Inventory and Monitoring of Ecosystems

This agreement between the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Tucson Audubon Society in the amount of $73,000.00 is hereby entered into in accordance with 505 DM 2.14 B(4). The ability of the USFWS¿ National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) program to monitor biotic indicators of conservation concern in greater context is an important component of the inventory and monitoring (I&M) program. A primary goal of this award is to monitor across a large geographical region using consistent rigorous protocols, allowing for both local and landscape inference. There are multiple objectives: 1) conduct avian sampling using point counts at USFWS and the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) units; 2) deploy camera traps to inventory and monitor medium and large mammals; 3) establish long-term monitoring plots and collect baseline data on upland vegetation communities and site stability and; 3) collect floristic data. The results will 1) allow correlations between avian and floristic populations; 2) provide information to refine and implement a protocol to inventory and monitor medium and small mammals in parks and refuges; 3) Provide land managers with plant inventories , verified checklist and refuge specific flora field guides and; 4) permit analysis within and across management boundaries.