ACUB Project Progress Report
1. Project Title: PRAIRIE HABITAT QUALITY MONITORING
2. Project Lead: Gail Olson, WDFW, 360-902-2585, olsongso@dfw.wa.gov
3. Project Site
This study is being conducted on all ACUB prairies: Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve
(NAP), Glacial Heritage Preserve, Rocky Prairie NAP, Scatter Creek Wildlife Area, West Rocky
Wildlife Area, Morgan Preserve, Wolfhaven, and Bald Hills NAP.
4. Executive Summary
Prairie quality sampling was conducted on two prairies, Glacial Heritage Preserve and the North
Unit of Scatter Creek Wildlife Area, according to protocols established during the 2007 field
season. Approximately 3900, 25 x 25 m plots on Glacial Heritage and 1900 plots on Scatter
Creek were sampled for cover, abundance, presence/absence of key prairie plant species, and
other characteristics used to assess prairie quality. In a subset of these plots (one out of every
10), we estimated cover of all species found in a 1x 1m plot, with approximately 390 and 190
small plots surveyed at Glacial Heritage and Scatter Creek.
5. Project Goals and Objectives
1. Develop a protocol for monitoring trend over time of prairie habitat quality, including specific
characteristics important to each ACUB species.
2. Apply protocol to all ACUB properties.
6. Methods
Prairie quality surveys were conducted according to protocols established during 2007, with two
types of sampling employed. The entire prairie area was divided into 25 x 25 m grid cells that
were each surveyed for cover, abundance, and presence/absence of key prairie plant species, as
well as other important characteristics used to assess prairie habitat quality (see attached data
sheet). Within every tenth grid cell, a 1 x 1m plot was established in the southwest corner, and
cover was estimated for all plant species (as well as bare ground, moss/lichen, and thatch) within
the plot. The same cover categories used for the larger plot sampling were used for the small
plots.
There were a few changes made to the protocols used in 2007, based on discussions during an
ACUB cooperators workshop in Februrary 2008. All of the changes were with respect to 25 x 25
m cell sampling. Abundance estimates of Lupinus spp. and Plantago spp. were restricted to L.
albicaulis only, and P. lanceolata only, respectively. Abundance estimates of Lomatium were
added for the two species L. utriculatum and L. triternatum (combined), with abundance
categories based on discussions with prairie restoration ecologists. These categories are listed on
the attached data form.
7. Results and Discussion
One entire (Glacial Heritage) and one partial (Scatter Creek) prairie were sampled in Summer
2008. The survey season started late (the third week in May) due to a late spring and slow onset
of plant growth. Six field botanists were hired to do the sampling, only three of whom had
experience identifying prairie plants. This led to a lengthy training period. Sampling continued
through the first week of August, after which we no longer felt confident that plants could be
properly identified or measured consistent with earlier season estimates.
We made another protocol change during the field season regarding Lomatium. By the time
field work began at Scatter Creek (in mid-July), it was too difficult to detect Lomatium reliably
to continue with this sampling. In test plots re-sampled at Glacial Heritage Preserve, only one of
five plots surveyed that contained Lomatium in May were recorded as containing Lomatium in
July. Further, the difficulty of finding Lomatium in July was slowing survey rates considerably.
Therefore, we discontinued recording abundance of Lomatium when we moved on to Scatter
Creek.
Data are still being processed, but approximately 3900, 25 x 25 m grid cells were surveyed at
Glacial Heritage Preserve and more than 1800 cells were surveyed at Scatter Creek (the entire
North Unit). The number of 1m2 plots sampled is unknown as yet, but should be approximately
390 and 180, respectively.
8. Future Plans
The most immediate plans for this study are to conduct additional analyses of the data and make
comparisons to data collected from Mima Mounds and Rocky Prairie Natural Areas in 2007.
Spatially explicit maps of the data from the 25 x 2 5m plots will be constructed, and summary
statistics will be computed for all data collected. Among other things, these summary statistics
will be used to conduct power analyses that will be used to design a resampling plan for
continued monitoring of these prairie areas.
There are five prairies yet to be surveyed: the South Unit of Scatter Creek Wildlife Area, West
Rocky Wildlife Area, Morgan Preserve, Wolfhaven, and Bald Hills NAP. Using the 2007 and
2008 field seasons as a guide, and based on a 6-person crew, we should complete sampling of all
areas except Bald Hills during the 2009 field season. Currently, partial funding for the 2009
field season is available through the Legacy Program, but additional ACUB funds will be needed
to complete 2009 sampling.
Data sheet for 25 x 25 m plot sampling, Glacial Heritage and Scatter Creek North, 2008.
Name:
Filename:
25 x 25 m plots
Date:
Location:
Plot Number
Variable
Measure
Festuca roemeri
Cover
Carex inops
Cover
Bare ground
Cover
Bracken Fern
Cover
Tall oatgrass
Cover
Shrub cover (> 0.5 m)
Cover
Scotch broom cover
Cover
Scotch broom height
Height
Castilleja hispida
Class
Viola adunca
Class
Balsamorhiza deltoidea
Class
Plantago lanceolata
Class
Lomatium
Class
Lupinus albicaulis
Class
Vicia
P/A
Road/trail
P/A
Douglas-fir
P/A
Oregon White Oak
P/A
Gopher mounds
Class
Mole mounds
Class
Unknown fossorial rodent
Class
Sulfur cinquefoil
P/A
Knapweed spp.
P/A
Hieracium pilosella
P/A
Stumps
Cover
Cover Class
Range of
Coverage
0
0%
Broom height cover
classes
Classes
1
0m
2 0.1 - 1m
1
<1%
2
1-5%
3
6-10%
3 1.1 - 2m
4 2.1 - 3m
4
11-20%
5
5
21-30%
6
31-40%
7
41-50%
8
51-60%
9
61-70%
10
71-80%
11
81-90%
12
91-100%
> 3m
Abundance class
None (0)
Light (1)
Moderate (2)
Dense (3)
Castilleja hispida
None
<5 plants
6-15 plants
>15 plants
Balsamorhiza deltoidea
None
<5 plants
6-15 plants
>15 plants
Lupinus albicaulis
None
1.0 - 15
15 - 30
>30
Plantago lanceolata
None
Light (1)
Moderate (2)
Dense (3)
Lomatium utriculatum and L.
triternatum
Viola adunca
None
Light (1)
Moderate (2)
Dense (3)
None
Light (1)
Moderate (2)
Dense (3)
Pocket gopher, mole
Abundance classes
None
Plantago,Viola
10 mounds/plot 11-20 Mounds/plot
> 20 Mounds/plot
Light (1)
Lomatium
No patch 4m2 in size or greater with an average of 10 plants/m2
Moderate (2)
1 patch
2-3 patches
Dense (3)
2 or more
patches
4 or more patches