the aim of this project was to create a vegetation map at the National Vegetation Classification alliance level or finer, with a minimum mapping unit of 0.5 hectares, thematic accuracy of 80% or better per map class, and spatial accuracy meeting U.S. National Map Accuracy Standards.

This document describes the concept, organization, and application of a hierarchical ecosystem classification that integrates saline and tidal freshwater reaches of estuaries in order to characterize the ecosystems of large flood plain rivers that are strongly influenced by riverine and estuarine hydrology. We illustrate the classification by applying it to the Columbia River estuary (Oregon-Washington, USA), a system that extends about 233 river kilometers (rkm) inland from the Pacific Ocean. More than three-quarters of this length is tidal freshwater.

Aquatic invertebrates are an important biomonitoring tool for understanding and detecting changes in ecosystem integrity over time. Therefore, the monitoring objectives of this protocol as described by DeBacker et al. (2005) are: 1) Determine the status and trends of invertebrate species diversity, abundance, and community metrics. 2) Relate invertebrate community to overall water quality through quantification of metrics related to species richness, abundance, diversity, and region-specific multi-metric indices as indicators of water quality and habitat condition.

During surveys in 2009, we documented seven invasive exotic plant taxa in the Big Spring Pines Natural Area, Chubb Hollow, Long Bay Field and Long Bay at Ozark National Scenic Riverways. All species were known to occur on the park. The most widespread and abundant of the exotic plant species observed included Johnsongrass, ground ivy and Nepalase browntop. Each of these species covered seven or more acres in the park. In general, several invasive exotic plants are a major problem in the study area at Ozark National Scenic Riverways, but successful control is possible for a large group of species. The acreage estimates presented in the report may be used to plan management activities leading to control of exotic plants and the accomplishment of GPRA goal IA1b.

The authors conducted a second year of invasive plant surveys at Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. This allowed a comparison of invasive plant species found in 2006 to those found in 2011. their findings are detailed in this publication.

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE) vegetation mapping project is an initiative of the National Park Service (NPS) Vegetation Inventory Program (VIP), with cooperative support from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Vegetation Characterization Program (VCP) to classify and map plant communities of SLBE. The goals of the project are to adequately describe and map plant communities of SLBE and its immediate surroundings and to provide the NPS Natural Resource Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program, resource managers, and biological researchers with useful baseline vegetation information.

The Natural Resource Publication series addresses natural resource topics that are of interest and applicability to a broad readership in the National Park Service and to others in the management of natural resources, including the scientific community, the public, and the NPS conservation and environmental constituencies. Manuscripts are peer-reviewed to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and is designed and published in a professional manner.

The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public.

The National Park Service initiated a restoration project at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site to restore the historic turning basin and wetland area adjacent to the Saugus River in 2007. To fulfill regulatory requirements and enhance understanding of freshwater wetland restoration practices, an intensive, pre- and post-restoration monitoring program was implemented. This report summarizes monitoring data collected prior to the restoration and the first year (2008) after restoration. Data summaries included in this report describe the status of biotic (e.g., vegetation, nekton, avian, benthic invertebrate, and vegetation communities) and abiotic parameters (e.g., tidal hydrology, river geomorphology, sediment, and water quality). This is first of several monitoring reports associated with the restoration of the turning basin and wetlands at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site.

The Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and Grulla NWR will serve as a management tool to be used by the refuge staff and its partners in the preservation and restoration of the ecosystem's natural resources. In that regard, the plan will guide management decisions over the next 15 years and set forth strategies for achieving refuge goals and objectives within that time frame. The results of the planning process are represented within this document. Management actions identified within this document reflect a need to achieve a number of refuge goals that are supported by measurable objectives and specific implementation strategies.

This report summarizes results of the Sonoran Desert Network's first season of terrestrial vegetation and soils monitoring in upland areas of Fort Bowie National Historic Site (NHS), in southeastern Arizona. Ten permanent field-monitoring sites were established and sampled in 2008. Our objectives were to determine the status of and detect trends, over five-year intervals, in vegetation cover, frequency, soil cover, and surface soil stability.

The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (PIRO) vegetation mapping project is an initiative of the National Park Service (NPS) Vegetation Inventory Program (VIP), with cooperative support from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Vegetation Characterization Program (VCP) to classify and map plant communities of PIRO. The goals of the project are to adequately describe and map plant communities of PIRO and immediate surroundings and to provide the NPS Natural Resource Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program, resource managers, and biological researchers with useful baseline vegetation information.

This report covers the mid-1970'2 to the mid-1980's, a period in which Federal, State, and local government programs and policies began to affect wetland use and conversion. For this reason, there has been intense interest by the scientific and governmental communities in these updated wetlands statistics. Although the data contained in this report generally predates more recent wetlands legislation, they provide information that can help to assess the effectiveness of public policies and programs that have been intended to reduce the loss of the Nation's remaining wetlands.

The main purpose of this report is to document how wetlands in the Meadowlands area changed from the 1950s to the 1990s. The emphasis is on quantitative changes (i.e., changes in extent; acreage) and not on qualitative changes in wetlands. The report also presents other information that provides a valuable perspective on these and prior changes.

This abstract describes the Final Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Congress, recognizing the degradation of this unique ecosystem due to direct physical impacts and indirect impact, passed the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act of 1990 designating the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

During 2006 through 2009 the National Park Service Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network and its partners assessed levels of targeted environmental contaminants in bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nestlings at sites in and adjacent to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, and St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

This annual report details the status of key indicators of water quality obtained from monitoring that occurred in Whitman Mission National Historic Site (WHMI) in 2009, 2010, and 2011. WHMI natural resource staff monitored Mill Creek in 2009, Doan Creek in 2010, and Mill Creek again in 2011.