Assessing Structure and Composition in Remnant Grasslands: An Interagency Effort Insert Your Image Here © Insert Image Credit

Cooperators The Nature Conservancy US Fish and Wildlife Service Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (LIP, Wildlife, Parks, CSWS/Monitoring) US Geological Survey Concordia College US Forest Service

Overlapping Management Objectives Vegetation -Maintain or increase the % cover of native prairie vegetation -Minimize % cover of non-native vegetation Structure - Maintain structural diversity (height, litter)

Status How is the biodiversity we care about doing? Effectiveness Are our conservation actions having their intended impact? Effectiveness vs. Status Measures This project has potential to address both needs for some variables.

Study Area

Developing a Protocol Flexible Hierarchical Rapid User-friendly

Overlapping Management Objectives Vegetation -Maintain or increase the % cover of native prairie vegetation -Minimize % cover of non-native vegetation Structure - Maintain structural diversity (height, litter)

Field Methods: Composition 25 m long 0.1 m wide 50 plots (0.5 m x 0.1 m)

Field Methods: Structure Visual Obstruction Reading (VOR)- at beginning of transect Average height (every 5 m) Litter depth (every 5 m)

Variations Basic Model Intermediate Model (Basic + species checklists) Deluxe Model (Basic + species checklists + dominant native species (5) for each plot)

TNC Pilot Season # Sites Sampled = 6 # Acres Sampled = 1,114 Field time: 20 to 60 min. per transect

Example: Layout Stratified by Upland vs. Lowland 1/10 acres Random orientation At least 100m apart

Sample Data by Management Objective: Native Cover n=45 n=10 n=9 n=7 n=24 n=19 Native cover > 90% by 2018

Sample Data by Management Objective: Composition/Quality Indicators An average of at least 15 to 20 “quality indicator species” occur across at least 10% of transects at a given site.

Quality Indicators: Prairie Coteau Example Species Proportion Transects Narrow-leaved Purple Coneflower0.35 Pasque Flower0.325 Purple Prairie Clover0.325 Showy Milkweed0.225 Silky Aster0.15 Tall Meadow-rue0.125 Dotted Blazing Star0.075 Tall Cinquefoil0.075 Ground Plum0.05 White Prairie Clover0.05 Rough Blazing Star0.025 Species Proportion Transects Indian Grass0.5 Plains Muhly0.225 Prairie Dropseed0.175 Thread-leaved Sedge0.025 Species Proportion Transects Leadplant0.25 Fragrant False Indigo0.025 Forbs Graminoids Shrubs

Structure: Vegetation

Structure: Litter

USGS: Value-Added -Access Database -Common format -Report generation by ownership -Adaptive Management Model -Evaluate success at end of each season

USGS: Value-Added -Access Database -Common format -Report generation by ownership -Adaptive Management Model -Evaluate success at end of each season

2008 Field Season Teams of Two x 10 weeks -WO Conservation Science Intern: Mei Ai Khoo -Seasonal Grassland Ecologist: Sarah Margoles Quality Assurance Mammals/Birds/Insects (CSWS subset) 15,000 acres? Assess Sampling Density

Does not address other objectives….. Size Maintain current extent of native prairie Change analysis with LANDSAT imagery - Total acres - Patch size Condition - Rare species (especially at trailing edge of range) - Detailed composition Landscape Context -Disturbance return interval -Connectivity