PROJECT ABSTRACT
Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
(Cooperative Agreement # H1200-09-0005)
Park: Dinosaur National Monument
Project Title: Monitoring Breeding Birds in Association with Tamarisk Biological Control in
Echo Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Moffat County, Colorado
Funding Amount:
$10,000
CPCESU Partner Institution: Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory (RMBO)
Principal Investigator: David Hanni, Science Division Director, Rocky Mountain Bird
Observatory, 230 Cherry St, Fort Collins, CO 80521, Tel. (970) 482-1707 ext. 13, Cel. (970)
988-8958, Fax. (970) 472-9031, david.hanni@rmbo.org
Co-Investigator: Jason Beason, Special Monitoring Projects Coordinator, 39405 Lund Rd,
Paonia, CO 81428, Tel. (970) 527-4625, Jason.beason@rmbo.org
NPS Key Official: Tamara Naumann, Botanist, Dinosaur National Monument, 4545 E Highway
40, Dinosaur, CO 81610, Tel. (970) 374-3051, Fax. (970) 374-3059, tamara_naumann@nps.gov
Start Date: August 1, 2009
End Date: September 30, 2013
Abstract: Invasive tamarisk is present along portions of the Green and Yampa rivers in
Dinosaur National Monument (DINO). The confluence of the Green and Yampa Rivers lies in
the heart of the monument in an area called Echo Park. Although the free-flowing Yampa River
is less impacted by tamarisk than regulated reaches of the Green River, the Yampa is
nevertheless being invaded by this aggressive, well-adapted weed. The NPS is concerned that
valuable riparian habitat is being compromised and critical spawning and nursery areas for
endangered Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker are at risk, due to tamarisk invasion. In
2006, Dinosaur National Monument completed an Invasive Plant Management Plan and
Environmental Assessment that provided for a variety of measures to reduce tamarisk
populations, including introduction of biological control agents. Echo Park was selected as an
introduction site for Diorhabda elongata, a leaf-eating beetle that is host-specific on tamarisk.
DINO and RMBO collaborated to develop and implement a five-year breeding bird monitoring
program in 2006 (RMB-01) to detect any significant effects to breeding bird populations from
addition of D. elongata to riparian habitat in Echo Park. This task agreement provides for
extending that monitoring program an additional two years (through 2012). The study design
identified Deerlodge Park as a comparison monitoring site, where the tamarisk beetles were not
released and have not yet been detected (as of 2009). The objective is to identify any measurable
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changes in status and trend of breeding bird populations in Echo Park (compared with Deerlodge
Park) during the period of introduction and establishment of a Diorhabda elongata population in
Dinosaur National Monument.
Keywords: tamarisk, biological control, riparian habitat, breeding birds, monitoring, Green
River, Yampa River
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