
* Aspect not a strong determinant
* 2 major structural elements: widespread, cosmopolitan
montane group (Sierran/Great Basin) + alpine flora
(ground-hugging/cushion plants)
White Mountains – Dolomite GLORIA
WDS, California, Dennis/Millar
3734m
3490m
3612m
Piloted new quantitative method for estimating cover in
summit area sections (SAS) – fixed 10m x 10 m plots,
--Dennis, 2005
Assessed repeatability of methods with different
botanists using GLORIA occular method and new approach
Point estimates every 1m
along 100 m line,
10 traverses
Satellite studies
10m x 10m
plot in each
SAS
•Butterfly census
•Microbial study
•Geomorphology
Some results from WDS (carbonate) &
compared to WIM (non-carbonate):
* 46 total species on 3 WDS summits
* 19 new – ie, not found in WIM summits
* Abundant species were common between WIM & WDS
* Elymus elymoides was ubiquitous
* Eriogonum gracilipes, Phlox condensata, and Erigeron
pygmaeus were dominant members of the alpine matforming community
* Shrub/subshrub community abundant on WIM missing
on WDS
* No exotic species were found within plots
North Cascades National Park GLORIA
North Cascades, Washington
NOC, Mitchell
Photos S Mitchell
Planned summits
Canadian Coast Range GLORIA
British Columbia, Canada
Swerhun & Smith
Photos
K Swerhun
Planned summits
BERGHEIL!