Vegetation + Macroinvertebrate Monitoring NPA Janes Creek Restoration Project

Table of Contents Riparian Habitat Invasive vegetation vegetation sampling Macroinvertebrates water quality indicator species Conclusions + questions

Riparian Vegetation Riparian zone- The interface between the land and a river or stream. Includes plants that thrive in wet environments Classic riparian species: Willow, Alder, grasses, rushes, sedges etc… Important: maintain temperature, provide nutrients, stabilize bank.

Native Riparian Plants Plants which have historically occurred in an area area known as native plants. Diverse array of vegetation native to Janes Creek, including: Willows (Salix spp.) Sedges and rushes (Carex, Scirpus, Juncus spp.) Red flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) Red Alder (Alnus rubra) Thimbleberry and Salmonberry (Rubus parviflorus, R. spectabilis)

©Steve Baskauf © Jean Pawek

Invasive Vegetation Invasive species: A Non native plant that outcompetes native vegetation through prolific propagation Invasive vegetation can quickly and aggressively overwhelm an ecosystem.

Reed Canary grass has choked out the stream, prohibiting fish passage, and outcompetes necessary riparian vegetation

Phalaris arundinacea Reed Canarygrass

Vegetation Sampling Monitoring vegetation must be done before and after reed canarygrass removal Conducted by tossing a stone to determine center of the 1x1m plots, flag corners Estimate percent cover of plants by species One of project goals is to increase biodiversity on-site by removing reed canarygrass - monitoring will help us assess how well this goal is achieved

Species Common Name Vegetation type Invasive / Native Thuja plicata Western red cedar Tree Native Sequoia sempervirens Redwood Alnus rubra Red alder Populus spp. Cottonwood / Aspen Salix spp. Willow species Tree / Shrub Ribes sanguineum Red flowering currant Shrub Rubus armeniacus Himalayan blackberry Invasive Rubus parvifolius Thimbleberry Rubus spectabilis Salmonberry Ranunculus repens Creeping buttercup Forb Hedera Helix English Ivy Scirpus microcarpus Panicled bulrush Graminoid Typha latifolia Cattail Phalaris arundinacea Reed canarygrass Grass

Tips on Estimating Percent Cover Start with most dominant to least dominant Use classes (0-5%, 6-24%, 25-50%, etc.) based on information to be gained from surveying Helps to use charts like this one

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Sampling Benthic: relating to the bottom of a lake, ocean, or stream Macroinvertebrate: an organism without a backbone, which is visible to the eye without the aid of a microscope

Macroinverts give us clues about water quality

Mayfly Caddisfly Indicator Species - Species that serve as a measure of the environmental conditions that exist in a given habitat

Collecting

Sorting

Ranking = 3 = 2 = 1

Amphibians of Janes Creek A few native species: Yellow legged frog Red-legged frog Pacific chorus frog Northwestern salamander Invasive species: American bullfrog

Why amphibians? Amphibians are great indicator species of stream health. Sensitive to pollutants Habitat requirements Consistency with past conditions ©Jacki Dougan

Conclusions Draw information from environment from biological components to assess ecosystem health Ability to maintain conditions supporting diverse array of life forms Success and interactions of organisms dependent on physical conditions

Final thoughts Diversity as an indicator of health of a system Assessing diversity through several means gives us a well-rounded look at environmental health May give us clues as to what is negatively influencing system