Lake Mead National Recreation Area Vegetation Monitoring and Analysis: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending June 30, 2007

Executive Summary Weed Sentry staff surveyed several springs and seeps on the Desert Range National Wildlife Refuge, measuring exotic species abundance and plant community composition. In addition, 63 miles were surveyed for exotic species on National Park Service (NPS) land, nine miles on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, and 119 miles on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) land. A total of 867 exotic plants in incipient populations were treated on NPS land, and 53 plants were treated on ISFWS land. Research Assistant Ms. Jessica Spencer assumed coordination duties for Weed Sentry mapping this quarter to replace Ms. Carrie Nazarchyk, who accepted a position with Lake Mead National Recreation Area (Lake Mead NRA). Mr. Alex Suazo was hired to fill this vacant position, and will begin work August 1. NPS ATR Ms. Alice Newton served on the search committee, which was chaired by PI Dr. Scott Abella. A Joint Fire Science grant of $179,000 was awarded this quarter, and will fund projects at Lake Mead NRA and on BLM land to study native species that may be easily established and can compete with exotic annual grasses. Monitoring of four covered MSCHP rare plant species was completed this quarter. In addition, technical assistance and labor was provided to Ms. Newton for establishing exclosures around sticky buckwheat due to concerns about trespass cattle grazing. A gypsum seed bank study was initiated to support ecological restoration of the Northshore Road construction project