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Tuolumne River Plan Implementation: Tuolumne Meadows Conifer Removal
Yosemite National Park » Tuolumne River Plan Implementation: Tuolumne Meadows Conifer Removal » Document List
This project was selected for implementation in the 2014 Record of Decision for the Tuolumne River Plan/EIS (PEPC 14043). This project must adhere to mitigation and stipulations specified in the Final EIS/Record of Decision and in this Categorical Exclusion (CE). The CE includes additional mitigations for the protection of more recently recognized threatened and endangered species along with documentation of NHPA 106 analysis and consultation.
This project removes lodgepole pine growing in Tuolumne Meadows to protect visitor experience, viewsheds, soil water holding capacity, and the cultural landscape.
Conifer encroachment has been thought to be largely anthropogenic with historic grazing, ditching, construction of the road, alteration of the floodplain, river processes and riparian area suggested as culprits. Recent studies strongly support changing climatic conditions (changes in snowmelt timing, summer temperatures, precipitation amounts, and timing) as the primary culprit that promotes lodgepole establishment across subalpine meadows in the Sierra Nevada (Lubetkin et al. 2017). Meadow encroachment by conifers is predicted to be increasingly favorable to recruitment, which will lead to changes in visitor experience, meadow vegetation composition, animal communities, and downstream ecosystem services. Manual removal of conifers growing in Tuolumne Meadows has occurred since at least the 1930's from the Civilian Conservation Corps. Sheep herders and cultural burning may have also played a role in meadow maintenance. In 2005, park staff and volunteers removed 71,185 trees <6"diameter from the meadows. The Tuolumne River Plan 2014 states that conifer removal outside of designated scenic vistas would not occur until further studies on possible triggers for encroachment occurred. Lubetkin et al distinctly show climate and landscape as the primary drivers. This suggests that no singular restoration activity will exclude further germination, and the only natural tool to reverse encroachment is fire. Researchers are undertaking further studies to determine if other techniques can be used to support meadow vegetation. However, once established, conifers will not be displaced. Removal of conifers now, while small, will provide managers in the future opportunities to implement other restoration techniques and will increase soil moisture that will make restoration more likely to be successful
This project removes lodgepole pine growing in Tuolumne Meadows to protect visitor experience, viewsheds, soil water holding capacity, and the cultural landscape.
Conifer encroachment has been thought to be largely anthropogenic with historic grazing, ditching, construction of the road, alteration of the floodplain, river processes and riparian area suggested as culprits. Recent studies strongly support changing climatic conditions (changes in snowmelt timing, summer temperatures, precipitation amounts, and timing) as the primary culprit that promotes lodgepole establishment across subalpine meadows in the Sierra Nevada (Lubetkin et al. 2017). Meadow encroachment by conifers is predicted to be increasingly favorable to recruitment, which will lead to changes in visitor experience, meadow vegetation composition, animal communities, and downstream ecosystem services. Manual removal of conifers growing in Tuolumne Meadows has occurred since at least the 1930's from the Civilian Conservation Corps. Sheep herders and cultural burning may have also played a role in meadow maintenance. In 2005, park staff and volunteers removed 71,185 trees <6"diameter from the meadows. The Tuolumne River Plan 2014 states that conifer removal outside of designated scenic vistas would not occur until further studies on possible triggers for encroachment occurred. Lubetkin et al distinctly show climate and landscape as the primary drivers. This suggests that no singular restoration activity will exclude further germination, and the only natural tool to reverse encroachment is fire. Researchers are undertaking further studies to determine if other techniques can be used to support meadow vegetation. However, once established, conifers will not be displaced. Removal of conifers now, while small, will provide managers in the future opportunities to implement other restoration techniques and will increase soil moisture that will make restoration more likely to be successful