Vegetation and Soil ProgramsMount Rainier National Park

Number of plants in park

Vegetation Diversity

More than 900 species of plants

*ages- <100 to 1000years

*low-elevation - Douglas fir, western hemlock, western red cedar

*mid-elevation - silver fir, noble fir, Alaska yellow cedar

*high-elevation- subalpine fir, mountain hemlock, whitebark pine, Engelmann spruce

Forests

Subalpine ParklandsMosaic of tree clumps and subalpine meadows

Located between forest line and treeline

Alpine Zone

Restoration of native systems

Monitoring condition

Current Vegetation Program

Program Components: Stabilization and Revegetation of Human Impacts and Control of Introduced Invasive Plants

Ecological Restoration of Native Plant Communities

Purpose: To restore native plant communities where they have been damaged by human use or are threatened by introduced plant species.

Ecological Restoration of Native Plant Communities

Restoration Components:

•Recreational Disturbance

•Post Flood Repair Restoration

•Federal Highways

Human Impacts: Types

Human Impacts: Types

Human Impacts: Types

Human Impacts

Meadow Restoration:Before

Meadow Restoration: After

Steps in Restoration: Stabilization

Match surface to adjacent contours

Fill Site to Grade

Steps in Restoration: Filling

Steps in Restoration: Erosion Control/Mulching

Cutting and Seed CollectionVolunteer Groups

Steps in Restoration: Seed Collection

Seedling flats

Greenhouse Propagation of Native Plants

Steps in Restoration: Hardening Off

Steps in Restoration: Transporting Plants

Steps in Restoration: Transporting Plants

Steps in Restoration: Planting

Steps in Restoration: Planting

Highway Construction

•Highway 123

•Christine Falls Slump

•Tipsoo Area

•Steven’s Canyon

Highway Construction

Resource Advisor52 issues resolved

Exotic Plant Control Program Components

Research/Surveys/Demographic Studies

Priority Setting

Control/Treatment

Effectiveness Monitoring

Refinement of Methods

Prevention

Collaboration

Exotic Plants: Introduction & Spread

Exotic Plants: Introduction & Spread

Exotic Plants: Introduction & Spread

Prevention Of Spread (vehicle wash)

Orange hawkweed (Hieracium aurantiacum)

Serious threat

Limited distribution

Difficult to control (but herbicide does appear to be effective)

Scotch Broom (Cytisus

scoparius)

Medium threat

Narrow distribution

Easy control (but seed long-lived)

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

Low/Medium threat

Wide distribution

Difficult control

Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea maculosa)

Serious threat

Narrow distribution

Difficult control

Exotic Plant Control: Methods

Exotic Plant Control Methods

Flatpea (Lathyrus sylvestris)

Exotic Plant Control Methods

Exotic Plant Control: Monitoring

Exotic Plant Control: Collaboration

Hazard Tree Management

Complete Hazard Tree Management PlanComplete initial surveys for all developed zones - 2003

Treat identified hazard trees - site closure, tree removal, conversion to wildlife trees

Current Program

Mitigation Options

• Move target• Temporary site closure• Permanent site closure• Remove limbs• Top tree• Remove tree

Hazard Tree Management

Ecological Impacts Ohanapecosh Campground

Size Distribution per acre

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

seedling <1 in.

sapling 1-4.9 in.

pole 5-8.9 in.

mature 9-13.9 in.

largemature 14-

19.9 in.

20 - 29.9 in. 30 - 39.9 in 40 - 49.9 in. 50 +

DBH class

# t

ree

s/a

cre

Campground

Undeveloped