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INVENTORY AND MONITORING
TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL
2007 – IMTD – Proposal 5
Proposal Name (Descriptive Name): National Soil Quality Monitoring Field Guide
Proposal Description: Prepare and publish a soil quality monitoring field guide
containing schematic and photographic examples of defined, visually identifiable, soil
disturbance categories (Phase I). Phase II of the field guide will also contain
recommended sampling protocols and other tools for conducting rapid, accurate, and
consistent pre- and post-project assessments of soil quality. This will include a standard
protocol (or set of protocols) for monitoring soil quality, guidance on project design, and
determining sampling intensity.
The field guide will be used by soil scientists, timber sale administrators, silviculturists,
and fuel specialists, and others to conduct reliable and repeatable assessments of soil
disturbance for use in project planning and environmental analyses. Quantitative
indicators of soil quality will then be validated and correlated to each of the visual soil
disturbance categories (as defined by FS Research and NFS) as part of a regular agencywide soil quality monitoring program.
This project will include initial refinement of a system for classifying soil disturbance,
preparation of a provisional field guide (Phase I), pilot testing, refinement, and final
publication (Phase II).
Submitted By:
Location (Work Unit):
E-Mail Address:
Phone:
FAX:
Steve Howes
Pacific Northwest Region (RO)
showes@fs.fed.us
503-808-2937
503-808-2469
Jeff TenPas
Stanislaus NF
jtenpas@fs.fed.us
209-532-3671x254
209-536-0259
Evaluation Factors:
A. Critical Resource Issues/Benefits Multiple Resource Areas: Soil is the foundation
of ecosystems. Soil quality is becoming increasingly important on the national forests
and often surfaces as an appeal issue or in litigation. Many projects implemented on the
national forests (timber sales, range allotments, hazardous fuel reduction) have the
potential to cause detrimental soil disturbance.
The Forest Service has experienced difficulty in accurately quantifying amounts of soil
disturbance generated by management activities; and in predicting its subsequent effects
on productivity and water quality. This paucity of data can be partially attributed to a
lack of standard soil quality protocols and a common system to classify and quantify
degree/extent of soil disturbance. Not having a standard soil quality monitoring protocol
has limited the usefulness of existing monitoring data and the ability to compare results
between forests and regions.
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The first step in making reliable assessments of soil quality is to develop a common
language for describing categories or degrees of soil disturbance and defining those
conditions that are acceptable. Once this has been done, those making assessments must
be adequately trained so their observations are accurate and consistent. Phase I of the
proposed field guide will help accomplish this task.
B. Improves Efficiency: Traditional soil quality monitoring efforts have been time
consuming and expensive. As a result, the amount of soil quality monitoring has
declined. This has left the agency vulnerable to challenges regarding NFMA compliance
and our ability to meet agency soil quality standards. For example, a monitoring effort
was undertaken on the Malheur NF in 1987 and costs of $1100 to $2500 (1988 dollars)
per timber harvest unit were incurred. A number of recent unfavorable court rulings and
decision remands have highlighted the need for more rapid, yet reliable, soil quality
monitoring protocols. Identification of disturbance related features having consistent
descriptions is the first step in achieving consistency, accuracy, and reliability in our soil
quality monitoring efforts. The proposed soil quality monitoring field guide will help
achieve desired results mentioned above.
C. Feasibility: The current need for rapid, yet reliable soil quality monitoring protocols
is high. Decisions affecting many projects in several regions are vulnerable to appeal and
litigation because soil disturbance analyses are either poor or lacking.
Quantification of visually observable soil disturbance categories has been described as an
essential component of an adaptive management process for forest soil conservation
(Curran et al. 2005 (1), Curran et al. 2005 (2)). In the Pacific Northwest, Weyerhaeuser
Company and British Columbia Forest Service use visual disturbance categories to
monitor soil quality during timber harvest and other forest management activities. Both
have published field guides for use in classifying soil disturbance (Scott, 2000, Curran,
Davis, and Mitchell, 1999). Some work has been done in Region 6 to develop a visual
soil disturbance classification system and use it in field monitoring projects (Howes, S.,
C. Busskohl, and C. Kendall. 2001). A PNW Research Station project was initiated to
determine accuracy and repeatability of observations made using the R6 disturbance
classification system. A General Technical Report describing results is currently being
completed. R6 is working closely with both Weyerhaeuser and British Columbia Forest
Service soil scientists to develop soil disturbance classification systems that are
consistent and comparable.
The proposed project would help the FS to consistently identify degrees of soil
disturbance while a classification system is developed. A field guide using diagrams and
photographs would be a good first step. NFS and Research soil scientists can be used to
collect photographic and other documentation for each of the disturbance categories.
References:
Curran, M.P., D.G. Maynard, R.L. Heninger, T.A. Terry, S.W. Howes, D.M. Stone, T.
Niemann, R.E. Miller, and R.F. Powers. 2005. An adaptive management process for
forest soil conservation. The Forestry Chronicle. Vol. 81, No. 5, 717-722.
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Curran, M.P., R.E. Miller, S.W. Howes, D.G. Maynard, T.A. Terry, R.L. Heninger, T.
Niemann, K. van Rees, R.F. Powers and S.H. Schoenholtz. 2005. Progress toward more
uniform assessment and reporting of soil disturbance for operations, research, and
sustainability protocols. For. Ecol. and Management 220 (2205)17-30.
Curran, M., I. Davis and B. Mitchell. 2000. Silvicultural prescription data collection
field handbook – interpretive guide for data collection, site stratification, and sensitivity
evaluation for silviculture prescriptions. British Columbia Ministry of Forests Land
Management Handbook 47.
Howes, S., C. Busskohl, and C. Kendall. 2001. Interim protocol for assessment and
management of soil quality conditions. Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Version 3.3.
September 2001. Unpublished report.
Scott, W. 2000. A soil disturbance classification system. Internal Report. Forestry
Research Technical Note. Paper #00-1. Weyerhaeuser Co., Federal Way, WA, 12p.
D. Partners and Collaborators:
Dr. Deborah Page-Dumroese
Rocky Mountain Research Station
Moscow, ID
208-883-2339
ddumroese@fs.fed.us
(time, expertise)
Randy Davis
USFS-WO
Soils Program Leader
202-205-1082
rdavis@fs.fed.us
(time, expertise, funds)
Dr. Dan Neary
Rocky Mountain Research Station
Flagstaff, AZ
928-556-2176
dneary@fs.fed.us
(time, expertise)
Sharon DeHart
USFS-R1
Soils Program Leader
406-329-3412
sdehart@fs.fed.us
(time, expertise, personnel)
Dr. Carl Trettin
Southern Research Station
Charleston, SC
843-769-7002
ctrettin@fs.fed.us
(time, expertise)
Steve Howes
USFS-R6
Soils Program Leader
503-808-2937
showes@fs.fed.us
(time, expertise, personnel)
Dr. Mike Curran
BC Forest Service
Nelson, BC, Canada
250-825-1118
Mike.Curran@gems5.gov.bc.ca
(time, expertise)
Brent Roath
USFS-R5
Soils Program Leader
707-562-8941
broath@fs.fed.us
(time, expertise, personnel)
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Terry Craigg
Soil Scientist
USFS-R6
541-549-7748
tcraigg@fs.fed.us
(time, expertise)
Dave Young
Pacific Southwest Research Station
Soil Scientist
530-226-2545
daveyoung@fs.fed.us
(time, expertise)
Jeff TenPas
USFS-R5
Zone Soil Scientist
209-532-3671x254
jtenpas@fs.fed.us
(time, expertise)
Jeff Bruggink
USFS-R4
Soils Program Leader
801-625-5357
jbruggink@fs.fed.us
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time, expertise