Assessing the relative vulnerability of sensitive karst habitats containing rare, threatened, and endangered species in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park

We were asked to provide the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park with information and guidance to help park managers protect and manage karst-related rare, threatened, and endangered species on park land. To do this we developed a vulnerability risk matrix based on a variety of data collected. The purpose of the matrix was to provide the park with an interactive means of evaluating the relative vulnerability of the different sites. The data collected included (1) an inventory of karst resources in the park, (2) collection of water chemistry data, and (3) an RTE assessment. Useful outcomes included a standardized scoring system for the RTE species in the park for each site, an assessment of relative risk (vulnerability of site to negative events) and impact (a measure of the damage to RTE species if a negative event would occur), and a vulnerability matrix that identifies the sites needing management or future assessment. This matrix can be easily modified and used to assess other scenarios or to accommodate the addition of new data. Other parks and sites could reproduce this type of matrix in order to manage their resources.