FIELD METHODS Strategy for Monitoring Postfire Rehabilitation Treatments

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FIELD METHODSStrategy for Monitoring Post-fire
Rehabilitation Treatments

• Troy Wirth and David Pyke
• USGS Biological Resources Division
• Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
• Corvallis, Oregon

U.S. Department of Interior U.S. Geological Survey
Supported by USGS - BLM Interagency Agreement
HAI040045
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Field Methods
Plot design Three transects radiating from a
central point. Measurements made along each
transect and averaged for a plot total.

• Photo points
• Line Point Intercept (Cover)
• Basal Gap
• Density
• Belt Transect
• Quadrats
• Paper data sheets or rangeland monitoring database

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Photo Points

• Photos taken from center stake at standard height
  (1.5 m)
• Qualitative documentation of site conditions
• May show change that is indicated by quantitative
  data

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Plot establishment

• General Information
• GPS Location Information
• Soil / ecological site Verification
• Disturbance/Management history
• Species Lists
• Additional Plot Information

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Vertical and Horizontal slope shape descriptions
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Plot EstablishmentPage 2

• Recent weather
• Recent disturbance
• Wildlife use
• Management history
• Map

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Additional Plot InformationComments

• Species present but not encountered during
  quantitative techniques
• Search for rare species if a concern in the area
• Evidence of drill rows
• General impression of the site (lots of
  seedlings, few seedlings etc.)
• Other information that would help interpretation
  of seeding success.

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Line-Point Intercept

• Measures canopy, basal, and bare ground cover
• Total cover (vegetation surface cover)
  positively correlated with soil and site
  stability and hydrologic function
• Basal and canopy cover are sensitive indicators
  of biotic integrity
• Rangeland Health Indicators

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Line-Point Intercept

• Drop a pin flag at a 90 angle at the specified
  meter mark
• Record the first species that intercepts the pin
  in the top canopy column (If no plant is
  intercepted, record NONE in top canopy)
• Record additional species that intercept the pin
  (record each species only once)
• Record litter (L or W)
• Record perennial plant bases or soil surface in
  soil surface column.

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Line-Point Intercept

• Perennial plant bases are important because they
  hold the soil surface throughout the year.
• Soil surface codes Rock (R), Bedrock (BR), Duff
  (D), Moss (M), LC (Lichen Crust), and Soil (S)
• Standing dead is recorded as that species dead
  material must be on soil surface to be litter

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Line-Point Intercept

• Number of points taken per transect can be
  adjusted depending on the variability of the
  community (minimum of 50)
• The line-point intercept procedure is designed to
  estimate the cover of dominant species, not
  species diversity or richness
• Richness is combination of species on LPI and
  searching for additional species

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Line Point Intercept Data Form
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Basal Gap Intercept

• Measurement of gaps gt20 cm between perennial
  plant bases along a transect (typically 50 m)
• Look straight down at the tape and use a stiff
  pin to project a line vertically to the ground.
• Record the beginning and end of each gap between
  perennial plant bases longer than 20 cm.
• Count only live plant bases

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Basal Gap Intercept

• Correlated with soil and site stability,
  hydrologic function, and biotic integrity
• Large gaps increase the potential for erosion
• Detects increasing/decreasing number of large
  gaps
• Sensitive to spatial pattern (aggregation or
  patches) of vegetation
• Successful seedings should show decreasing
  percentage of large gaps

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Basal Gap Intercept
From Herrick et al. 2005a
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Basal Gap Intercept
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Basal Gap InterceptForm
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Plant DensityBelt Transect

• Walk along transect with a PVC pipe and record
  plants occurring underneath
• Use for larger, less abundant plants

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Belt Transect

• Measures density of larger and less common plants
  (Class B and C shrubs)
• Adjustable belt width to increase sampling
  efficiency dependent on the number of plants

From Herrick et al. 2005a, based on Tazik et al.
1992
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Plant DensityQuadrats

• Place quadrats at specified intervals along each
  transect to estimate density of seedlings and
  common herbaceous species (generally 1x1 meter
  quadrats)
• Track size classes of individuals (A, B, C)
• Separate into seeded and non-seeded plants if
  possible
• Define rules for dealing with rhizomatous species
  or other species that are difficult to count

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Plant Density Quadrats

• Count number of individuals of all seeded
  species and other species of interest

• Count stems of rhizomatous species
• Questionable situations - follow a consistent
  set of guidelines

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Cheatgrass follows the drill rows, search here
for seedlings
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Shrink-swell breaks plants apart - difficult to
locate drill rows
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Rhizomatous plants and seeded plants present.
How do you decide which is which?
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Plant DensityAnalysis

• Analyze data to isolate the effect of the seeding
  depending on your situation
• Comparing parameter to quantitative objective
• Treatment vs. control (direct)
• Treatment vs. control (change)
• Seeded vs. unseeded or group if unable to tell
  the difference
• Group lifeforms (seeded perennial grasses) etc.

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Plant DensityAnalysis

• Treatment
• Density
• N 5
• X 5.3 plants/m2
• S 1.8 plants/m2

• Control
• Density
• N 5
• X 2.5 plants/m2
• S 0.7 plants/m2

Objective is difference of 2 plants/m2 (alpha
0.1)
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Reporting