PS 27-137 - Plant community change in the Franklin Mountains, northern Chihuahuan Desert 1998-2008

Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Exhibit Hall 3, Austin Convention Center
Paul E. Hotchkin1, Jose Herrera2, Richard Worthington3, Vanessa L. Lougheed3 and Craig E. Tweedie4, (1)Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, (2)National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA, (3)Biology, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, (4)Department of Biological Sciences and the Environmental Science and Engineering Program, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX
Background/Question/Methods

We report on the first resampling of long-term vegetation monitoring plots established by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Service in the Franklin Mountains near El Paso in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. The Franklin Mountains is the largest urban state park in the United States and because of its size, large altitudinal range, and geological complexity it is important to regional biodiversity.

Results/Conclusions

The 46 long-term monitoring sites classified into 12 vegetation types. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling and correlation analyses including environmental variables suggest that gradients structuring the plant communities in the mountain range include soil pH, slope, basal cover, soil surface particle size (boulders, very course gravel, cobbles), potassium, organic matter, geologic parent material, saturation, elevation, and soil texture. Succession vector plots used in conjunction with nonmetric multidimensional scaling illustrated the magnitude of change from the initial sampling to the resampling. Some sites changed up to five times as much as other sites in the mountain range. We discuss the attributes of the plots that changed most and least, and the presence of a newly observed invasive grass in the park, and Eragrostis lehmanniana (Lehman’s love grass) in some of these plots. Implications to park management will also be discussed.

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