Vegetation Communities of Zion National Park

Abstract

The overall objectives of this study are to 1) provide a map of the current vegetation of Zion National Park (ZNP), 2) provide a listing of all vascular plants known for the Park, 3) list all rare, endangered and exotic plant species growing within the Park and describe the distribution and habitat preferences of each as fully as possible, 4) list representative locations for examples of undisturbed stands of each of the major vegetational types, and 5) present our basic field data to the Park on computer disks with software programs that will permit employees to access data files easily and systematically. These objectives are being satisfied through systematic sampling of the vegetation at 1. 6 km intervals. Ideally, the samples should be taken at all section corners using cadastral survey maps, but some remote portions of the park have never been surveyed. As a consequence, we have established a master grid system overlaying the entire Park. Where survey lines do exist our grid system is completely congruent with them. For ease of identifying grid intersection points for data retrieval, we have assigned alphabetical letters to the north-south lines and arabic numbers to the east-west lines. A master map is on file at ZNP headquarters at Springdale, Utah.