The Ecology Core Dataset: Information to Support Effective Management in the Pacific Northwest

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The Ecology Core DatasetInformation to
Support Effective Management in the Pacific
Northwest
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• Overview of the
• Pacific Northwest Region
• 19 National Forests

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Need for basic terrestrial ecology data to
classify ecosystems1. Grew out of National
Forest Management Act of 1976 reforestation
requirements2. In recent years business needs
have expanded to consider wide range of
biodiversity assessments at multiple scales
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Data from the field

• Collected on 400 m2 circular plots
• (ocular macroplots or releves)

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Data from the field

• Data comprised of two basic parts
• --Basic environmental data
• --Percent areal cover of vascular plant
  species

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Data from the field

• --Basic environmental data
• Slope, elevation, aspect,
• landform, surficial and
• bedrock geology, location

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Data from the field

• --Percent areal cover of vascular plant
  species
• Organized by lifeform layers
• Canopy trees, understory trees,regeneration
  trees, shrubs, herbs, graminoids, ferns

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Compiling the data Challenges

• Ecology program in the Region organized into six
  areas, each with autonomous personnel
• Data collection standards difficult to
  enforce data tended to diverge

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Compiling the data Challenges

• 40,000 plots missing data fields, particularly
  with location
• Dataset is forest ecosystem-centric
• Deciding on core attributes

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Compiling the data Response

• National data standards emerged in 1998-99 (NRIS
  Terra)
• Business needs refined by national technical
  guide development

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Compiling the data Response

• Hired a data management expert on contract
• Data migrated to a core set based on standard
  attributes
• Data dictionary to provide metadata

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Compiling the data Results and Delivery

• 40,000 plots migrated to standard core set
• Posted to open website (www.reo.gov/ecoshare)
• Data added and edited over time

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Compiling the data Some applications

• Eventually migrated to NRIS dataset
• Provided to LANDFIRE and used to develop their
  vegetation layers
• Used to develop regional potential vegetation
  layer

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Compiling the data More applications

• Can search for species occurrences
• Identify wildlife habitat and map ranges
• Post-fire monitoring (e.g., Biscuit, Egley)
• Climate change monitoring

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Compiling the data Future development

• Complete potential vegetation mapping in Region
• Support existing mapping vegetation effort
  (IMAP)
• Compile structural and soils datasets

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Compiling the data Future development

• Vegetation structural dataset Tree diameters
  and heights, snags. downed wood, etc.

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Lessons Learned

• Data rescue and delivery are among the most
  important things we can do
• Focus on core attributes to meet business needs,
  not all possible attributes
• Location, location, location

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Lessons Learned

• Retain paper data migration doesnt mean
  discarding old data formats
• Maintain and add to set over time
• Timeliness is important