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 “NOTES” 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 m2 (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 m2])
– 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?
http://www.life.uiuc.edu/edtech/entomology_slides/images/31067-linnaeus.jpg
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:
•
•
•
•
0.0 - 0.099 m is 0.0m
0.1 - 0.199 m is 0.1m
0.2 - 0.299 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, and to 50 cm if plant is
>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/Type
ddh (mm)
Height (cm)
DBH (cm)
< 137 cm tall
yes, mm precision
yes, cm precision
no
> 137 cm and < 250 cm tall
yes, mm precision
yes, cm precision
yes, cm precision
> 250 cm and < 400 cm tall
no
yes, 10 cm precision,
but still use cm units
yes, cm precision
> 400 cm tall
no
yes, 50 cm precision,
but still use cm units
yes, cm precision
Live stake
no
yes, cm precision
Yes 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”.
http://www.life.uiuc.edu/edtech/entomology_slides/images/31067-linnaeus.jpg
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”.
http://www.life.uiuc.edu/edtech/entomology_slides/images/31067-linnaeus.jpg
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