State Park Research Articles

Multiple stressors prevent gains in native plant diversity following invasive species removal

AbstractLand managers spend substantial resources managing invasive species to mitigate their negative ecological and economic impacts. However, invasive species management is seldom coupled with empirical assessments of management outcomes or the ecological impacts of the target species. Additionally, the study of invasive species has, until recently, neglected to acknowledge co‐stressors on native communities, which often are the drivers of ecological degradation. We assessed the effects of the invasive plant Vincetoxicum rossicum and its removal on understory plant communities, as well as whether these effects were mediated by deer and invasive earthworms. We used paired fenced and open plots with V. rossicum and an open plot without V. rossicum at each of the three forested sites in New York State Parks from 2017 to 2020. Following a nested design, we located paired sets of open and fenced plots in areas where V. rossicum was experimentally removed and in areas where it was unmanaged. After three years of V. rossicum removal, V. rossicum significantly declined. However, the ultimate goal of management was native plant recovery. Contrary to this aim, native plant diversity and cover increased if V. rossicum was left unmanaged but did not change with V. rossicum removal. Thus, we provide strong evidence that reducing target species abundance does not always translate into native plant recovery. This disparity may be because deer and invasive earthworms are stronger drivers of understory plant communities than V. rossicum, as native plant cover and diversity were lower the more earthworms were in a plot and invasive plant species declined after fencing to exclude deer. Management that prioritizes reducing deer and earthworm impacts over invasive plant removal is therefore worth exploring, especially when coupled with continued monitoring to assess if these actions result in the desired management outcomes. Overall, our findings underscore the need to collect data to test management assumptions: reducing the abundance of an invader may not always result in native plant recovery, especially if other stressors are the ultimate drivers of change in invaded communities.

Engaging Undergraduate Students in Collaborative Field Research with the U.S. National Weather Service: The SCORCHER Study

Abstract While numerous collaborations exist between the atmospheric sciences research community and the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS), collaborative research field studies between undergraduate (UG) students at universities and the NWS are less common. The Summertime Canyon Observations and Research to Characterize Heat Extreme Regimes (SCORCHER) study was an UG student-driven research field campaign conducted in Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas, United States, during the summer of 2021. The SCORCHER campaign was mainly aimed at improving our basic scientific understanding of extreme heat, public safety, and forecasting applications, and creating an empowering UG educational field research experience. This “In Box” article highlights the collaborative study design, execution, and lessons learned.

Historic Designation Planning for the Nicodemus National Historic Site and Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park: A Cross-Case Analysis of Representation in Public Memory, Equity-Based Preservation Planning, and Maintenance Backlogs

Abstract: The hidden histories of Black towns from post-Reconstruction, namely Nicodemus, Kansas, and Colonel Allensworth, California, can provide public awareness of the black experience. In this article, we draw upon previous research by the authors to further emphasize and compare designation outcomes related to representation, equity-based preservation planning, and maintenance backlogs issues. Key partners from both sites were interviewed and central preservation planning documents were analyzed. Key findings emphasized limited opportunities for community involvement, and historic structures preservation and maintenance work. Additionally, some action has been taken by the National Park Service and California State Parks to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion. Despite these efforts, there are still alarming indicators of systematic underrepresentation within both systems. Recommendations and best practices include increasing racial equity and diversity training, evaluating diversity hiring practices and public memory awareness, practicing inclusive partnership planning, redesigning maintenance backlog funding systems, engaging economic revitalization, practicing inclusive and digitally enhanced programming, and expanding virtual presence. Consideration of this study's recommendations could provide meaningful preservation change for the Nicodemus National Historic Site, Allensworth State Historic Park, and other similar African American historical locations.

Low-Cost Real-Time Water Level Monitoring Network for Falling Water River Watershed: A Case Study

Streamflow monitoring for flood warning and watershed management applications in the United States is a cost-intensive venture, and usually performed by government agencies such as the US Geological Survey (USGS). With reduced resources across the federal agencies towards environmental monitoring, agencies and stakeholders are challenged to respond with cross-cutting, collaborative, and low-cost alternatives for streamflow monitoring. One such alternative is using low-cost environmental sensors and developing a real-time gage/sensor network using IoT (Internet of Things) devices. With this technology, smaller watersheds (e.g., HUC-8 and HUC-10 level) can be equipped with low-cost gages at many locations and a clear picture of the hydrological response can be obtained. This paper presents the development and implementation of a low-cost real-time water monitoring network for the Falling Water River (FWR) watershed in the middle Tennessee region in the US. To develop and implement this gage network, the following three tasks were performed: (i) assemble a low-cost, real-time internet enabled water level gage, (ii) field-test the sensor prototype and, (iii) deploy the sensors and build a network. A collaborative partnership was developed with stakeholders including the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Burgess Falls State Park, City of Cookeville, and Friends of Burgess Falls. The performance of the gages in water level estimation was compared with the water levels measured with a nearby USGS streamgage. The comparison was performed for the 2020–2022 time period and at two levels: event-based comparison and a long-term comparison. Nine storm events were selected for the comparison, which showed “Very Good” agreement in terms of Coefficient of Determination (R2), Nash–Suttcliffe Efficiency (NSE), and percent bias (PBIAS) (except for four events). The mean squared error (MSE) ranged between 0.07 and 1.06 while the root mean squared error (RMSE) ranged between 3 inches and 12 inches. A long-term comparison was performed using Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test and Loess Seasonal Decomposition analysis, which showed that the differences between the two datasets is not significant and that they trended well across the two year period. The gages are currently installed along the main channel and tributaries of the Falling Water River, which also include portions of the Window Cliffs State Natural Area. With continued support from the stakeholders, the number of sensors are projected to increase, resulting in a dense sensor network across the watershed. This will over time enable the stakeholders to have a spatially variable hydrological response of the Falling Water River Watershed.

Invasive Aquatic Vegetation in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Marsh: The History and Science of Control Efforts and Recommendations for the Path Forward

Invasive aquatic vegetation (IAV) is a management challenge in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta and the Suisun Marsh that has commanded major resource investment for 4 decades. We review the history and supporting science of chemical, biological, and mechanical control of IAV in the Delta and Suisun March, and in flowing waters outside the region. Outside the Delta, there is a significant history of research on IAV control in lotic systems, but few studies come from tidal environments, and we found no investigations at a spatial scale like that of the Delta. The science of control efforts in the Delta is nascent but has seen marked growth over the recent decade. Since 1983, control of invasive submerged and floating species has been centralized within the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (CDBW). The program relies on herbicides, with an annual budget that has exceeded $12.5 million since 2015. However, the results have been mixed because of the challenge of applying herbicides effectively in a tidal system. In parallel, biological control agents for water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and giant reed (Arundo donax) have been released but have not provided an appreciable control benefit, likely because they are not suited for the temperate Delta climate. Over recent decades, regulatory complexity has increased, hampering efforts to innovate alternative methods or respond quickly to new invaders. Control efforts for giant reed and common reed (Phragmites australis), the main invasive emergent plants, have not been coordinated under a central program, and studies to investigate control strategies have only recently been permitted. As a result, no local studies have been published on control outcomes for these species. Based on this history and our review of the science, we develop recommendations for leadership and science actions to proactively manage IAV.

Population structure and hybridisation in a population of Hawaiian feral chickens

Chickens are believed to have inhabited the Hawaiian island of Kauai since the first human migrations around 1200AD, but numbers have peaked since the tropical storms Iniki and Iwa in the 1980s and 1990s that destroyed almost all the chicken coops on the island and released large numbers of domestic chickens into the wild. Previous studies have shown these now feral chickens are an admixed population between Red Junglefowl (RJF) and domestic chickens. Here, using genetic haplotypic data, we estimate the time of the admixture event between the feral population on the island and the RJF to 1981 (1976–1995), coinciding with the timings of storm Iwa and Iniki. Analysis of genetic structure reveals a greater similarity between individuals inhabiting the northern and western part of the island to RJF than individuals from the eastern part of the island. These results point to the possibility of introgression events between feral chickens and the wild chickens in areas surrounding the Koke’e State Park and the Alaka’i plateau, posited as two of the major RJF reservoirs in the island. Furthermore, we have inferred haplotype blocks from pooled data to determine the most plausible source of the feral population. We identify a clear contribution from RJF and layer chickens of the White Leghorn (WL) breed. This work provides independent confirmation of the traditional hypothesis surrounding the origin of the feral populations and draws attention to the possibility of introgression of domestic alleles into the wild reservoir.

The First Tropical Kingbird Nest in New Mexico

A nest of the Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) at Sumner Lake State Park, De Baca County, 17 June 2022, was the first found in New Mexico. It followed summer sightings elsewhere in southern New Mexico since 2010 and is part of a pattern of northward spread of the species’ breeding range in Arizona and Texas.

Jaguars and wild pigs indicate protected area connectivity in the south-east Atlantic Forest (Brazil)

SummaryThe Atlantic Forest of South America has undergone major changes due to urban and agriculture/pasture extension, resulting in a highly fragmented biome. Protected areas, created to ensure the biodiversity conservation of this biome, need to be connected for long-term landscape integrity. We aimed to quantify connectivity among protected areas in the south-east Atlantic Forest using two species with different environmental requirements: a threatened species with high requirements, the jaguarPanthera onca; and an exotic species with low requirements, the wild pigSus scrofa. Our methods included expert opinion, andCircuitscapeand least-cost-path analyses. We hypothesized that the patchy and altered landscape would not support the connectivity of jaguars but would allow wild pigs to transit. In fact, we found connectivity for both species, but there were more connectivity opportunities for wild pigs. The connection between Serra do Mar (and Serra do Mar state park) and Serra da Mantiqueira (Mantiqueira Mosaic) is narrow but possible to traverse through some protected areas of sustainable use and private reserves, highlighting the importance of these to structural landscape connectivity for the studied species in this region. The same connectivity that allows the transit of the native jaguar with high environmental requirements also allows the invasive wild pig to move through the landscape, which is worrisome.

Exploring the impact of functional, symbolic, and experiential image on approach behaviors among state-park tourists from India, Korea, and the USA

This study provides insights into the influence of state park image, visitor emotions, and place identity on visitors’ revisit intentions by considering the moderating impact of national culture. A quantitative process with the data collected in India, Korea, and the US was used. Hierarchical regression analysis evidences the moderating role of national culture, which is hardly explored in the state park context. Results confirm that most hypotheses are fully or partially accepted, which suggests that brand image and national culture influence visitor intention. This study helps practitioners better understand the relevance of national culture in developing appropriate visitor attraction/retention strategies.

Review of The Letchworth State Park Atlas: Exploring its Nature, History, and Tourism through Maps

Review of The Letchworth State Park Atlas: Exploring its Nature, History, and Tourism through Maps

CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT HABITAT LOSS IN CHAPADA DIAMANTINA, BAHIA, BRAZIL

Habitat fragmentation is characterised by reducing a continuous vegetation area in isolated patches. The objective was to evaluate if there is a process of fragmentation or habitat loss in the Chapada Diamantina and to report the first impressions on how local biodiversity is affected. We used Geoprocessing techniques and elaborated a map of vegetation cover and land use with Sentinel satellite images. We also used QGIS 3.10, visual analysis, photo interpretation, and classification techniques supervised by the Dzetsaka algorithm. The results indicate that the Morro do Chapéu State Park (MCSP) is not yet fragmented, and there is an intermediate level of habitat loss; if it persists, it could lead to the fragmentation of the protected area and further impact biodiversity. For this problem to be repaired or mitigated, it is necessary to think of priority areas for land regularisation and increased supervision, an attempt to repress illegal activities in this conservation area.

Deterioration of extrafloral nectaries and leaf damages caused by air pollution in a Brazilian native species from the Atlantic Forest.

In Brazil, more than 90% of steel mills are located in states that have Atlantic Forest which, together with the pollution of large urban centers, represent risk factors for the environmental quality of this important biome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of urban and industrial air pollution in a city in Minas Gerais that has a steel mill on the symptomatology, on the leaf chemistry, and on the anatomy and micromorphology of extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) of Joannesia princeps Vell. (Euphorbiaceae), a native species of the Atlantic Forest. For 126days, seedlings of J. princeps were exposed on stand systems in the urban and industrial area of MG (Ipatinga city), in the following places: Bom Retiro, Cariru, Cidade Nobre, and Veneza. For anatomical analysis, EFNs were collected and processed for microscopic analysis. In the southern parts of the steel mill closest to the Rio Doce State Park (RDSP) (Bom Retiro and Cariru), there was a predominance of NO, NOX, SO2 (Bom Retiro), naphthalene, benzene, and total suspended particulates (Cariru). In locations north of the steel mill (Cidade Nobre and Veneza), there was a predominance of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In the urban environment, intense anatomical and micromorphological damage to EFNs, leaf damage, leaf metal accumulation, and alterations in the histochemical tests of the plants were observed. The interior of the RDSP presented environmental quality, but the contribution of pollutants near the border between the RDSP and the city of Ipatinga is worrying, requiring constant monitoring of this area to verify the impact and threat that pollution can cause on these Atlantic Forest remnants.

Castanopsiscorallocarpus (Fagaceae), a new species from Royal Belum (Perak) in Peninsular Malaysia.

A new species from the Fagaceae family, Castanopsiscorallocarpus Tan & Strijk, is described from Royal Belum State Park in Peninsular Malaysia. Here, we provide technical illustrations, colour images and a description of its conservation status and the collecting locality, in addition to a comparative analysis with other species in the region. The solitary nut of C.corallocarpus has a morphologically unique cupule, lined with rows of thick coral-like spines not seen in other Castanopsis species.

The Greater San Rafael Swell: Honoring Tradition and Preserving Storied Lands. By Stephen E. Strom and Jonathan T. Bailey

When surveyed among the celebrated landscapes of the Colorado Plateau, Utah’s San Rafael Swell is often overlooked. This land of hardened sandstone and sculpted badlands neither has the familiarity nor designations of nearby parks and monuments. Stephen E. Strom and Jonathan T. Bailey urge readers to take notice of it. For over two decades now, locals, officials, and conservationists quietly brokered compromises avoiding the sticky political mire that usually characterize public lands politics. Hoping to get out in front of public lands issues before executive action resulted in a monument designation or legislative measures imposed wilderness areas without local input, county citizens and officials began actively meeting in the 1990s to consider solutions to public lands issues in their county. Conversations between conservation and recreation groups, off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts, tribal communities, and other individuals and groups eventually led to a major piece of federal legislation, the Emery County Public Land Management Act. Signed into law in 2019, the act created three wilderness areas, a recreation area, and an enlarged state park. The authors outline in briefer detail similar conservation successes in Washington County, Utah, and in Custer and Owyhee Counties, Idaho.

Importance of private and communal lands to sustainable conservation of Africa's rhinoceroses

A new path for rhinoceros (rhino) conservation is needed. Recent data signal the alarming impact of poaching on populations in Africa's rhino stronghold, the state‐run Kruger National Park (South Africa), which today supports one quarter the rhinos than a decade ago. We aggregated African rhino population data, highlighting the growing role of private and community rhino custodians, who likely now conserve >50% of Africa's rhinos. Their contribution has been enabled by a supportive policy and economic environment, but this arrangement is becoming more difficult to sustain as costs associated with protecting rhinos skyrocket and revenue‐generating options become insufficient. Some privately held rhino populations are small or intensively managed, raising questions about their conservation value. As the role of private and community custodianship becomes increasingly central to the protection of Africa's remaining rhinos, its resilience must be strengthened through implementation of adaptive policies that incentivize rhino conservation. We outline policy pathways to provide an enabling environment for rhino conservation beyond state parks.

Germination and emergence of Miconia sp (Melastomataceae)

Melastomataceae is one of the predominant families of Campos Gerais Paranaenses. However, germination and initial growth of the species in the region have been little studied. To investigate the germination, emergence, and initial growth of five Melastomataceae species in the State Park of Guartelá and in the State Park of Vila Velha, germination bioassays and emergence tests were carried out at 20 ºC, 25 ºC, and 30 ºC in a germination chamber and initial growth wasevaluated in a greenhouse. Miconia cinerascens and Miconia sellowiana had the highest percentage of germination (% G) at 25 ºC and 30 ºC. M. auricoma and M. ligustroides showed no difference in the germination percentage at the three temperatures tested, but germination delayed at 20 °C. M. radii germinated only at 25 ºC and 20 °C. Emergence was slow, both in the greenhouse and in B.O.D, with final germination of M. sellowiana completed by about 70 d in the greenhouse. The temperatures of 25 ºC and 30ºC were found an important factor in the germination of Melastomataceae species in Campos Gerais, with M. Auricoma having initial growth slow.

Predicting timber theft based on environmental features – Insights from Humboldt Redwoods State Park, US

ObjectiveThere's a small but growing body of evidence that wildlife crime mirrors the spatial concentrations we see with traditional, high-volume urban crimes. Yet, the majority of this literature has focused on the poaching of fauna, not flora. Therefore, it is unclear whether poaching of flora—both plants and trees—is spatially concentrated and can be explained by both the natural and built landscape. This study set out to empirically examine this question as it relates to the illicit removal of downed redwood trees in Humboldt Redwoods State Park (HRSP)—home to the largest contiguous area of old-growth redwood forest on Earth. MethodsGeo-coordinate data of redwood theft was recorded and mapped along with environmental features such as roads, trails, parking points, campgrounds, and redwood old-growth distribution. A spatial econometric model was used to measure the presence or absence of each variable in 499 grid cells (1 sq. km each) that make up HRSP on the outcome of redwood theft. ResultsA Firth's penalized likelihood logistic regression model found that poaching was more likely to occur in areas with closer proximity to roads, presence of parking spots or trails, in areas with old growth redwoods, and that was more distant from campground sites. ImplicationsSeveral spatially explicit interventions are proposed to reduce natural resource theft in HRSP using situational crime prevention as a guide.

Promoting Local and State Parks in Physical Education

The purpose of this article is to explain the purpose and opportunities that local, regional, state and national parks offer and perhaps more importantly how physical educators can encourage use of parks to meet state and national standards of physical activity.

Nature-based solution for state park travelers’ self-rated mental health, emotional well-being, and life satisfaction: impact of national culture

ABSTRACT This study uncovers the complex inter-relations among natural environmental quality as nature-based solutions (NBS), emotional well-being, mental health, and life satisfaction in state park travelers’ behavioral intention formation. This research also explores the moderating influence of national culture. A quantitative approach was made by using the data collected from three distinct cultures (India, the United States, and Korea). The proposed theoretical framework contained a sufficient prediction power for intention. A vital role of study variables in life satisfaction and intention generation was evident. National culture moderates the relationship among constructs in India and Korea but not in the US.

Lichens as an Indicator of Sea-Level Rise

Coastal areas around the globe are threatened with sea-level rise (SLR). Many of these areas support coastal forests, and determining the threat is complicated by wind patterns and sea floor and shoreline variability, beyond simple elevational concerns. Lichens can be used as indicators of SLR at site specific locations. Developing vegetative indicators of SLR could assist land managers, municipalities, and homeowners in evaluating the risk of building homes, roads, and other structures in some locations. The absence of salt sensitive lichen species can be an indicator of SLR potential. We base this on lichen distribution patterns within two Florida state parks – one a barrier island, the other on the nearby mainland. Rapidly colonizing lichen taxa with asexual reproductive structures are poor indicators of SLR, because of their ability to quickly recolonize following storm events and other disturbances. Knowledge of lichen distribution patterns in combination with reproductive traits help facilitate the development of lichen indicator guidelines. We have learned that Coccocarpia palmicola, Dirinaria picta, and Heterodermia albicans do not appear to be salt-tolerant but have abundant asexual propagules and recolonize rapidly. Sites lacking salt sensitive lichens such as Bulbothrix laevigatula, Cryptothecia rubrocincta, Leptogium cyanescens and Parmotrema rampoddense could indicate areas that are at high risk to SLR at a fine scale. Such areas should be avoided for the construction of homes, roads, and other structures. Lichens make good indicator species and could help guide management of coastal areas in Florida and much of the U.S. southeast Coastal Plain.