Cover_Frequency_Field_Guide.pdf

Cover Frequency

Field Guide

United States Department of Agriculture

Forest Service

Rangeland Management Staff

Washington, DC

February, 2008

USDA Forest Service

Table of Contents

OVERVIEW

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

AREA OF USE

MAPPING THE SITE

COVER FREQUENCY FIELD FORM INSTRUCTIONS

GENERAL INFORMATION

SAMPLE DESIGN

FRAME MEASUREMENTS

APPENDIX A - LITERATURE CITED

APPENDIX B – COVER FREQUENCY LIST OF VALUES

APPENDIX C - USDA FOREST SERVICE COVER FREQUENCY FIELD FORM

GENERAL INFORMATION

SAMPLE DESIGN

FRAME MEASUREMENTS

DRAFT Cover Frequency Field Guide

Cover Frequency Field Guide

Overview

General Description

The Cover Frequency sample method provides a measure of species abundance, composition by cover and frequency. The method consists of cover measurements and/or presence/absence data collected within a frame along a transect (tape). Hironaka (1985) supports this method as a repeatable and statistically rigorous way to detect change on a large number of species with a minimum amount of effort. The following vegetation attributes are monitored with this method:

Canopy, foliar or basal cover of selected species Composition (by cover) Frequency Ground cover

The cover frequency and nested rooted frequency methods (which will be defined in a separate field guide) are highly related and powerful tools in monitoring ecological systems. The USDA Forest Service Cover Frequency Protocol is a consistent way to record plant or ground cover data for a study site.

All of the corporate data standards and attributes published in this protocol are supported in the USDA Forest Service Natural Resource Information System (NRIS). A required set of core attributes must be collected during field work and electronically stored in the corporate NRIS application to meet the minimum business needs of the Site General Protocol (see Site General Field Guide) in order to add the Cover Frequency sample. Table 1 lists the required attributes for Cover Frequency. Detailed attribute descriptions and collection standards follow later in this document.

Table 1: Fields required by the USDA Forest Service Cover Frequency Protocol.

Data can be recorded in the field using the standard field form for Cover Frequency (Appendix C) and then entered into NRIS. The NRIS application uses an ArcMap “Task Assistant” and Windows data entry forms to guide the user through a common workflow to enter and edit the spatial representation of the site and the associated attribute data.

Canopy cover method Number of transects Species list complete Transect number Number of frames

This Cover Frequency Field Guide makes occasional references to the NRIS Terra computer application. However, the field guide is not meant to be a user guide for the NRIS application; it is solely a guide to data collection in the field. User Guides, Administrative Guides, Stewardship Guides and other relevant information can be accessed via the NRIS FSWeb website (http://fsweb.nris.fs.fed.us/).

Area of Use

The Cover Frequency protocol is relatively fast, accurate, and the data will reflect small changes in the measured parameters provided the methodology is consistent and an adequate sample is measured. The term “cover” is applied to a two-dimensional plane projection of some portion of the plant. Cover can be measured as cover from above (canopy closure), or either canopy cover or foliar cover. Frequency is a measure of presence/absence of a species. Measures of frequency are highly dependent on frame size and plant distribution. Time of year and site selection also play a significant role in the method accuracy and repeatability.

Mapping the Site

A spatial location and Site General Form are required for each site prior to adding the Cover Frequency sample. Requirements for locating a site can be found in the Site General Field Guide.

Cover Frequency Field Form Instructions

Descriptions of data fields are presented for applications requiring vegetation inventory and monitoring using the Cover Frequency method. Required data fields are indicated in the description and on the attached field form. Category headings and field numbers correspond to the layout and naming conventions used on the attached Cover Frequency Field Form. Fields that have a standard “List of Values” (LOV) associated with them are listed in Appendix B. During data collection in the field, one of these values must be selected. No other values are appropriate to use. The Cover Frequency Field form is in Appendix C of this field guide.

General Information

1) Site ID: Required Record the 30-digit code that uniquely identifies the site. This is the same number used on the Site General Form. No national convention exists for the Site ID, however including the region, forest and district facilitates sorting and querying. During data entry in Terra this field will be automatically linked from the Site General Form when creating the Cover Frequency sample.

2) Date: Required Record the calendar month, day, and year (mm/dd/yyyy) the site was visited This is the day the information was collected in the field, not the date the data was entered into the computer.

Sample Design

Baseline

3) Canopy Cover Method: Required (LOV) Record the method used to estimate cover, (e.g. CVRPCT for cover percent).

4) Number of Transects: Required Record the total number of transects sampled. The standard is 3 but this may vary by objective.

5) Baseline Bearing Record the compass bearing (0-360 degrees) of the baseline from the 0.0 mark. For radial designs this value could be null.

6) Baseline Length and 7) Unit of Measure (UOM): (LOV) Record the length of the baseline. For radial designs this value could be null. The UOM will default to feet and may be changed to meters.

8) Cover Kind: (LOV) Record the method used to measure cover (e.g. CC if using canopy cover).

9) First Transect Location and 10) UOM: (LOV) Record the location of the 1st transect in reference to the baseline. This is usually at the 0 foot mark on the baseline or a random distance from there. To ensure that all transects are placed within the length of the baseline, choose small numbers to start (e.g., 0-6 using a single die). Transects may be perpendicular to the baseline or the design may vary. The UOM will default to feet and maybe changed to meters.

11) Transect Interval and 12) UOM: (LOV) Record the distance between the transects. For radial designs this value could be 0. Record the UOM in feet or meters.

13) Frame Length and 14) UOM: (LOV) Record the length of the long side of the microplot (for rectangular frames). For a Daubenmire frame the length would be 50 cm. Square frames will have equal length and width. The UOM will default to centimeters but may be changed to feet, inches or meters.

15) Frame Width and 16) UOM: (LOV) Record the width of the short side of the frame (for rectangular frames). For a Daubenmire frame the would be 20 cm. The UOM will default to centimeters but may be changed to feet, inches or meters.

17) Orientation: (LOV) Record the orientation of the frame in relation to the transect (e.g. CRSC = cover plot right, lower left adjacent, shortest). In this example the frame is on the right side of the transect tape when looking from 0.0, and the lower left corner of the frame would be at the foot/meter marker on the transect tape, with the short side of the frame parallel to the transect tape. This example is for rectangular frames.

18) Species List Complete: Required (LOV) Record the level of species measured on the site (e.g., R5 = species with cover <5% not recorded).

19) Species List Complete Comments:

Record the descriptive comment that defines the level of species sampled on the site in Field 18 (e.g., indicator species were measured even if cover was <5%).

Transects

20) Transect Number: Required Record the transect number. These are sequential numbers starting with 1. When each new transect is added in the electronic form, transect information will automatically be duplicated and can be edited if necessary.

21) Frames: Required Record the numbers of frames on each transect. The standard number is 20 but may vary with vegetation pattern and other factors.

22) Transect Length and 23) UOM: (LOV) Record the total length of the transect. The standard length is 100 feet but this may vary, and is a function of vegetation size and spacing. The UOM will default to feet but may be changed to meters.

24) Transect Bearing:

Record the bearing direction (0-360 degrees) of the transect.

25) First Frame Location and 26) UOM:

Record the location of the first frame along the transect from the 0.0 mark. The UOM will default to feet but may be changed to inches, centimeters or meters.

27) Frame Interval and 28) UOM:

Record the interval for frame placement on the transect (e.g. 1 ft). The UOM will default to feet but may be changed to inches, centimeters or meters.

Frame Measurements

29) Ground Cover: (LOV) Record the ground cover values that are being measured. You may select either a plant (combination of Plant Code and/or Life form) OR ground cover code for each record (row on the data form).

30) NRCS Plant Code and Scientific Name: (LOV) Record all plant species that are collected using the cover frequency measurement. Follow the USDA PLANTS database, plant symbols convention (USDA, NRCS 2002). It is a good habit to write out the name or a portion of the name on the field form to minimize misapplication of plant codes. Include the genus, species, and subspecies or variety as needed to properly identify the plants. You may select either a plant (combination of Plant Code and/or Life form) OR a ground cover value for each record (row on the data form).

31) Lifeform: (LOV) Record the lifeform code, if desired for each species recorded. During data entry into Terra, this field will be autopopulated with an accepted value from the default Plants List. It may be edited. Lifeform may be used alone or in combination with a plant code.

32) Live/Dead: (LOV) Record the code indicating whether the species is live (L) or dead (D).

33) 01 (Frame 01): (LOV) Record the cover class value or cover percent of the vegetation or ground cover codes in Frame 01.

The midpoint of the cover class will be displayed in the electronic form for Canopy Cover Methods other than CVRPCT.

Appendix A - Literature Cited

BLM. 1999. Measuring Vegetation Attributes. BLM Technical Reference 1734-4. Denver, Colorado.

(165 pp.).

Bonham, C. D. 1989. Measurements for terrestrial vegetation. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons.

Brohman, R.; Bryant, L. eds. 2005. Existing Vegetation Classification ad Mapping Technical Guide.

Gen. Tech. Rep. WO-67. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Ecosystem Management Coordination Staff. (305pp).

Elzinga, C., et al. 1998. Measuring and Monitoring Plant Populations. BLM Technical Reference

1730-1. Denver, Colorado. (477 pp.).

FGDC. 1997. Vegetation Classification Standard. FGDC-STD-005. Vegetation Subcommittee, Federal Geographic Data Committee. FGDC Secretariat, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia, USA.

Hironaka, M. 1985. Frequency approaches to monitor rangeland vegetation. Symp. on use of frequency for rangeland monitoring. William C. Krueger, Chairman. Proc., 38th Annual meeting, Soc. For Range Management Feb. 1985. Salt Lake City, UT. Society for Range Management 84-86.

USDA Forest Service. 2003. National Range Protocols. Washington Office – Detached Rangelands Staff, Ft. Collins, Colorado. Available Online:

http://fsweb.ftcol.wo.fs.fed.us/frs/rangelands/protocols.shtml

USDA, NRCS 2002. The PLANTS database, version 3.5. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA http://plants.usda.gov

Winthers, E., Fallon, D., Haglund, J., DeMeo, T., Tart, D., Ferwerda, M., Robertson, G., Gallegos, A., Rorick, A., Cleland, D. T., Robbie, W., 2005. Terrestrial Ecological Unit Inventory Technical Guide. Gen. Tech. Rep. WO-68. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Ecosystem Management Coordination Staff. (245pp).

Appendix B – Cover Frequency List of Values

3) Canopy Cover Method:

Code Description CVRPCT Canopy Cover percent DAUBEN Daubenmire’s Canopy Cover Classes.

GYA Noxious Weeds, Greater Yellowstone Codes. National Rangeland

Methodologies Data Dictionary Noxious Weed Classes.

NRMBRO Browse – National Rangeland Methodologies Data Dictionary Browse

Cover Classes.

NRMCOV Cover Ten Codes - National Rangeland Methodologies Data

Dictionary Canopy Cover Classes.

PHENOL Phenology - National Rangeland Methodologies Data Dictionary

Canopy Cover Classes.

8) Cover Kind:

BA Basal Area CA Cover from Above CC Canopy Cover FC Foliar Cover

17) Orientation:

CCLC Cover plot centered, longest axis, lower adjacent CCLM Cover plot centered, longest axis, side centered CCSC Cover plot centered, shortest axis, lower adjacent CCSM Cover plot centered, shortest axis, side centered CLLC Cover plot left, lower left adjacent, longest CLLM Cover plot left, midpoint, longest CLSC Cover plot left, lower left adjacent, shortest.

CLSM Cover plot left, midpoint, shortest CRLC Cover plot right, lower left adjacent, longest CRLM Cover plot right, midpoint, longest CRSC Cover plot right, lower left adjacent, shortest CRSM Cover plot right, midpoint, shortest

18) Species List Complete:

C Complete, All species found on the plot recorded.

R1 Reduced, species with cover <1% not recorded R5 Reduced, species with cover <5% not recorded R10 Reduced, species with cover <10% not recorded R20 Reduced, species with cover <20% not recorded RL Reduced, lifeform only. No species are recorded RS Reduced by selected criteria.

29) Ground Cover:

ASH Ash (organic, from fire): Remaining residue after all combustible material has been burned off.

BAFO Basal Forb: Basal (cross sectional area at or near the ground level) cover of forbs.

BAGR Basal graminoid: Basal (cross sectional area at or near the ground level) cover of grasses or grasslike plants.

BARE Bare soil (soil particles < 2 mm): Bare soil, not covered by rock, cryptogams, or organic material. Does not include any part of a road (see definition for road).

BARR Barren: Areas naturally devoid of vegetation, such as intermittent lakebeds and saline flats. Does not include areas denuded of vegetation.

BASH Basal Shrub: Basal (cross sectional area at or near the ground level) cover of shrubs.

BATR Basal tree: Basal (cross sectional area at or near the ground level) cover of trees.

BAVE Basal vegetation: Basal vegetation, not differentiated by lifeform. For use when basal vegetation is not separated into more detailed codes.

BEDR Bedrock: A general term for the rock, usually solid, that underlies soil or other unconsolidated, superficial material.

BOUL Boulders (round and flat): Rock > 600 mm in diameter or length. Generic term for use when boulders are not differentiated by round and flat.

CHAN Channers (2-150 mm long): Long, thin rock fragments up to 150 mm in length, as determined by National Cooperative Soil Survey.

CML Cryptogams, mosses, and lichens: For situations where information is not further differentiated.

COBB Cobbles (75-250 mm): Rock fragments between 75 and 250 mm in diameter.

COGR Coarse gravel( 20-75 mm): Rock fragments between 20 and 75 mm in diameter.

CRYP Thin, biotically dominated ground or surface crusts on soil in dry rangeland conditions; e.g. cryptogamic crust (algae, lichen, mosses or cyanobacteria).

DEVP Surface area occupied or covered by any man-made structure other than a road, such as a building, dam, parking lot, electronic site/structure.

FIGR Fine gravel (2-5 mm): Rock fragments between 2 and 5 mm in diameter.

FLAG Flag stones (380-600 mm long): Flat Rock fragments between 150 and 380 mm in diameter.

FLBO Flat boulders(>600 mm long): Flat Rock fragments >600 mm in diameter.

FLST Flat Stone (380-600mm long): Flat Rock fragments between 380 and 600 mm in diameter.

GRAV Gravel (2-75 mm): Rock fragments between 2 and 75 mm in diameter.

LICH Lichen: an organism generally recognized as a single plant that consists of a fungus and an alga or cyanobacterium living in a symbiotic association. For lichen growing on bare soil in dry rangeland conditions see cryptogamic crust.

LITT Litter and duff: Leaf and needle litter, and duff not yet incorporated into the decomposed top humus layer. Non-continuous litter is not included (for example, scattered needles over soil is classified as BARE.

MEGR Medium gravel(5-20 mm): Rock fragments between 5 and 20 mm in diameter.

MOSS Moss: Nonvascular, terrestrial green plant, including mosses, hornworts, and liverworts. Always herbaceous. This code does not apply to moss growing on bare soil in dry rangeland conditions. For rangeland conditions, see cryptogamic crusts.

NOIN Not Inventoried: Non-inventoried condition classes: census water or hazardous terrain.

PAVE Pavement: A natural, concentration of closely packed and polished stones at the soil surface in a desert (may or may not be an erosional lag).

PEIC Permanent Ice: Ice covering the surface; does not melt during the growing season. The surface is ice-covered for the entire year (i.e. glaciers).

PEIS Permanent Ice and Snow: Surface area covered by ice and snow at the time of plot measurement, considered permanent. For use when permanent ice and snow are not differentiated.

PESN Permanent Snow: Snow covering the surface; does not melt during the growing season. The surface is snow-covered for the entire year.

ROAD Road: Improved roads, paved roads, gravel roads, improved dirt roads, and off-road vehicle trails regularly maintained or in long-term continuing use.

Generally constructed using machinery. Includes cutbanks and fills.

ROBO Round boulder(> 600 mm): Round Rock fragments >600 mm in diameter.

ROCK Rock: Relatively hard, naturally formed mineral or petrified matter >1/8 inch in dia. appearing on soil surface, as small to large fragments, or as rel. large bodies, cliffs, outcrops or peaks. Includes bedrock.

ROST Round stone (250-600 mm): Rock fragments between 250 and 600 mm in diameter.

STON Stones (Round and flat).

TEPH Tephra volcanic: A general term for all material formed by volcanic explosion or aerial expulsion (as opposed to flow) from a volcanic vent.

TRIC Transient Ice: Iced covering the surface; the ice will melt during the growing season.

TRIS Transient Ice and Snow: Surface area covered by ice and snow at the time of plot measurement, considered transient. For use when permanent ice and snow are not differentiated.

TRSN Transient Snow: Snow covering the surface; the snow will melt during the growing season.

UNKN Unknown: Other covers not defined elsewhere.

WATE Water: Where the water table is above the ground surface during the growing season, such as streams, bogs, swamps, marshes, and ponds.

WOOD Wood: Woody material, slash, and debris; any woody material, small and large woody debris, regardless of depth. Litter and non-continuous litter are not included (for example, scattered needles over soil is classified as BARE).

31) Lifeform:

Code Name Description AL Algae A general name for the single-celled plant plankton, seaweeds, and their freshwater allies.

FB Forb/herb Vascular plant without significant woody tissue above or at the ground. Forbs and herbs may be annual, biennial, or perennial, but always lack significant thickening by secondary woody growth and have perennating buds borne at or below the ground surface. Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC, 1997) definition includes graminoids, forbs, and ferns; in PLANTS, graminoids are separated.

FU Fungi A non-flowering plant of the kingdom Fungi, lacking chlorophyll.

GR Graminoid Grass or grass-like plant, including grasses (Poaceae), sedges (Cyperaceae), rushes (Juncaceae), arrow-grasses (Juncaginaceae), and quillworts (Isoetes). An herb in the FGDC classification (FGDC, 1997).

LC Lichen Organism generally recognized as a single plant that consists of a fungus and an alga or cyanobacterium living in symbiotic association. Often attached to solid objects such as rocks or living or dead wood rather than soil.

LI Liana Climbing plant found in forests with long, woody, rope-like stems of anomalous anatomical structure. A shrub in the FGDC classification (FGDC, 1997).

NP Nonvascular Nonvascular, terrestrial green plant, including mosses, hornworts, and liverworts. Always herbaceous, and often attached to solid objects such as rocks or living or dead wood rather than soil.

SH Shrub Perennial, multi-stemmed woody plant that is usually less than 4 to 5 meters or 13 to 16 feet in height. Shrubs typically have several stems arising from or near the ground, but may be taller than 5 meters or single-stemmed under certain environmental conditions.

SS Subshrub Low-growing shrub usually under 0.5 m or 1.5 feet tall (never exceeding 1 meter or 3 feet tall) at maturity. A dwarf-shrub in the FGDC classification (FGDC, 1997).

TR Tree Perennial, woody plant with a single stem (trunk), normally greater than 4 to 5 meters or 13 to 16 feet in height; under certain environmental conditions, some tree species may develop a multi-stemmed or short growth form (less than 4 meters or 13 feet in height).

UN Unknown Lifeform is unknown.

VI Vine Twining/climbing plant with relatively long stems, which can be woody or herbaceous. FGDC classification (FGDC, 1997) considers woody vines to be shrubs and herbaceous vines to be herbs.

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