GLORIA Alpine Plant Monitoring in the White Mountains, Inyo County, California.
Abstract
The GLORIA project (Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments: www.gloria.ac.at) is a worldwide effort coordinated by the University of Vienna Institute of Ecology and Conservation Biology, to monitor climate effects on alpine peaks around the world. In the summer of 2004 the University of California, White Mountain Research Station teamed up with the U.S. Forest Service to initiate GLORIA monitoring sites on 4 summits in the White Mountains. The lower three summits consist of granitic rock, and range from 3240m to 3975m in elevation, while the upper summit is on metavolcanic rock on the shoulder of White Mountain Peak at 4285m. For each summit we followed the rigorous GLORIA sampling design and recorded baseline data on plant species composition, cover, and frequency. Permanent monitoring plots were set up, and dataloggers installed to measure soil temperature. In addition, we are discussing ways to augment the standard GLORIA sampling protocol by setting up a White Mountain "GLORIA master site." This would involve (1) remeasurement of the GLORIA summits using alternative sampling procedures, for example random quadrat sampling, to facilitate cross-comparison with other monitoring efforts by agency and university scientists, (2) a parallel summit transect on a chemically contrasting bedrock lithology, formally known as the Reed Dolomite, which produces magnesium-rich carbonate soils, and is the principle host rock to the ancient Bristlecone forest, .and (3) expanding sampling to include animal taxa. We also plan to complete a detailed geomorphic and geologic description of each site to include in the monitoring database.
project/default.htm- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2004
- Bibcode:
- 2004AGUFM.U53A0710J
- Keywords:
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- 9350 North America;
- 3399 General or miscellaneous;
- 1823 Frozen ground;
- 1851 Plant ecology;
- 1620 Climate dynamics (3309)