4. CSE Field Guide - Shawnee.docx

Shawnee Common Stand Exam (CSE) Guide & Data Protocol

· Data collection on the Shawnee National Forest follows the Natural Resource Information System (NRIS) Field Sampled Vegetation Common Stand Exam Field Guide Region 9.

· The following guide is information specific to data collection on the Shawnee

· Setting Form

· Proclaimed Region = 09

· Proclaimed National Forest = 08

· State = IL

· Administrative Forest = 08

· District

· County

· Sample Design

· Each CSE plot will require a variable radius plot and an embedded fixed radius plot following this information:

· Use a 10 Basal Area Factor (BAF) prism in hardwood forest types to tally all live or dead deciduous and coniferous trees ≥ 2.0” DBH or use a 20 BAF prism in conifer forest types to tally all live or dead coniferous and deciduous trees ≥ 2.0” DBH for each stand. Trees will be recorded individually and in order starting with the tree to the right of 0˚ azimuth, moving clockwise.

· Install a 1/700 acre (4.45 foot radius) fixed subplot size used in tallying trees ≤ 1.99” DBH. The fixed radius subplot tallies all live conifer and deciduous trees 0.1” DBH to 1.99" DBH and all live conifer and deciduous trees 0.5’ height to 4.5’ height. Trees may be recorded in groups of same species and heights. Only heights are required for trees less than 4.5’. Both DBH and height are required for trees over 4.5’.

Form Type

Method Expansion Factor

Az

Condition Subpop Filter

Variable

OR

Form Type

Method Expansion Factor

Az

Condition Subpop Filter

Variable

AND

Form Type

Method Expansion Factor

Az

Condition Subpop Filter

Variable

· The number of CSE plots per stand will be determined using the following information

· Plot Data

· Latitude/Longitude (Required)

· Degrees – maximum of three digits. A leading zero may be entered (i.e. 090).

· Minutes – two digits.

· Seconds – four digits. Seconds shall be rounded to the nearest hundredth (i.e. 17.36).

· Aspect (Required)

· General direction from North in degrees towards which the plot faces

· 0 = Flat

· 183 =183

· 999 = Indeterminate/Undulating

· Slope (Optional)

· Angle of the slope across the plot

· Tree Data

· Tree Status. The following tree class codes shall be used.

· Site/Growth Trees. A minimum of one-site tree shall be recorded per stand. A distance and azimuth from the nearest plot center (or GPS waypoint) shall be provided for off-plot site trees

· Age is determined from cored tree. To get total age follow these general guidelines:

· Cored Age (Add years)

· 2 – Green Ash, Cottonwood, Sweetgum

· 3 –Oaks, Tulip Poplar, Silver Maple, Eastern White Pine, Loblolly

· 4 –Elm, Basswood, Black Cherry, White Ash, Beech, Sugar Maple, Red Maple

· 5 – Shortleaf

· 6 - Hickories

· Tree Species. Tree species shall be limited to the forest specific list generated in the .cse file provided to the contractor.

· Tree Count. Trees ≤ 1.00” to 1.99” DBH may be grouped by DBH class and species. Trees ≥ 2.0” DBH shall be tallied individually. Tree count is based on variable radius BAF for each plot. If necessary, the distance measurement should be taken from the face of the tree to plot center and compared to tables in Appendix J of the CSE Users Guide. A tree within the limiting distance is “in” and beyond the limiting distance is “out”.

· DBH. The following size classes (in inches) shall be used. The accuracy standard (option 1) is required unless specifically modified in the solicitation where more accuracy is required (option 2 will be used in that case).

· Snag/Decay Class: The following table is from the CSE Field Guide and should be recorded with a rating from 1-5.

Decay

Breakage

Since Death

· Regeneration Plot Only

· Plot size is 1/700 acre (4.45 ft radius). Follow the chart below to determine radius on areas with greater slope than flat:

Existing Vegetation Guidance – Shawnee Specific

PINE

3 White Pine - A stand in which white pine is a majority of the commercial stocking.

31 Loblolly Pine – A stand in which loblolly pine is a majority of the commercial stocking.

32 Shortleaf Pine - A stand in which shortleaf pine is a majority of the commercial stocking.

33 Virginia Pine - A stand in which Virginia pine is a majority of the commercial stocking.

35 Eastern Redcedar - A stand in which red cedar is a majority of the commercial stocking.

38 Pitch Pine – A stand in which Pitch pine is a majority of the commercial stocking.

OAK PINE

41 White Pine-N. Red Oak-Ash-Hardwood - A stand composed of 25 to 50% white pine, and the remainder of the commercial stocking is hardwood.

42 Eastern Red Cedar-Hardwood - A stand composed of 25 to 50% red cedar, and the remainder of the commercial stocking is hardwood.

43 Oak-Eastern White Pine - A stand in which oak and eastern white pine in combination is a majority of the commercial stocking.

44 Shortleaf Pine-Oak-Hardwood - A stand composed of 25 to 50% shortleaf pine, and the remainder of the commercial stocking is oak species with a lesser stocking of any other hardwood species.

45 Virginia Pine-Hardwoods- A stand composed of 25 to 50% Virginia pine, and the remainder of the commercial stocking is hardwood.

46 Oak-Shortleaf Pine – A stand composed of 25 to 50% oak species, and the remainder of the commercial stocking is shortleaf pine with a lesser stocking of any other hardwood species 49 Red Pine-Oak - A stand composed of 25 to 50% Red pine and the remainder of the commercial stocking is oak species with a lesser stocking of any other hardwood species.

OAK - HICKORY

50 Pin Oak-Hickory (Upland) – A stand in which pin oak singularly or in combination with hickory form a majority of the commercial species. (Rare on the Shawnee in upland habitats) 51 Post or Blackjack Oak-Hickory - A stand in which post or blackjack oak and hickory singularly or in combination form a majority of the commercial species.

52 Chestnut Oak-Hickory - A stand in which chestnut oak and hickory in combination or chestnut oak singularly is a majority of the commercial stocking.

53 Black Oak-Scarlet Oak-Hickory - A stand in which any of the above in combination or singularly is a majority of the commercial stocking.

54 White Oak-Hickory - A stand in which white oak and hickory in combination or white oak singularly is a majority of the commercial stocking.

55 Northern Red Oak-Hickory - A stand in which northern red oak and hickory in combination or northern red oak singularly is a majority of the commercial stocking.

56 Yellow Poplar-White Oak Group-Red Oak Group - A stand in which yellow poplar and oak form a majority of the commercial stocking. Yellow poplar should constitute at least 30% of the commercial stocking.

58 Sweetgum-Yellow Poplar - A stand in which yellow-poplar or sweetgum singularly or in combination are a majority of the commercial stocking. This type includes yellow-poplar and sweetgum plantations.

59 Mixed Oak - Any stand with a majority of oak, hickory and yellow poplar that will not meet the criteria established for the other 50 code types.

BOTTOMLAND OAK

60 Oak-Hardwoods – Any lowland or riparian stand composed of individual oak or mixed oak species that will not meet the criteria established for the other 60 code types and the remainder of the commercial stocking is any other hardwood species that will not meet criteria established for other 70 code types.

61 Swamp Chestnut-Cherrybark-Pin Oak-Hickory - A stand in which swamp chestnut or cherrybark or pin oak and hickory singularly or in combination form a majority of the commercial species.

62 Sweetgum-Nutall Oak-Willow Oak-Hickory - A stand in which sweetgum or nutall oak or willow oak and hickory singularly or in combination form a majority of the commercial species. This includes bottomland sweetgum plantations.

67 Cypress-Water Tupelo - A stand in which cypress or water tupelo singularly or in combination form a majority of the commercial species.

ELM - ASH - SYCAMORE, ETC.

70 Sugar Maple-Black Cherry – A stand in which sugar maple and black cherry combine to form the majority of the commercial stocking and will not meet criteria for 80 code types.

71 Ash-American Elm-Red Maple - A stand in which the listed species singularly or in combination form the majority of the commercial stocking and will not meet criteria for other 70 code types.

72 River Birch-Sycamore - A stand in which river birch or sycamore singularly or in combination form a majority of the commercial stocking (include sycamore plantations).

73 Cottonwood - A stand in which cottonwood is a majority of the commercial stocking.

74 White Ash - A stand in which white ash is a majority of the commercial stocking.

75 Sycamore-Pecan-Elm - A stand in which the listed species singularly or in combination form the majority of the commercial stocking. Elm growing on an upland site should be included in type 89.

76 Red Maple (wet site) - A stand in which red maple is a majority of the commercial stocking and the site is wet.

77 Green Ash - A stand in which green ash is a majority of the commercial stocking (includes plantations).

78 Black Walnut - A stand in which black walnut is a majority of the commercial stocking (usually a plantation).

79 Mixed Lowland Hardwoods - A lowland hardwood stand that does not meet the criteria for the other 70 code types.

MAPLE - BEECH, ETC.

80 – Sugar Maple-N. Red Oak - A stand in which sugar maple and N. Red Oak in combination form the majority of the commercial stocking and will not meet criteria of other code types.

81 Sugar Maple-Beech - A stand in which maple and beech in combination form the majority of the commercial stocking.

82 Sugar Maple - Basswood - A stand in which sugar maple and basswood in combination form the majority of the commercial stocking.

83 Black Cherry-White Ash-Yellow Poplar - A stand in which black cherry, white ash and yellow poplar in combination form a majority of the commercial stocking.

84 Red Maple (dry site) - A stand in which red maple is a majority of the commercial stocking and the site is dry.

85 Sugar Maple - A stand in which sugar maple dominates the commercial stocking.

86 Beech - A stand in which beech dominates the commercial stocking.

88 Black Locust - A stand in which black locust is a majority of the commercial stocking.

89 Mixed Upland Hardwood - Any upland hardwood stand that will not meet the criteria established for other 80 code types. Includes stands with a mixture of maple, elm, beech, black cherry, black gum, black locust, white ash. Low amounts of oak, hickory, or poplar.

NONSTOCKED

97 Lowland Brush - Productive lowland supporting such lowland shurbs as elder, willow, dogwood, etc. from which forest trees have been removed to less than 16% stocking.

98 Upland Brush - Productive uplands that are less than 16% stocked with commercial species and are supporting upland shrubs with small open grown trees such as sumac, dogwood, sassafras, persimmon, and red cedar.

99 Open Fields and Grass - Productive uplands or lowlands with grass or herb cover from which forest tree cover has been removed to less than 16% stocking.