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Glacier National Park
Paul Ollig's Science in the Crown Blog
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NPS NPS biological science technicians Jenn Hintz and Kendra Hinxman take meticulous notes during a vegetation survey of Pitamakan Peak in August.
Introducing GLORIA: Science on a Summit
October 14, 2009
Current Weather Conditions at Glacier National Park Headquarters
Temp: 28°F
Sky: Snow
Wind: Calm
My first official work duty this morning was to shovel the two inches of snow off of the walkway in front of my office. As I pondered the sudden transition between summer and winter that we're experiencing, my thoughts drifted back to an afternoon I spent in the late summer sunshine helping count tiny alpine plants on the top of a mountain a few months ago. It was my first experience meeting GLORIA, and it was one I won't soon forget.
As the Science Liaison here at the Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center, one of my jobs is to familiarize myself with the research being conducted in the park. Most of the time, this task consists of reading reports and journal articles and meeting with our various research and resource management personnel. Once in a while, however, an opportunity arises to actually join these scientists in the field and participate in the process of data collection.
Last August, I was asked to accompany our vegetation monitoring crew on a trip into the Two Medicine backcountry. Our mission was to conduct a vegetation survey of an unremarkable, remote peak that fit a list of criteria to meet the requirements of the (GLORIA, for short).
The goal of this global initiative is to establish and maintain a world-wide long-term observation network in alpine environments. GLORIA sites, which require a conical mountaintop (enabling surveys around the entire summit) above treeline, have been identified in over 40 countries on 5 continents. Only four peaks in Glacier National Park have been identified which match that criteria, since most of the park's mountains are typified by steep, jagged glacially carved ridges and horns. This worldwide distribution of survey sites was established in an effort to aquire a global database of baseline information on the health of these fragile ecosystems, which are under threat from increasing climate change pressures. This data will allow scientists to assess biodiversity of these areas and even predict and manage changes.
For the five of us hiking the eight miles to our survey site, it was an opportunity to participate in a project of global significance. Of course, that didn't make the climb to the top of Pitamakan Peak any easier.
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| NPS |
| Pitamakan Peak is one of only four sites identified in Glacier National Park as suitably conical for inclusion in the GLORIA surveys. Most of the steep, jagged peaks which dominate the park do not meet the project's criteria. |
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Let me start by saying that my job doesn't typically require much physical exertion on my part. To say that this trip kicked my butt would be an understatement. My back hurt, my feet hurt, my hips hurt, I was sweating profusely... It was rough. And this was just the hike out to our campsite! While the four women whom I was there to assist made every effort to accomodate my inability to keep up with them, it was still quite humbling.
Eventually, I made it to the top. And after a few minutes spent trying to keep my lunch from coming back up (did I mention it was a rough hike?) I was even able to start helping.
NPS Conducting surveys and setting up transects on a mountain in an area known for high winds can pose interesting challenges. Lindsey Bengtson, a USGS biological research technician, holds on for dear life.
My job was simple enough: carry stuff to the top of the mountain (simple, but by no means easy!), move stuff, hold stuff, take pictures of stuff, and basically just stay out of the way of the real scientists. Of course, these things would have been infinitely easier to accomplish if we didn't have 60mph winds to contend with. You'd be amazed how the simplest of tasks, such as holding a tape measure steady, can turn into an epic challenge.
The are quite specific and require a great deal of preparation before a single measurement can be taken. This survey was a repeat of the initial survey conducted on this mountain four years ago, so our first task was to identify the exact location of the previous survey plots using measurements and photographs. Once the plots were found, we could set up the grids, also not an easy task in the gale-force winds, and begin identifying and counting everything in the survey site. Well, the others could begin identifying and counting, anyway.
NPS Jen Asebrook, Glacier National Park bio-tech, sets up survey plot.
This systematic approach enables park managers (as well as GLORIA scientists around the world) the ability to easily assess changes in vegetation diversity and patterns. This information is critical if we are to determine the real impacts of climate change on the park's resources.
The view from the summit was spectacular. Rising Wolf Mountain loomed in the background, dominating the southern horizon, impervious to the wind that threatened to toss us from the summit of our little (by comparison) peak.
Below us the turquoise water of Oldman Lake to our south and Pitamakan Lake to our north were covered in white-caps as the wind churned the water. The only thing we could hear was the gale roaring in our ears, requiring us to shout back and forth in order to be heard.
I tried to stay out of the way as much as possible, helping to locate and set up survey plots and transects, and trying not to get blown off the summit every time a big gust came through. I was eventually enlisted to help record the observations of our two vegetation experts, Jen Asebrook and Jen Hintz. Every 10cm x 10cm square in the survey grid you see to the left needed to be analyzed for percent coverage and species composition.
NPS Jen Hintz, a Glacier National Park bio-technician for eight years, looks for vegetation in the scree as part of the GLORIA survey of Pitamakan Peak.
You would think that counting the few tiny plants that inhabit the top of a mountain would be a relatively straightforward and speedy task. As I sat back and watched, however, I was struck by the complexity of these microhabitats.
Just as old-growth forest possess complex layers, from duff and ground litter to the understory and canopy, alpine environments are equally complex, with wildflowers and grasses growing on top of mosses and lichens. The species richness was also impressive, considering how little soil was available on this scree-covered mountain.
These alpine systems may not seem all that important, but they could turn out to be the canary in the climate change coal mine. The fragile nature of these systems make them very susceptible to changes in the environment, including temperature, moisture and snowpack, all of which are beginning to change dramatically in the northern Rockies.
By studying sites like Pitamakan Peak around the world, GLORIA scientists hope to gain a better understanding of precisely how climate change is affecting our planet, and perhaps come up with some strategies for how we can adapt to the coming changes.
One thing is certain: the opportunity to learn about the GLORIA project and participate in something so globally significant was one I hope to do again soon. But not until I spend a few months preparing in the gym.
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| NPS |
| Cushion buckwheat (Eriogonum ovalifolium) is just one example of the amazing variety of plant life that can be found clinging to the rocks high in the fragile alpine tundra of the Rocky Mountains. |
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ClimateCast, Episode 3: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
October 1, 2009
Current Weather Conditions at Glacier National Park Headquarters
Temp: 42°F
Sky: Cloudy with a chance of rain and snow
Wind: Calm
With the summer field season finally winding down, I can begin to catch up with some of my office duties. One of these that I have been neglecting is keeping you all up to date on the most recent addition to the Climate Cast series. Episode 3 of this landmark series comes to us from the shores of Lake Superior at .
Each Climate Cast episode is written and produced by a different unit of the National Park Service. The goal is to feature stories highlighting the many ways that climate change is impacting very different national parks from all around the country.
Our third episode, from Apostle Islands in northern Wisconsin, demonstrates that this issue is influencing our diverse park units in very different ways. Instead of being concerned about rising sea levels, imagine the problems faced by a park situated on a lake that is shrinking! Throw in the fact that the lake in question is the largest freshwater lake on the continent and you’ve got quite a story.
Climate change is destined to be one of the greatest challenges ever faced by our national park system — which is why it is so critical for us to share these stories, to show how each park is being impacted differently by the same global issue, and to illustrate what we are doing to mitigate, adapt to and communicate our strategies for dealing with climate change.
You’ll find the first three episodes of this landmark podcast series for you to enjoy and learn from. Just turn up your sound and click play. In the future weeks and months we hope to add more episodes from more parks to this list, so stay tuned!
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