Level-2 & Level-3 Procedures and Techniques CVS-EEP Vegetation Monitoring Workshop June 10, 2009 Tom Wentworth – NC State University CAROLINA VEGETATION SURVEY

Credits! All photos by Carol Ann McCormick from the Herbarium, UNC-Chapel Hill. And...starring (as “Persons in Blue”) from the Carolina Vegetation Survey: –Caroline Bernard –Forbes Boyle

Background – Level 2 Level 2 is designed specifically for restoration areas with planted material; only woody stems are inventoried, both planted and natural: –Planted stem inventory: goals: to determine pattern of installation of woody stems with respect to species, spacing, and density and to monitor their survival and growth –Natural woody stem inventory: goals: as above, but focuses on inventory of natural woody stems

Background – Level 3 Level 3 provides more general information on abundance and leaf area cover of common species (woody and herbaceous): –cover is estimated for all species exceeding specified lower level (typically 5% cover); other species may be ignored –low-cover species of concern (rare taxa, invasive exotics) may also be documented –inventory of planted woody stems is optional –inventory of natural woody stems is also optional

Information Gathered Plot Data (levels 2-3): –specific data about the plot (e.g., elevation) and metadata (data about the data, e.g., taxonomic standard used) NB: forms for two levels are quite different! Planted Woody Stem Data (levels 2-3*): –information about all planted stems, including location, dimensions, vitality, and damage Natural Woody Stem Data (levels 2-3*): –tallies of naturally occurring woody stems in size classes Cover Data (level 3): –percentage cover classes for more common species *optional for level 3.

Some General Guidelines Complete as many fields as possible: –fields designated in Bold & Underlined must be completed Use pencil (7 mm mechanical preferred). It is generally preferable to cross out mistakes rather than to erase them. Please take advantage of “N OTES ” fields to record helpful information.

About the Inventory Plots Location of stands - based on available vegetation, project goals, needs of landowners, representativeness, etc. Size and shape of plots: –for levels 2 & 3, always 100 m 2 (1 are) and either 10 x 10 m (typical) or 5 x 20 m, as needed

About the Inventory Plots Number of plots - refer to CVS-EEP protocol for guidelines. Other considerations: –project directors will select stands within which are placed a plot or plots –plots should be placed in such a way that avoids bias –plot placement should also avoid edge effects and achieve homogeneity of vegetation and environment

Setting up a Plot in the Field Discussion and demonstration topic (please refer to “Level-1 Procedures and Techniques”)...

Plot Data (levels 2 & 3) - General Information: Plot ID Plot identification is critical to success of the inventory effort: –Project Label: unique and assigned by EEP –Project Name: official name (may not be unique) assigned by EEP –Team: each field team within a project has a unique number; use “1” if only one team exists –Plot: for each team, a unique numeric identifier for each plot, running sequentially from an initial plot number.

General Information: Level, Date(s), and Party Level: available levels are 1-5, but we are only considering levels 2-3 for our current purposes (for Level 1-2 Plot Data form, select Level 2 option) Start Date: use dd/mmm/yyyy (e.g., 10/JUN/2009) format –add End Date if different from start date Party and Role: –all contributors to collection of data, with roles played

General Information: Soil Drainage Identifies the natural drainage conditions of the soil and refers to the frequency and duration of wet periods. Categories are defined in terms of: –actual moisture content (in excess of field moisture capacity), and –the extent of period during which excess water is present in the plant-root zone Please consult the protocol for details!

General Information: Water (Level 2) Information requested: –percent of plot submerged (at the time of inventory) –mean water depth (where present)

General Information: Water (Level 3) Information requested: –percent of plot submerged (at the time of inventory) –mean water depth (cm, where present) –closest distance to shore (m)

Location (Levels 2 & 3) General: overall location (general place name) State and County USGS Quadrangle (if used) Place Names: more specific location name(s) EEP Reach: section of river where study is located Land Owner

GPS Location Data Use of GPS for location data is required for Level 2 sampling; map may be used for Level 3 (please specify source) GPS Receiver Location - within plot, give X and Y coordinates, typically plot origin Specify Coordinate System (e.g., UTM) and Coord. Units (e.g., m) Datum - critical info, because all geocoordinates are referenced to a datum, and many different datums are available: –we recommend NAD83/WGS84

GPS Location Data UTM Zone (if using UTM system) Lat or Northing (latitude in selected units or UTM-N [7-digit]) Long or Easting (longitude in selected units or UTM-E [6-digit]) Coordinate Accuracy - m radius, typically provided by receiver GPS File Name - if you saved a waypoint or other file

Site Characteristics Elevation - best taken from topographic maps or GIS (not from GPS unit), or by using properly calibrated altimeter Slope - plot inclination in degrees (always positive) Aspect - azimuth (in degrees) of direction plot faces Compass Type - are readings magnetic or true (corrected for local declination)?

Plot Placement Project Director or Plot Leader will make this determination.

Taxonomic Standard Plant nomenclature is notoriously labile! It is important to cite the authority (reference) used for the names you applied to plants, because this identifies the concepts behind the names. Our current preference is Alan Weakley’s regional flora (currently 2006 version), but you may choose other standards, or possibly multiple standards!

Plot Diagram This important diagram captures: –plot shape and dimensions (Plot Size is default of 1 are [=100 m 2 ]) –location of plot origin and marking posts (including X and Y coordinates of all Posts relative to origin): we recommend locating plot origin along the side of the plot away from the stream course when the plot is adjacent to a stream (to reduce likelihood of loss of origin stake by flood events)

Plot Diagram This important diagram also captures: –GPS location point –location and bearing of photo(s) –Bearing of Plot X-Axis –locations of landmarks, such as streams, banks, fences, witness trees, etc.

Notes These notes capture additional information about: –Layout (especially unusual features) –Plot Location - relocation information can be summarized here –Plot Rationale - why this particular location was chosen for the plot –Other Notes - typically, this field will capture information about disturbance type and severity

Additional Plot Data, Level 3 Plot size and modules sampled must be specified! Salinity Additional information about soil (6 fields) Classification information Topographic Position, Hydrologic Regime, Landform Type Cover by Strata/Canopy Height table

Other Data Forms: Headers Fields at top of various other data forms: –Planted Woody Stem Data (Levels 2, 3*) –Natural Woody Stem Data (Levels 2, 3*) –Cover Data (Level 3) Repeats information from Plot Data form: Leader, Project Label, Team, Plot, Date, Ares –essential for reuniting data forms if they become separated, so please fill this out as you begin recording data! There is an option for Height Cut-Off for Stems in Natural Woody Stem Data (explain if >10 cm). Please add page numbering as needed. *optional for level 3

Planted versus Natural Stems The CVS-EEP Protocol for Recording Vegetation requires that a distinction is made between planted and natural woody stems. Which is which? –if there is positive confirmation (e.g., planting plan) or strong evidence (e.g., burlap shreds) that a stem was planted, then consider it planted…otherwise, consider it natural!

Planted Stem Data Entry: VBD versus VMD For newly-constructed projects, planted woody stems are initially inventoried through collection of Vegetation Baseline Data (VBD): In years following initial plot establishment, the protocol specifies collection of Vegetation Monitoring Data (VMD): –preprinted forms are provided to contractors with the most recent year’s data for planted woody stems in the plot (including a map of stems) –contractors update the VMD data form with current dimensions and status of planted woody stems

VBD Planted Stem Data Entry: Species & Source (Levels 2 & 3) Species Name - use Latin binomials, following your taxonomic standard Source - was planted material Transplanted, Live staked, Balled and burlapped, Potted, Tubling, bare Rooted, or Mechanically planted, or is it Unknown?

VBD Planted Stem Data Entry: Coordinates (Levels 2 & 3) X and Y Coordinates relative to plot origin (same system used to specify location of posts): –In meters, to nearest decimeter (i.e., to 0.1 m precision) –binned (rounded down) such that: m is 0.0m m is 0.1m m is 0.2m and so on...

VBD Planted Stem Data Entry: Stem Dimensions ddh - diameter (mm) at one decimeter height - of largest of multiple stems, but smallest dimension if elliptical, also binned Height - height (cm) to tallest perennating organ (typically a terminal bud), also binned: –Note that height precision drops to 10 cm if the plant is >250 cm and 400 cm tall. DBH - diameter in cm at breast height (137 cm) for taller plants, also binned

Measure What When? Required Measurements, Planted Woody Stems Plant Height/Typeddh (mm)Height (cm)DBH (cm) < 137 cm tallyes, mm precisionyes, cm precisionno > 137 cm and < 250 cm tallyes, mm precisionyes, cm precision > 250 cm and < 400 cm tallno yes, 10 cm precision, but still use cm units yes, cm precision > 400 cm tallno yes, 50 cm precision, but still use cm units yes, cm precision Live stakenoyes, cm precisionYes if > 137 cm tall, cm precision

VBD Planted Stem Data Entry: Vigor and Damage Vigor - 4 (excellent) to 0 (dead) categories, plus Missing (for resurveys) Damage - records observed injury to planted stems (many categories on data form)

VBD Planted Stem Inventory in the Field Discussion and demonstration topic (please refer to “Level-1 Procedures and Techniques”)...

Natural Stem Data Entry: Seedlings, Saplings, and Trees (Levels 2 & 3) Natural woody stems are tallied in three categories: –seedlings - less than 137 cm in height and tallied by height classes (irrespective of diameter), may be subsampled* recall that a Height Cut-Off (in header) can be used to exclude tallies of stems below a certain height* –saplings - small stems tallied by DBH in two diameter classes, may be subsampled* –trees - larger stems tallied by DBH in several diameter classes (note: write actual DBH in cm for stems > 10 cm (or > 40 cm, depending on form used), may not be not subsampled *use of subsampling and/or height cut-off for stems greater than 10 cm must be explained and must result in representative data!

Natural Stem Data Entry: Species and Collection (levels 2 & 3) Species Name - use Latin binomials, following your taxonomic standard Collection (c) – annotate this field with a slash (“/”) if a plant specimen is collected; if this specimen becomes a permanent record (pressed herbarium specimen), denote by changing the “/” to an “X”.

Natural Stem Data Entry: Subsampling (levels 2 & 3) Subsampling is possible for seedlings and/or saplings, by species - used when stems are sufficiently dense that subsampling would provide a satisfactory estimate of total density (also a big time-saver!). Select a reasonable percentage subsample (typically 10, 20, or 50 % of plot), and tally stems only within this “strip” along baseline of plot. Supersampling is also a possibility (typically only for tree stems, however)!

Natural Stem Data Entry: Stem Tallies (levels 2 & 3) Numbers of stems are tallied separately by species for seedlings (by height classes) and for samplings and trees (by DBH classes). Use “dot-box” notation system for efficient tallies! We discuss in the following slides how to deal with multiple stems belonging to the same plant!

Multiple Stems: Planted Individuals Planted stems –as in Level 1, each plant is treated as a single individual, with appropriate diameter and height information assigned to that individual: ddh, height, and DBH may be determined for different stems of the same plant, but these attributes are assigned to the individual plant

Multiple Stems: Natural Individuals If no stem of a given individual achieves breast height (137 cm), then tally this plant as a single individual (as is done with planted woody stems) in the appropriate seedling height class. If at least one stem of a given individual achieves breast height, then follow the standard rules for tallying woody stems for Levels 4 & 5: –stems that emerge below 50 cm and reach breast height are tallied separately in appropriate DBH classes –when multiple branches emerge above 50 cm, then only the dominant branch is tallied in the appropriate DBH class, even if other branches achieve breast height

Natural Stem Inventory in the Field Discussion and demonstration topic...

How many stems?

Determining Height

Determining DBH with Biltmore Stick

Determining DBH with d-tape

Cover Data Entry: Species and Collection (level 3) Species Name - use Latin binomials, following your taxonomic standard Collection (c) – annotate this field with a slash (“/”) if a plant specimen is collected; if this specimen becomes a permanent record (pressed herbarium specimen), denote by changing the “/” to an “X”.

Cover Data Entry: Cover Classes by Module (Level 3) Column headers are module numbers, but only a single module is permitted for Level 3, so simply record a “1” in the first column and all cover data in this column. For each species, record its cover class (see listing of classes at bottom of data form): –a given species is listed only once on this form! Cover is based on a “shadow projection” concept, using the canopy outline. Record data for species achieving at least 5% cover. Recording of cover for other species is optional, but may include species of concern (rare taxa, exotic invasives).

Cover Data Entry: Cover by Strata (level 3) Strata are user-defined on the Plot Data sheet (height ranges and actual percent cover). Using the pre-defined strata, assign cover classes for each species to appropriate strata [T, S, H, (F), (A)] previously recorded on Plot Data sheet: –important rule: each plant of a given species contributes all of its cover to the stratum in which it has the greatest cover!

Cover Data Inventory in the Field Discussion and demonstration topic...

Determining Cover Classes

Cover is based on shadow projection!

Determining Cover by Strata