USDA Forest Service · Web viewBe sure to look up, and record tree branches overlapping the vertical projection of the plot. Using the 40x40cm plot to record frequency Use the same

USDA Forest Service CNVSP FIELD GUIDE Page 1 of 22

USDA Forest Service Southwestern Region

Fire and Range Common Non-Forested Vegetation Sampling Protocol (CNVSP)

FIELD GUIDENovember 2013

EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS NEEDED

FOR TRANSECTS Frequency, Dry-Weight-Rank (DWR), Ground and Woody Fuel Load cover:1. Quadrat frame: A 40X40cm(40cm2) frame with a 10x10cm(10cm2) nested

square and three sharpened Points2. GPS unit3. Compass4. Tablet PC or Data sheets with Clipboard and pencil5. Small Tape Measure for FETCH, if applicable 6. Clinometer for slope7. Go no Go gage for Fuel categories (see design in Appendix B)FOR CLIP PLOTS:1. Clippers2. Paper Sacks (at least 12)3. Sharpie to write on sacks4. Spring scales (100g and 300g recommended)FOR PHOTOS:1. Digital Camera2. Small Dry Erase Board and Dry Erase MarkersFOR OCULAR MACROPLOT:1. Tape measure at least 37.2ft long2. Daubenmire Frame, 40 x 40 cm frame or something similar could be

helpful to estimate canopy cover percentages within the macroplot.3. Clinometer for tree height

OVERVIEW OF SAMPLING METHODS:

The following is a brief overview of the attributes which will be captured in the Common Non-Forested Vegetation Sampling Protocol. This protocol actually combines various monitoring methods used to capture information on a variety of attributes. The combination of methods in this protocol will often suffice for the monitoring of rangeland management actions and treatments as well as providing data needed to operate the PHYGROW vegetation model and BRASS-G Burning Risk Advisory Support System for Grasslands. Measurements are taken along pace transects where the quadrat frame is placed on the ground, at the toe of the sampler’s boot every pace. A total of 200 quadrats are placed long a varying number of transects. Details for collecting the data will follow later in this document.

Every time the frame is placed; several attributes will be recorded.


1) Ground Cover, which is comprised of: basal cover of herbaceous or woody species, woody fuel load classes, bare ground, rock and herbaceous litter (½ inch deep or greater and < ½ inch deep.) will be recorded at each of the 3 sharpened points,

2) Frequency of plants will be recorded in two differing ways, depending upon life form.

a. Rooted Frequency: Herbaceous or woody plants rooted within the quadrats will be recorded.

b. Canopy Frequency: Woody species (shrubs and trees) canopy overhanging the quadrat will be recorded.

The 10X10 quadrat is surveyed first for rooted frequency and canopy frequency, then the 40X40cm quadrat.

3) Dry-Weight-Rank, (DWR), is a ranking of the dominant plants on the site, based on dry weight biomass, which will be recorded for current year’s growth for each 40x40cm quadrat.

4) Production Estimates: At every 20th quadrat placement the, 40X40cm quadrat standing crop of all herbaceous vegetation will be clipped, bagged and the field weight will be recorded. Additionally, bed depth will be estimated. At the 2nd and 8th clipped quadrats; Plant litter and 1 hour fuels within the 40x40cm quadrat will be collected, bagged and field weighed. All bags of materials will be kept to be dried and weighed again to attain an air-dried weight.

5) Optional Woody Species Characterization: Woody plants encountered along transects and/or within Ocular Macroplot will be characterized to represent the site.

6) Optional Canopy Cover by Species: Will be determined within an Ocular Macroplot, consisting of a 10th acre circular plot with 37.2’ radius. This plot can serve as a comparison for Terrestrial Ecosystem Survey (TES) or Terrestrial Ecosystem Unit Inventory (TEUI) data.

PRE-SAMPLING PROCEDURES

Determining Sample Site Location, and Transect Design:

The area that will be sampled should represent the vegetation of the site. The use of Terrestrial Ecosystem Survey, Terrestrial Ecosystem Unit Inventory or Ecological Site Descriptions can be helpful when determining an appropriate sampling location. The Transects should remain in one TES/TEUI unit or ecological site. If the area is to serve as a key area regarding rangeland management, such as grazing management, the sampling site will meet the definition of a key area for range monitoring objectives. (Interagency Technical Reference 1734-4). The term benchmark is also often used when describing sampling sites used for long term effectiveness monitoring.


The area to be sampled may have been previously sampled, for example using the Parker 3 step method. If the site has been sampled for rangeland management objectives previously, the macroplot should be placed in order to provide data still representative of the area and similar in value for decision making. Although there is no direct crosswalk between Parkers and these methods, similarity in the selection of the sampling location can assist in the interpretation of data. As a previous method is overlain by a new method, correlating the sampling area can be helpful. It is best to have several transects rather than one long transect. A common design scheme is a total of four transects with 50 quadrats each, two transects are placed on either side of the original Parker transects. Other transect designs can be utilized as well. A diagram of an example sampling design is provided in Appendix C. A diagram of the specific sampling design including transect layout should be recorded for each monitoring location.

If the selected site has not served for sampling previously some guidance for lying out the transects is provided. Pick a bearing or azimuth in which the transects will run so that representative vegetation will be sampled and the transects all remain within the vegetation type to be sampled. A total of 200 quadrats are recommended. These can be sampled along 1 to 10 transects. (University of Arizona, Extension Report 9043, 1997.)

RECORD: Starting latitude and longitude or UTMs at beginning of Transect(s). At a

minimum, the beginning of the first transect should be recorded. Date Examiner names Slope of the site, in percent Aspect of the slope (direction in which the slope is facing) Bearing/Azimuth of Transect(s) in Notes Section 2 Digital Photos:

PHOTOS:A minimum of 2 photos will be taken. Photo 1 is a landscape view taken from the beginning of the first transect. The photo captures the landscape view of the transect which is going to be read. Photo 2 is a landscape view taken from the end of the last transect. This photo captures the landscape view of the transect which has just been completed. These two photos combined show the macroplot where data is collected. Include in each photo, a dry erase board or other form of identification in the lower right corner of the picture (board should not take up more than 10% of picture) with the following information in this order:

A Dry-Erase white board will be in the photos; it is used to label the photo in the following format: Date (YYYY_MM_DD), Region number, Forest number, District number, Allotment number, Pasture Number, Area or Key area number and cardinal direction of photo and ending with either BEG or END for pictures at the beginning of the first transect or at the end of the last transect, if multiple transects are sampled.


Example:2009_04_06_030803_78965_002_007_NW_BEG

Where: 2009_04_06 is the date (April 6, 2009)0803 is the Forest number and District number78965 is the Allotment number (a name can work here as

well)02 is the pasture Number (a name can work here as well)07 is the Area Number (a name can work here as well)NW (North West) is the cardinal Direction the photo is facingBEG means the picture was taken at the beginning of the

First Transect

If you do not have a Forest or District number use some sort of identification of area i.e. BLM NM or V-VAZ.

The photos will be saved using a naming convention identical to the picture identification used on the dry erase board.

TRANSECT SAMPLING:

At each pace, place the quadrat by centering the frame in front of and touching your toe.

Ground Cover Closely examine each tine or sharpened point on the quadrat frame. Record what is located directly underneath the end of each tine from the list below. If the point hits the BASE of a plant, record the species of that plant. You will note there are two classes of herbaceous litter, based on depth to be recorded. Woody material is also recorded if the point hits woody material. Woody material is measured based on fuel load categories.

1. Bare ground (soil particles, < 2mm (1/8th inch) in diameter).2. Litter < ½ inch (any dead grass not attached to base, dead leaves

not attached, needles) which < ½ inch deep.3. Litter > or = 1/2 inch deep. 4. 1 hour fuel (woody particles < or = 0.25 inch in diameter)5. 10 hour fuel (woody particles > 0.25 inch and < or = 1” in diameter.)6. 100 hour fuel (woody particles > 1” and < or = 3” in diameter.)7. 1,000 hour fuel (woody particles > 3” in diameter)8. Species of basal vegetation (the tine must hit the BASE of the

Plant where the plant protrudes from the soil.)9. Gravel (rocky material > 2mm or 1/8th “ and < or = 3” in diameter).10. Rock (rocky material > 3” in diameter).

If the sharpened point hits the blade, needle or leaf of any vegetation that is attached to the base of the plant record what is under the blade, needle, leaf or stem. If the tine hits a stump, record the stump using the appropriate fuel category based on diameter. Monitoring sites which were established previously may have differing categories for the rock component. If data has differing rock size categories, those may be retained for use in order to provide for consistent data to base trend upon.


Animal scat, fallen cones and fruits are considered litter. Animal scat will fall into the litter depth criteria. I.e. A cow patty that is more than ½” in depth should be categorized as litter >1/2”. No aerial material is recorded all material must be in contact with the ground.

Optional FetchFetch is not a requirement for data collection. Fetch is the measure from a certain point on the frame to the nearest perennial plant. Fetch may provide information regarding hydrologic patterns. If fetch is to be captured, the following is guidance regarding the attribute. Measure from the center tine (sharpened point) to the nearest perennial plant base in 360 degrees, (closest plant may be outside the quadrat frame, i.e. behind frame). Record the distance in inches. Measurement can be zero if perennial is against center tine.

Frequency Using the 10x10cm nested plot, record frequency of plants.

HERBACEOUSIdentify all perennial herbaceous plants to species level which are rooted within

plot and record a single “hit” for each species.

ANNUALS: For all annuals rooted within the plot identify the annual grass/forbs if the species

is known. If the annual species is not known record it as an annual forb or an annual grass. To further identify the annual, warm and cool season qualifiers can be used as well. Record a single “hit” for each species.

WOODY/SUCCULENT: Identify by species the woody or succulent plants, including sub-shrubs and half

shrubs, and record if the plant is rooted in the 10cm quadrat or if its canopy covers the10cm quadrat. For example, if a branch overlaps a vertical projection of the quadrat perimeter, record a single “hit” for that species. Be sure to look up, and record tree branches overlapping the vertical projection of the plot.

Using the 40x40cm plot to record frequencyUse the same guidelines as for the 10x10cm quadrat outlined above however,

only record species not encountered in the 10X10cm quadrat already.

Dry Weight RankDWR provides data regarding species composition by weight. At each placement of the quadrat, the observer decides which three species in the quadrat have the highest yield on a dry weight basis. Dry Weight Rank is based on current year’s growth in the 40x40cm quadrat. The highest yielding species is given a rank of 1, the next highest is given a rank of 2 and the third highest is given a rank of 3. Generally, a rank of 1 corresponds to 70% composition, a rank of 2 corresponds to 20% composition and rank 3 corresponds to 10% composition.


Ranking the dominant plants is usually very repeatable between observers and quick to be observed. When less than three species are encountered in a quadrat, multiple ranks can also be assigned to one species. This calls for assigning more than one rank to some species. Rank combinations when only two species are present could be 1 & 2, (90%), or ranks 2 & 3, (30%), or ranks 1 & 3, (80%). If only one species is encountered in a quadrat it may be given the ranks of 1, 2, and 3.

Plants do not have to be rooted in the quadrat. Hence herbaceous species may be recorded for DWR that were not recorded for frequency. Over hanging vegetation within a vertical projection of the 40x40 cm quadrat perimeter which contributes to the ranking of the top three species is also counted. Only live vegetation is counted. Woody species overhanging the quadrat which are dead are not counted in the DWR. DWR can be used to assess all species or only herbaceous species. Ground rules for selection of species should be well documented to provide for repeatability over time.

Calculation methods are found in Appendix D.

Plant species that cannot be identified in the field must be identified as soon as possible (See Unknown Plant Species Section).

Standing Crop ProductionThe following information is collected at every 20th frame which is 10% of the quadrats.

Clip every 20th frame for the 200 pace transect for herbaceous production. Clip all herbaceous standing crop rooted within the entire 40x40cm quadrat, including what is in the 10x10cm quadrat. Do not include dead grasses not attached to the base of a plant or any woody species. Clip plants as close to the ground as possible without including any soil or gravel in sample. Place clipped material in pre-weighed bag and weigh using spring scales. Make sure to label the bag with the site identification, quadrat number, and field or green weight of the clipped sample. Keep the bag out of the wind when weighing (if windy, identify bag with site name, quadrat #, and date, and weigh once in a sheltered location.) This should be done as soon as feasible post clipping. Keep all clipped sample bags. These bags will be oven or air dried to determine the amount of biomass present on the site, as well as the amount of moisture in the vegetation at the time of sampling.

Standing crop is not equal to annual forage production or forage availability for livestock production and is not to be used for any livestock management decisions.

Label bags with:

Site name (can be allotment # with pasture # and area #)Quadrat # (# of the frame placement at which clipping was done)Field Weight in grams. Date

Bags will need to be kept so they can later be dried and weighed.


Litter, 1 hour Fuel Production, and Bed Depth

Following the clipping of herbaceous production, use a separate bag to collect all litter and 1-hr fuel from the 2nd and 8th clipped quadrats, which will be quadrats number 40 and 160. The portion of 1-hr fuels which is in the quadrat should be collected. If a 1-hr fuel hangs out of the quadrat, only collect the portion within the quadrat. Weigh the bag, and label the bag with site identification, transect number, 1-hr and Litter, date, and the field weight. Be careful not to collect rocks, soil, or any 10-hr, 100-hr, or 1000-hr fuels. Keep all fuel bags. These bags will be oven or air dried to determine the amount of litter accumulated on the site.

When collecting litter be careful not to include any duff or decaying material. Duff layers are usually darker and moister than newly accumulated surface litter.

In addition to the litter and 1-hr fuel collection, an additional attribute is collected on these two quadrats, bed depth.

BED DEPTH: Estimate bed depth by taking the average height of standing live and standing dead herbaceous material in the quadrat.

Label bags with:Site name (can be allotment # with pasture # and area #)Litter and 1hour fuel bagQuadrat # (# of the frame placement at which clipping was done)Field Weight in grams. DateBed depth (average height of herbaceous material in plot)

Ending the transectUTMS or LAT/LONGS: At the end of the last transect record the Lat/Long or UTMs.

PHOTO: The end photo is taken at the end of a transect and will include END at the end of the label identification written on the dry erase board and when filed.

Optional Woody Species Characterization:All woody species that were encountered along the transect or within the ocular Macroplot (described below) will need to be characterized for the site. If woody species occur on the site that were not recorded on the transect or Ocular Macroplot, these can be noted in comments for the site with no associated measurements.

Choose an individual tree or shrub for each woody plant species which is a characteristic plant similar to the majority of individuals present for that woody plant species. That individual does not need to be on the transect or within the plot, but needs to represent the average individual for that site. Approximate and record the following measurements for one representative for each woody species encountered.

1. Height (from the base of woody plant to the tallest part of the woody plant in ft.)

2. Height To Crown (from the ground to the beginning of the crown or canopy of the species in ft.)


3. Crown Base Width (width of crown across the bottom of the crown)4. Max Crown Width (Width of crown at its widest part)5. Height at Max Crown Width (height from the ground to the widest part of

the crown)

Figure 1. Canopy Characterization Parameters

Optional Ocular Macroplot SamplingChoose a central location in relation to the transect and establish a 1/10 th acre circular plot by using a 37.2’ radius. Record percent canopy cover for all herbaceous and woody species within the plot. The use of a Daubenmire frame, Quadrat Frequency frame, or other frame can be useful to estimate cover percents. It can also be helpful to divide the plot into quarters, estimating canopy cover for each species in each quarter. Tree and shrub species cover should include branches overhanging the plot; they do not have to be rooted in the plot. Record percent canopy cover to the nearest 1%. For species with less than 1% but more than 0.10% cover record as <1% if cover is less than 0.10% record as Trace or T. The Ocular Macroplot can serve as a comparison for TES/TEUI data.

Unknown Plant Species

If vegetation is unable to be identified on site, then a sample of the plant must be collected for future identification. All unknown species must be given their own name that makes them distinct from all other unknown species. When an unknown plant is collected it should be tagged with a piece of tape that has the plant type, according to

1. Height (ft)2. Crown Base Height

(ft)3. Crown Base Width

(ft)4. Max Crown Width

(ft)5. Height at Max

Crown Width (ft)1.

3. 2.

4.

5.


the NRCS Plants Database and the site name written on it (i.e. an unknown annual forb on transect C-10 would be labeled as 2FA on C-10). Place the tagged plant into a small plastic sack with a moistened paper towel. If plant identification cannot be performed at the end of the day or if plants can be damaged due to moisture from the plastic bag, then the unknown plants should be placed in a plant press until it can be identified. Unknowns may also be kept in paper bag, if kept relatively flat.


APPENDIX ADEFINITIONS of TERMS USEDAs intended for this document

1 hour fuel: 0.0 to 0.25 inch (0.0 to 0.6cm) in diameter.

10 hour fuel: 0.255 to 1.00 inch 0.61 to 2.5cm) in diameter.

100 hour fuel: 1.01 to 3.00 inch (2.56 to 7.6cm) in diameter.

1,000 hour fuel: greater than 3 inches (7.6cm) in diameter.

Annual Plant: A plant completing its life cycle and dying in one year or less (SRM 1998).

Bare ground: All land surface not covered by vegetation, rock, or litter (SRM 1998). This includes soil particles that are less than 2mm (1/8th inch) in diameter.

Bed Depth: Estimate bed depth by taking the average height of standing live and standing dead herbaceous material in the quadrat.

Current Year’s Growth: That portion of the plant biomass produced in the current forage year. For warm-season plants it is the growth produced during spring and summer. For cool-season plants it is growth produced during the spring and the preceding fall-winter.

Dry Weight Rank: This is a sampling method used to determine species composition. The three species which contribute the most weight in the quadrat are ranked 1, 2, or 3

Forb: (1) Any herbaceous plant other than those in the Poaceae (Gramineae) (true grasses), Cyperaceae (sedges), and Juncaceae (rushes) families – i.e. any non grass-like having little or no woody material on it; or (2) A broadleaved flowering plant whose above-ground stem does not become woody and persistent (Coulloudon et al. 1999b).

Frequency: The ratio between the number of sample units that contain a species and the total number of sample units.

Grass: Members of the plant family Poaceae (formerly Gramineae) (SRM 1998).

Gravel: Rocky material greater than 2mm (1/8th”) and smaller than 7.6cm (3”) in diameter.

Half-Shrub: A perennial plant with a woody base that’s annually produced stems die each year (SRM 1998).

Herbaceous vegetation: Herbs that are erect off the ground, which includes any dead standing grasses or forbs, does not include dead vegetation not attached to the base of a plant.


Quadrats: Sampling frames within which vegetation information is gathered (Swanson 2006). Quadrats may be square, round, or rectangular in shape.

Litter: Litter is the 01 horizon or “L” layer of the floor and includes freshly fallen leaves, needles, bark flakes, cone scales, fruits, dead grass matter, and a variety of miscellaneous vegetation parts. Dead grasses and forbs detached and fallen from their growing point should be considered litter. Animal scat is also considered litter. For the purposes of this sampling protocol, herbaceous litter will be described based on depth as < ½ inch or > or = to ½ inch. Woody litter will be described as a fuel category.

Ocular Macroplot: The Ocular Macroplot provides for sampling of several attributes in a variety of ways. For the purpose of this sampling protocol, the Ocular Macroplot sample method provides a way to estimate vegetation composition and ground cover, based on ocular estimates of canopy cover.

Pace: Distance by taking two steps, i.e. step forward comfortably starting with left foot and continue forward with right foot…where right foot lands would mark 1 pace.

Perennial Plant: A plant that has a life span of 3 or more years. (SRM 1998)

Rock: Rocky material greater than 7.6cm (3”) in diameter

Seasonal Utilization: (relative utilization): The amount of utilization that has occurred before the end of the growing season (Coulloudon et al. 1999).

Shrub: A plant that has persistent, woody stems and a relatively low growth habit, and that generally produces several basal shoots instead of a single bole. It differs from a tree by its low stature (generally less than 5 meters, or 16 feet) and non-arborescent form (SRM 1998).

Standing Crop: The total amount of plant material per unit of space at a given time. It is often is divided into above-ground and below-ground portions and further may be modified by the descriptors “dead” or “live” to more accurately define the specific type of biomass. Contrast with Current Year Production (SRM 1998). For the purpose of this sampling protocol, standing crop is further narrowed and described as follows: All standing dead and live herbaceous material.

Transect: A linear plot, usually represented by a line, along which are regularly spaced quadrats (plot frames), loops, or other devices. For the purposes of this sampling protocol, the transect is paced.

Tree: A woody perennial, usually single stemmed plant that has a definite crown shape and reaches a mature height of at least 16 feet (5 meters). There is no clear cut distinction between trees and shrubs. Some plants, such as oaks (Quercus spp.) may grow as either trees or shrubs (SRM 1998).

Utilization: The proportion or degree of current year’s forage production that is consumed or destroyed by animals, (including insects). Utilization may refer either to a


single plant species, a group of species, or the vegetation as a whole. Syn. Degree of use; Use (Coulloudon et al. 1999). Woody Species: A term used in reference to trees, shrubs or browse that characteristically contain persistent ligneous material (SRM 1998).


APPENDIX B

GO no GO gage Aid to determine Fuel Categories

All woody material that fits in the ¼ “slot” is a 1hour fuel, all 10 hour fuels fit in the 1” slot, a 100 hour fuel is material that will not fit in a hole but is not larger than the length

of gage. All material larger than the length of the gage is a 1,000 hour fuel.


Appendix C

Diagram of Potential Transect Layout


Appendix D

Calculations for Ground Cover, Frequency and Dry-Weight-Rank

Ground Cover Calculations

1. Determine the number of occurrences for each ground cover category for each quadrat on each transect.

2. Calculate percent ground cover of each category on each transect by dividing the number of occurrences of the category by the number of points sampled and multiplying by 100. For this protocol there will be 200 quadrats with 3 points each thereby providing 600 ground cover points, however calculations may be conducted based upon any number of transects. The sample design provided displays 4 transects with 50 quadrats each for a total of 150 ground cover points per transect.

Example Ground Cover CalculationsCategory Hits Number of

PointsPercent

Bare Ground 108 600 18Herbaceous litter < ½ “

198 600 33

Herbaceous litter = > ½ “

162 600 27

1 hr fuel 30 600 510 hr fuel 12 600 2100 hr fuel 0 6001000 hr fuel 0 600Basal Veg Bogr2

48 600 8

Basal Veg Bocu

30 600 5

Basal Veg Spcr

12 600 2

Total 600

Frequency Calculations

1. Determine the number of occurrences for each species for each quadrat size on each transect.

2. Calculate percent frequency of a plant species by quadrat size on each transect by dividing the number of occurrences by the number of quadrats sampled and multiplying by 100. For this protocol there will be 200 quadrats, however


calculations may be conducted based upon any number of quadrats. The sample design provided displays 4 transects with 50 quadrats each.

Note: Species which occur in the 10 X 10 quadrat automatically occur in the 40 X 40 quadrat; therefore, percent frequency in the 40 x 40 represents what occurs in both the 10 X 10 the 40 X 40 quadrats.

Example Frequency CalculationsSpecies 10 X 10

Quadrat40 X 40 Quadrat

Number of Quadrats

Percent Frequency 10 X 10 Quadrat

Percent Frequency 40 X 40 Quadrat

A 25 75 200 12.5 50B 56 110 200 28 83C 105 52 200 52.5 78.5

Dry Weight Rank Calculations

The calculation procedure involves calculation of a weighted average for each species.

1. For each species record the number of 1, 2, or 3 ranks received in the sample. (In the example the number of quadrats observed was 25).

2. For each species multiply the number of ranks of 1, 2 and 3 by 7, 2, and 1 respectively and record under the appropriate weighting column. Add the weights and record under weighted.

3. Total the weighted column across species. The total of this column will always be ten times the number of quadrats.

4. Divide the value recorded for each species in the weighted column by the total of the weighted column to get percentage composition for each species. Percent composition, by definition, should total 100 percent.

Example Dry Weight Rank CalculationsSpecies Rank

1Rank

2Rank

3Weight

7Weight

2Weight

1Weighted %

CompositionA 12 9 9 84 18 9 111 44B 5 9 5 35 18 5 58 23C 4 5 5 28 10 5 43 17D 2 2 6 14 4 6 24 10E 2 0 0 14 0 0 14 6

Total 25 25 25 250

Appendix E

Photo Record


A total of two photos will be taken per site. They will be labeled as with Date (YYYY_MM_DD), Forest number, District number, Allotment number, Pasture Number, Area or Key area number ending with either BEG or END for photos at the beginning of transect or at the ending of transect.


Appendix F

Summary of Data Collected to complete the Common Non-Forested Vegetation Sampling Protocol

Quadrat # Data is to

be sampled

in.

Ground Cover

Frequency Dry-Weight-Rank

Standing Crop

ProductionClipped

Bed Depth

Litter and 1 Hour Fuel

Production

All Quadrats

X X X

Every 20th

Quadrat X

The 2nd

and 8th

Clipped Quadrats.

***

X X

***The 2nd and 8th quadrats of the 10 clipped will be sampled for litter, 1 hour fuels, and bed depth.


Appendix G

CNSVP Field Form


Common Non-Forested Vegetation Sampling Protocol Data FormAllotment - _______________________________ Pasture - ____________________________ TES/TEUI Unit - __________ Date - _____________________Plot # - ________________________ Size of plot # - __________ Legal Description: T______N, R______E, Sec _______, ______ 1/4 of the ______ 1/4GPS File: R__________________________ UTM North ____________________ UTM South _____________________ Photo #'s _______________Directions to plot:

Frames Transect 1 Transect 2 Transect 3 Transect 4 Total % Class Comparative Yield

________________GroundCover Hits

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO




0

Grass (basal) 1

Forb (basal)

Tree/shrub(b) 2

Bare SoilGravel 2mm-3” 3Rock 3”+Litter <0.5” 4Litter = or > 0.5”1 Hr Fuel 510 Hr Fuel100 Hr Fuel1000 Hr Fuel

Frequency Dry Weight RankTree & Shrub 1 2

Grasses 1 2

Forbs 1 2

Standing Crop Prod. –Quadrats 20, 40,60, 80 , 100, 120, 140, 160, 180, 200

Bed Depth-Quadrats 40, 160

Litter and 1 HoursFuels Quadrats 40 and 160

Green Wieght Dry Weight


Appendix H

Woody Species Characterization Field Form


References

Bedell, T.E. (Chairman). 1998. Glossary of Terms Used in Range Management: A Definition of Terms Commonly Used in Range Management. 4th Edition. Glossary Update Task Group, Society for Range Management. Denver, Colorado.

Coulloudon, B., K. Eshelman, J. Gianola, N. Habich, L. Hughes, C. Johnson, M. Pellant, P. Podborny, A. Rasmussen, B. Robles, P. Shaver, J. Spehar, J. Willoughby. 1999a. Utilization Studies and Residual Measurements. Interagency Technical Reference. BLM /RS/ST-96/004+1734-3.

Ruyle, G. B., editor. 1997. Some methods for monitoring rangelands and other natural area vegetation. Arizona Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arizona Report 9043, Tucson.

Smith, L., G. Ruyle, W. Meyer, J. Dyess, J. Maynard, S. Barker, S. Williams, D. Bell, C. Lane, S. Cassady, and W. Coulloudon. 2012. Arizona Guide to Rangeland Monitoring and Assessment. Rio Nuevo Press, Tucson, Arizona

Swanson, S. 2006. Nevada rangeland monitoring handbook, second edition. Reno, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.

Field Guides for the Paced Transect and Ocular Macroplot can be found on the Forest Service Intranet at http://fsweb.wo.fs.fed.us/rge/inventory/index.shtml

http://fsweb.wo.fs.fed.us/rge/inventory/index.shtml

Documents

USDA Forest Service · Web viewBe sure to look up, and record tree branches overlapping the vertical projection of the plot. Using the 40x40cm plot to record frequency Use the same