---

Cape Cod Ecosystem Monitoring Homepage
CCEM - Protocols and Operational Information
CCEM - Reports and Publications
CCEM - More Information
ARC - Atlantic Research Center Homepage

---

Reports and Publications
The Cape Cod National Seashore (CACO) has ambitious research goals. Together the Atlantic Research Center and the Cape Cod Ecosystem Monitoring (CCEM) program compose a strong network of research facilitation and information exchange that integrates natural and cultural resource data into management planning and decision making. One end product of these efforts are written reports and publications. Below, please find a listing of reports and publications, organized by ecosystem type, that characterize research taking place at the park. This list is composed of both NPS reports and publications as well as journal articles and theses that give accounts of research done in direct collaboration with the park.  Most NPS reports are viewable as word documents or pdfs. Journal articles and theses are linked to abstracts where available. All publications that utilize data made possible by the Inventory and Monitoring Program have been highlighted with an asterik (*). Click on the highlighted links to view or download these files. The reports are grouped into the following ecosystem types:

Estuaries and Salt Marshes
Beaches, Spits and Barrier Islands
Ponds and Freshwater Wetlands
Coastal Uplands
Park-Wide / Multi-System
 

Estuaries and Salt Marshes - top of page
Estuaries and salt marshes are ecologically and economically important systems. Estuaries and salt marshes are some of the the most biologically productive ecosystems in the world serving as a source of nutrients for many coastal food chains as well as habitat and feeding grounds for an array of important species. Like many coastal areas in the United States, the land use history pertaining to estuaries and salt marshes on Cape Cod has proven destructive. In past centuries much of the intertidal acreage on Cape Cod has been restricted or drained as what were once common means of mosquito control. Due in large part to this fact, salt marsh restoration is a major focus of current management and research at Cape Cod National Seashore.

 

Hatches Harbor Restoration Annual Reports - Hatches Harbor is a 200-acre salt marsh that was bisected in 1930 by a dike originally built to reduce population levels of nuisance mosquitoes. In 1996, the National Park Service, in cooperation with the Provincetown Airport Commission, Provincetown Municipal Airport and the Federal Aviation Administration, agreed to restore the degraded habitat. A comprehensive environmental monitoring program was begun in 1997. The main goal of the monitoring program is to document the pace of restoration...More Info

Hatches Harbor Salt Marsh Restoration: 2008 Annual Report*

Hatches Harbor Salt Marsh Restoration: 2007 Annual Report*

Hatches Harbor Salt Marsh Restoration: 2006 Annual Report*

Hatches Harbor Salt Marsh Restoration: 2005 Annual Report*

Hatches Harbor Salt Marsh Restoration: 2004 Annual Report*

Hatches Harbor Salt Marsh Restoration: 2003 Annual Report*

Hatches Harbor Salt Marsh Restoration: 2002 Annual Report*

Hatches Harbor Salt Marsh Restoration: 2001 Annual Report*

Hatches Harbor Salt Marsh Restoration: 1999 Annual Report*

Hatches Harbor Salt Marsh Restoration: 1998 Annual Report*

East Harbor Restoration Annual Reports - East Harbor, a 720-acre back-barrier lagoon, was artificially isolated from the Cape Cod Bay marine environment in 1868 with the filling of the original 1000-ft wide inlet at the northwest end of the system.  An oxygen depletion and fish kill in September 2001 prompted Truro and Cape Cod National Seashore officials to open the clapper valves in the 4-ft diameter drainage pipe connecting the southeast end of the system with Cape Cod Bay in hopes of restoring some tidal exchange and increasing aeration. Despite limits on tidal exchange imposed by the pipe’s small diameter, and the distance that it travels under ground, we have observed an impressive response in the recovery of salinity and estuarine biota...More Info

Annual Report on Estuarine Restoration at East Harbor (Truro,MA), Cape Cod National Seashore, 2008*

Annual Report on Estuarine Restoration at East Harbor (Truro,MA), Cape Cod National Seashore, 2007*

Annual Report on Estuarine Restoration at East Harbor (Truro,MA), Cape Cod National Seashore, 2006*

Progress Report on Estuarine Restoration at East Harbor (Truro, MA), Cape Cod National Seashore, May 2005*

Other NPS Reports and Publications 

Doughety, A.J. 2004. Sedimentation Concerns Associated with the Proposed Restoration of Herring River Marsh, Wellfleet, Massachusetts. NPS Report. Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA.

Martin, L. 2007. Assessment of Potential Saltwater Encroachment in the Herring River Basin, Cape Cod National Seashore. NPS/NRPC/WRD/NRTR - 2007/370. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO.

Martin, L. 2004. Salt Marsh Restoration at Herring River: An Assessment of Potential Salt Water Intrusion in Areas Adjacent to Herring River and Mill Creek, Cape Cod National Seashore. NPS/NRWRD/NRTR - 2004/319. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO.

Portnoy, J., and L. Martin. 2007. Tidal Fluctuations Groundwater Level Normal to a Salt-marsh-fringed Shoreline, Herring River Estuary, Wellfleet (Massachusetts). NPS Report. Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA.

Portnoy, J., C. Roman, S. Smith, and E. Gwilliam. 2003. The Hatches Harbor Prototype. Park Science 22: 51-58.

Smith, S. 2005. Salt Marsh Vegetation Monitoring 2005. NPS Report. Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA.*

Smith, S. 2004. 2004 Vegetation Monitoring Report for Salt Marsh Restoration Projects. NPS Report. Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA.*

Smith, S. 2004. 2003 Salt Marsh Vegetation Monitoring Report, Cape Cod National Seashore. NPS Report. Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA.*

Journal Articles and Theses

Colman, J.A. and J.P. Masterson. 2008. Transient simulations of nitrogen load for a coastal aquifer and embayment, Cape Cod, MA. Environmental Science and Technology 42(1): 207-213.

Lyons, P., C. Thornber, J. Portnoy & E. Gwilliam. 2008. Dynamics of macroalgal blooms along the Cape Cod National Seashore. Northeast Naturalist, (in press).

Smith, S.M., C.T. Roman, M-J James-Pirri, K. Chapman, J. Portnoy, and E. Gwilliam. 2009. Responses of plant communities to incremental hydrologic restoration of a tide-restricted salt marsh in southern New England (Massachusetts, U.S.A.). Restoration Ecology (in press).*

Smith, S.M. 2008. Multi-decadal changes in salt marshes of Cape Cod, Massachusetts: a photographic analysis of vegetation loss, species shifts, and geomorphic change. Northeastern Naturalist, (in press).*

Smith, S.M. 2007. Removal of salt-killed vegetation during tidal restoration of a New England salt marsh: effects on wrack movement and the establishment of native halophytes. Ecological Restoration 25:268-273.

Smith, S.M. and S. Warren. 2006. Determining ground surface topography in tidal marshes using water marks. Journal of Coastal Research 23: 265-274.

Smith, S.M. 2004. Manual control of Phragmites on pondshores of Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts, USA. Journal of Aquatic Plant Management 43: 50-56.

Thelen, B.A., Thiet, R.K. 2008. Molluscan community recovery following partial tidal restoration of a New England estuary, U.S.A. Restoration Ecology, (in press).

 

Beaches, Spits and Barrier Islands - top of page
There are no shortage of sandy habitats on Cape Cod. These environs host a number of rare plants and animals. Shorebirds, like the piping plover, are a particularly charismatic group of species that often attract much attention. For over two decades an enormous, nation-wide effort has been waged to protect the piping plovers from imminent extinction. As a result, plover populations continue to grow closer to stability. Cape Cod National Seashore beaches serve as prime breeding habitat for piping plovers. An intensive monitoring and management program at CACO has contributed significantly to the plovers' ascendance from the brink.

Piping Plover Annual Reports - Cape Cod National Seashore provides miles of prime feeding, nesting and roosting habitat for beach-nesting birds, including the federally threatened piping plover.  These reports summarize the results of the shorebird monitoring and management program at CACO...More Info

Monitoring and Management of Piping Plovers and Colonial Waterbirds at Cape Cod National Seashore - 2005*

Monitoring and Management of Piping Plovers and Colonial Waterbirds at Cape Cod National Seashore - 2004*

Monitoring and Management of Piping Plovers and Colonial Waterbirds at Cape Cod National Seashore - 2003*

Monitoring and Management of Piping Plovers and Colonial Waterbirds at Cape Cod National Seashore - 2002*

Monitoring and Management of Piping Plovers and Colonial Waterbirds at Cape Cod National Seashore - 2001*

Monitoring and Management of Piping Plovers and Colonial Waterbirds at Cape Cod National Seashore - 2000*

Breeding Ecology of Piping Plovers Nesting at Cape Cod National Seashore - 1999*

Breeding Ecology of Piping Plovers Nesting at Cape Cod National Seashore - 1997*

Breeding Ecology of Piping Plovers Nesting at Cape Cod National Seashore - 1996*

Breeding Ecology of Piping Plovers Nesting at Cape Cod National Seashore - 1995*

Breeding Ecology of Piping Plovers Nesting at Cape Cod National Seashore - 1994*

Breeding Ecology of Piping Plovers Nesting at Cape Cod National Seashore - 1993*

Journal Articles and Theses

Schneider, E.G. 2005. Behavioral Ecology of an incubating shorebird: the effects of ambient temperature and human disturbance on piping plover (Charadrius melodus) Incubation Patterns at Cape Cod National Seashore. MS Thesis, University of Rhode Island. pp. 97.

 

Ponds and Freshwater Wetlands    - top of page
Kettle ponds are ecosystems that for many people represent the Cape Cod experience. These freshwater ponds, remnants of retreating glaciation, are unique in many ways. Kettle ponds rely almost solely on ground water as a freshwater source, making them highly vulnerable to environmental disturbance. Atmospheric deposition and recreation have a direct effect on the ecological processes of these ponds, making careful management essential. In addition to Kettle Ponds, Cape Cod National Seashore hosts hundreds if not thousands of freshwater wetlands, ranging greatly in size and composition, but all of which serve as critical habitat for a multitude of species. 

Pond Breeding Amphibian Monitoring Reports - Cape Cod National Seashore supports a great abundance and diversity of freshwater wetlands. Few landscapes in the region contain such a wealth of wetlands, which in turn support many regionally uncommon species of wetland-dependent flora and fauna. Among these, amphibians play a significant role in the energy flow, biomass, and community structure of freshwater wetlands, and contribute significantly to terrestrial ecosystems as well. Consequently, monitoring of pond breeding amphibians was initiated in 2003. Specific rationale for the program includes concerns for individual habitats and species, as well as questions related to changes in abundance, distribution, and structure of the park’s amphibian communities...More Info

2005 Monitoring of Pond Breeding Amphibians at Cape Cod National Seashore*

2004 Monitoring of Pond Breeding Amphibians at Cape Cod National Seashore*

2003 Monitoring of Pond Breeding Amphibians at Cape Cod National Seashore*

Other NPS Reports and Publications

Cook, R.P., K.M. Boland, S.J. Kot, J. Borgmeyer, and M. Schult. 2007. Inventory of Freshwater Turtles at Cape Cod National Seashore with Recommendations for Long-Term Monitoring. Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR - 2007/091. National Park Service, Boston, MA.*

Cook, R.P., J. Portnoy, D. Murphy, M. Schult, A. Goodstine, and L. Bratz. 2006. Preliminary Report on the Distribution and Abundance of Four-Toed Salamanders (Hemidactylium scutatum) at Cape Cod National Seashore, with Emphasis on the Herring River Drainage. NPS Report. Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA.*

Cook, R.P. 2005. Monitoring leads to enhanced protection of spadefoot toads at Cape Cod National Seashore. Park Science 23(2): 10-11.*

Portnoy, J.W., M.G. Winkler, P.R. Sanford, and C.N. Farris. 2001. Kettle Pond Data Atlas: Paleoecology and Modern Water Quality. NPS Report. Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA.*

Smith, S., K. Fiedler and H. Bayley. 2007. Assessment of Vegetation in Permanent Freshwater Ponds in the Province Lands, Cape Cod National Seashore, 2007. NPS Report. Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA.*

Smith, S.M., J. Allen, and H. Ruggerio. 2006. Assessment of Vegetation in Forested Vernal Wetlands of Cape Cod National Seashore, 2006. NPS Report. Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA.*

Smith, S.M., and M. Hanley. 2005. Dune Slack Wetlands of Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts, U.S.A. NPS Report. Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA.*

Smith, S.M. 2004. Assessment of Epiphytic Algae (Periphyton) as a Component of Kettle Pond Monitoring at Cape Cod National Seashore (2004). NPS Report. Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA.*

Winkler, M.G. and P.R. Sanford. 2004. Eutrophication Trends in the Past 500 Years in Cape Cod Kettle Pond Sediments. NPS Report. Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA.

Winkler, M.G. 1997. The Development of Ryder Pond in the Cape Cod National Seashore and Determination of the Causes of Recent Ryder Pondwater Chemistry Changes. Technical Report NPS/NESO-RNR/NRTR/97-01. National Park Service, North Atlantic Regional Office.

Journal Articles and Theses

Cook, R., Boland, K. 2005. A Comparison of approaches to counting spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) egg masses in vernal ponds. Herpetological Review 36(3), 272-274.*

Smith, S., Hanley, M., Killingbeck, K.T. 2008. Development of vegetation in dune slack wetlands of Cape Cod National Seashore (Massachusetts, U.S.A.). Plant Ecology 194: 243-256.*

Smith, S.M. and Lee, K.D. 2006. Responses of periphyton to artificial nutrient enrichment in freshwater kettle ponds of Cape Cod National Seashore. Hydrobiologia 571: 201-211.*

Smith, S.M. 2005. Manual control of Phragmites australis in freshwater ponds of Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Journal of Aquatic Plant Management 43: 50-53.

Tupper, T.A., Cook, R.P. 2008. Habitat variables influencing breeding effort in northern clade Bufo fowleri: Implications for conservation. Applied Herpetology 5: 101-119.

Tupper, T.A., Cook, R.P., Timm, B.C., Goodstine, A. 2007. Improving calling surveys for detecting Fowler’s Toads, Bufo fowleri, in southern New England, USA. Applied Herpetology 4: 245-259.

Tupper, T.A. 2006. Variables Influencing Vocalization and Breeding Effort in the Fowler’s Toad, Bufo fowleri, in Southern New England. PhD Dissertation, George Mason University. pp 112.

 

Coastal Uplands -    top of page
The sandy soils of Cape Cod give rise to globally rare plant communities such as pitch-pine barrens and coastal sandplains. These communities harbor a fascinating array of plants and animals, many of which warrant future study. Cape Cod National Seashore offers a variety of research opportunities for those wishing to pursue scientific inquiry in the natural or cultural resource fields.    

 

NPS Reports and Publications

Cook, R.P., K.M. Boland, and T. Dolbeare. July 2006. Inventory of Small Mammals at Cape Cod National Seashore with Recommendations for Long-Term Monitoring. Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR - 2006/047. National Park Service, Boston, MA.*

Kearney, S.B. and R.P. Cook. August 2001. Status of Grassland and Heathland Birds at Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts. Technical Report NPS/BSO-RNR/NRTR/2002-3. National Park Service, Boston, MA.

Smith, S. 2005 Dune Vegetation Monitoring, 2005. NPS Report. Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA.*

Journal Articles and Theses

Boland, K.M., and Litvaitis, J.A. 2008. Role of predation and hunting on cottontail mortality at Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts. Canadian Journal of Zoology 86: 918-927.

Forman, S.L., Z. Sagintayev, M. Sultan, S. Smith, R. Becker, M. Kendall, and L. Marìn. 2008. The 20th century migration of parabolic dunes and wetland formation at Cape Cod National Seashore, MA: Landscape response to a legacy of environmental disturbance. The Holocene 18(5): 765-774.

Gwilliam, E. L. 2004. Extent and composition of open coastal sandplain plant communities of the Cape Cod National Seashore. MS Thesis, University of Rhode Island. pp 80.

O’Connell, A. F., N.W. Talancy, L.L. Bailey, J.R. Sauer, R. Cook, and A.T.Gilbert. 2006. Estimating site occupancy and detection probability parameters for mammals in a coastal ecosystem. Journal of Wildlife Management 70(6): 1625-1633.*

Smith, S.M., R.R. Abed, F.Garcia-Pichel. 2004. Biological soil crusts of sand dunes in Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts, USA. Microbial Ecology 40: 200-208.

Von Holle, B., K.A. Joseph, E.F. Largay, and R.G. Lohnes. 2006. Facilitations between the introduced nitrogen-fixing tree, Robinia pseudoacacia, and nonnative plant species in the glacial outwash upland ecosystem of Cape Cod, MA. Biodiversity and Conservation 15(7): 2197-2215.

Park-Wide / Multi-System - top of page
As we gain a greater understanding of the complexities of the world in which we live, a comprehensive approach to science becomes more important. Multi-system research is essential in order to grasp the potential effects of an increasing population and climate change on Cape Cod's natural and cultural resources. The effects of atmospheric deposition, rising sea-levels, ground-water withdrawal, and environmental contaminants are all examples of variables with wide-ranging implications. Cape Cod National Seashore in conjunction with the USGS has established protocols for hydrological monitoring as well as atmospheric and meteorological monitoring.    

Journal Articles and Theses

Masterson, J.P. and J.W. Portnoy. 2005. Potential Changes in Ground-water Flow and their Effects on the Ecology and Water Resources of the Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts. US Geological Survey. General Information Product 13.*