CSE_Suppl_Appendices.pdf

Region 1 Common Stand Exam and Inventory and Monitoring Protocols

February, 2015

R1 SUPPLEMENTAL APPENDICES

R1 Field Guide – Common Stand Exam Region 1 Sample Designs Appendix R1-B

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Region 1 SUPPLEMENTAL APPENDICES:

R1-A Deriving Statistical Accuracy for Stand Exam Design This section has been moved to the R1 SUPPLEMENT TO NATIONAL FSVEG/CSE USER’S GUIDE Chapter 2: Preparation and Design.

R1-B Region 1 Sample Designs

R1-C Juniper Allegro Pro

R1-D Supplemental Data Collection Forms

Ground Surface Cover Transects Form

R1-E Canopy Cover Protocols

R1-F Protocols for taking Plot Photos

R1–G Plot Monumentation / Witness Tree information

R1-H Fire Information/Weather Observations Form

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Appendix R1-A: Deriving Statistical Accuracy for Stand Exam Design

This section is now maintained in the R1 SUPPLEMENT TO NATIONAL FSVEG/CSE USER’S GUIDE Chapter 2: Preparation and Design.

Appendix R1-B: Region 1 Sample Designs

This appendix lists examples of Region 1 Sample Designs for the Tree Data Form, Vegetation Composition Form, Ground Surface Cover Form, and Down-Woody Materials Form.

A. Tree Data Form

Below are examples of several potential “plot sizes” and “sample trees” that would qualify for measurement given possible exam objectives.

For plots with a “BAF (Basal Area Factor)” listed, qualifying trees would be sampled using the appropriate variable-radius sampling techniques. For plots with an “acre” listed, qualifying trees would be sampled using the inverse of the fixed-radius plot that is indicated.

Example 1:

Large Plot (40 BAF) – 5.0-inch breakpoint diameter

Small Plot (1/300th acre) – all trees 0.01- to 4.9-inches DBH, and live trees ≥ 0.5 feet tall

Example 2:

Large Plot (30 BAF) – 4.3-inch breakpoint diameter

Small Plot (1/300th acre) – all trees 0.1- to 4.2-inches DBH, including seedlings ≥ 0.1 foot tall

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Example 3:

Large Plot (20 BAF) – 5.0-inch breakpoint diameter

Small Plot (1/300th acre) – all trees 0.1- to 4.9-inches DBH, or trees ≥ 0.5 feet tall

Example 4:

Large Plot (20 BAF) – 3.5-inch breakpoint diameter

Small Plot (1/300th acre) – all trees 0.1- to 3.4-inches DBH, or trees ≥ 0.5 feet tall

Example 5:

Large Plot (20 BAF) – 3.0-inch breakpoint diameter

Small Plot (1/300th acre) – all trees 0.1- to 2.9-inches DBH, or trees ≥ 0.5 feet tall

Example 6:

Large Plot (15 BAF) – 3.0-inch breakpoint diameter

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Example 7:

Large Plot (10 BAF) – 5.0-inch breakpoint diameter

Small Plot (1/300th acre) – all trees 0.1- to 4.9-inches DBH, or trees ≥ 0.5 feet tall

Example 8:

Large Plot (10 BAF) – 3.0-inch breakpoint diameter

Example 9:

Large Plot (10 BAF) – 2.5-inch breakpoint diameter

Small Plot (1/300th acre) – all trees 0.1- to 2.4-inches DBH, or trees ≥ 0.5 feet tall

Example 10:

Large Plot –

(20 BAF) – 5.0-inch breakpoint diameter for all live trees, and dead trees 5.0- to 8.9-inches DBH

(10 BAF) – dead trees ≥ 9.0-inches DBH

Small Plot (1/300th acre) – all trees 0.1- to 4.9-inches DBH, and all live trees ≥ 0.5 feet tall

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Example 11:

Large Plot –

(20 BAF) – 5.0-inch breakpoint diameter for all live trees (10 BAF) – all dead trees ≥ 5.0-inches DBH

Small Plot (1/100th acre) – all trees 0.1- to 4.9-inches DBH, and all live trees ≥ 0.5 feet tall

Example 12:

Large Plot – (1/4th acre) – all trees ≥ 21.0-inches DBH (1/24th acre) – all trees 5.0- to 20.9-inches DBH

Small Plot (1/100th acre) – all trees 0.1- to 4.9-inches DBH, and live trees ≥.5 feet tall

B. Vegetation Composition Form

1/100th-acre fixed-plot – measure all live vegetation occurring within the plot perimeter, with a canopy cover of 5 percent or greater.

1/10th-acre fixed-plot – measure all live vegetation occurring within the plot perimeter (to trace amounts).

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Example 3:

Mixed sampling methods, based on lifeform-

Line-intercept method to measure canopy cover of trees. Measured on 100’ of transect.

Fixed area plot method, 1/24th acre, measure all live shrub, grass, and forbs occurring within the plot perimeter.

C. Ground Surface Cover Form

1/100th-acre fixed-area plot – measure ground surface cover types occurring within the plot perimeter.

Point-intercept method – measure ground surface occurring at each point along a transect. 100 points are measured at each “plot” (transect).

D. Down-Woody Materials Form

Example:

Brown’s Protocol – follow sampling procedures according to Brown’s Protocol.

7 foot-transect – sample down-woody fuels for three diameter classes (0.01 to 0.24-inch; 0.25 to 0.99-inch; 1.00 to 2.99-inches) 27-foot transect – sample down-woody fuels ≥ 3.0 inches in diameter

R1 Field Guide – Common Stand Exam Juniper Allegro Pro Appendix R1-C

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Appendix R1-C: Juniper Allegro

A. About the Juniper Allegro Pro The Juniper Systems Allegro CX & MX data recorders are designed for use in extreme field environments. Allegros will operate in temperatures ranging from –20 ºF to 130 ºF. The Allegro is water resistant and can be used in rain/snow and will maintain data integrity when submerged in water for short periods of time. Refer to the owner’s manual for additional information. The manual can be found on disc, or here:

http://www.junipersys.com/Juniper-Systems/support/Documentation/Allegro-Field-PC

One important note: the touchscreen can be locked (if you need to wipe it clean and don’t wish to turn the unit off) by pushing (Blue Key + TS/BkSp for CX or Blue Key + . for MX)

B. Care for the Allegro

The Allegro is considered a rugged field PC, but has limitations as to what it can withstand.

When not being used, Allegros should be stored in an office with the battery removed.

Conditions to avoid are temperature extremes, shock, storing with other equipment (one was severely damaged as it rubbed against a hatchet in a pack all day). Padded cases should be used for day to day use.

The Allegro screens are fragile and can be scratched and broken. Take care not to expose the screen to course surfaces or impact the screen in anyway. Screen protectors should always be used. New style scree protectors are far superior to older style ones; they have less glare, last much longer, and don’t peel off as easily.

The faceplate, over the keypad, can be removed by prying up from the slot near the bottom of the PDR. Clean out dirt and debris with a soft brush or compressed air can. Carefully replace the faceplate by ensuring that the keys go entirely through the keyholes. Keys that stick under the faceplate should be gently pressed until they work up through the faceplate.

When you restart the Allegro you may get an error message that reads “stuck key failure.”

When this occurs, turn the Allegro off, and gently press and jiggle each key until the stuck key is free. The ports and the top of the Allegro (COM 1 and COM 2) should be periodically cleaned with a brush. The rubber caps for the ports should always be kept in place to protect ports from water, debris, and accidental impacts.

There should not be any debris inside the battery compartment, or the PC flash card compartment. A gasket protects these areas from dirt, dust, and water. If dirt is present in the battery or flash card compartment, blow it out with a compressed air can.

C. Turning the Allegro “On” and “Off”

To turn the Allegro on, briefly press the on/off key (don’t hold it down). Allow the Allegro to boot up, and then the data recorder will be ready for use. To turn the Allegro off, press the on/off key again. This will not “shut down” the Allegro, but puts the Allegro in a “suspend” mode. If you are entering data and you accidentally press the on/off key, data will not be lost. Just press the on/off key again and the program will resume where you left off.

http://www.junipersys.com/Juniper-Systems/support/Documentation/Allegro-Field-PC

R1 Field Guide – Common Stand Exam Juniper Allegro Pro Appendix R1-C

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If you press and hold the on/off key, the Allegro will perform a hard reboot. Hard reboots should be performed if the PDR freezes up, and no keys are working, but data will be lost since it was last saved.

Note: For Exams software use, it is necessary to change PDR settings to the Suspend/Resume mode rather than the on/off mode, to help prevent the accidental loss of data. Refer to section H below (Settings for Exams Software).

D. Allegro Batteries Overview Allegros are efficient and use little power. The Allegros have two types of main battery packs, an AA clamshell and NiMh rechargeable. There is also an internal lithium backup battery, and a super capacitor. Depending on your application and temperature, the light colored plastic “clamshell” holds 3 AA alkaline batteries and will last an average 2 to 8 hours. The black or dark gray NiMH (nickel metal hydride) battery packs are rechargeable and last 8 to 20 hours when batteries are in good condition and charged properly. The internal lithium backup battery powers the real time clock and the CMOS RAM. The super capacitor serves as the RAM backup and maintains the RAM while you change the main battery pack.

For all other battery information, refer the manual that comes with each PDR.

E. Settings for Exams Software for Allegro CX In order for Exams software to function correctly, the first time an Allegro CX is used, the following settings must be made:

From the Taskbar select: “Start/Settings/Control Panel/Display/Appearance”

Under Scheme, make sure it is set to Windows Standard, and that Item is set to Desktop.

Hit Apply and then OK

For ActiveSync to work properly, the connection settings should be set to 57600 baud.

To change this, follows these procedures:

Go to “Start/Settings/Control panel/PC Connection”

Select the PC Connection Tab.

The box at the bottom of the screen should say.

Connect using: ‘Com1 @ 57600 baud’

If the setting is not as above use the Change…button to select this setting.

Click OK, and then OK again.

If you are using USB cradles to move data, change the connection settings to

USB.

Warning: These steps are best done prior to loading the ExamsPDR software onto the PDR. If you reboot the PDR after you have loaded the software you may get an error message that “ExamsPDR is not a valid Windows CE application”. You should save the setting prior to reboot using Start/Programs/Utilities/Save Registry to avoid the PDR reverting to factory default settings after reboot.

R1 Field Guide – Common Stand Exam Supplemental Data Collection Forms Version 1.8 Appendix R1-D

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Appendix R1-D: Supplemental Data Collection Forms

Ground Surface Point Intercept Form:

Project Name: __________________________________________ Region: 1 Proclaimed Forest: __________ District: __________ Owner: USFS Date:

Location: __________ Plot #: ____________ State: ___________ County: _________ ________________ Crew Names: _________________________________

Step 1: Cover type at hit mark Step 2: Sum by transect Step 3: Sum for plot

0° 90° 180° 270°

GROUND SURFACE

COVER PERCENT

(Cover %)

0° 90° 180° 270° Sum of Hits

1 ft ASH 2 ft BAVE 3 ft BARE 4 ft CRYP 5 ft DEVP 6 ft LICH 7 ft LITT 8 ft MOSS 9 ft PEIS

10 ft ROAD 11 ft ROCK 12 ft TRIS 13 ft UNKN

14 ft WATE 15 ft WOOD 16 ft TOTAL 17 ft should be: 25 25 25 25 100% 18 ft

19 ft Notes:

20 ft

21 ft 22 ft 23 ft 24 ft 25 ft start at 1-foot mark

Procedure: Lay out four transects (25.0-ft slope distance) from subplot center at 0, 90, 180, and 270 degrees. Start "hits" at the 1-foot mark (for a total of 25 hits per transect, and 100 hits per plot). STEP 1: From plot center, facing the plot perimeter, measure hits to the right side of the transect tape. Use the left columns to record the cover type encountered at the specified mark for the transect. STEP 2: For each transect direction, determine total hits by category and record count under the "Transects" columns. STEP 3: For each cover type category, determine the total number of hits across all transects and record under the "Sum of Hits" column. Because the total number of hits for all categories is 100, the GROUND SURFACE COVER PERCENT for a category is equal to the "Sum of Hits" for the category. Enter the total GROUND SURFACE COVER PERCENT by cover type category in the PDR. For definitions of individual cover types, refer to Field Guide.

Note: If any portion of a transect cannot be sampled, refer to Field Guide for "GROUND SURFACE COVER PERCENT adjustment" procedures.

GROUND SURFACE POINT-INTERSECT TRANSECTS FORM

0°

270° 90°

180°

Hit Mark

Cover Types

Cover Types

Transects

Version 1.8 Appendix R1-E

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Appendix R1-E: Measuring Canopy Cover

Tree Canopy Cover Canopy cover is the proportion of the forest floor covered by the vertical projection of tree crowns. Region One has a standard method for measuring canopy cover using line-intercept method for sampling. Transect length can be modified depending on: height of trees, variability within the setting, and necessary confidence intervals. Call someone on the Region One analysis team if you have implementation questions.

Implementation There are two methods to indicate and record that you collected canopy cover using the line-intercept method.

If you are collecting Vegetation Composition information, Exam Level of Vegetation Composition Form > 0, item 2.13, then indicate that Tree Lifeform canopy cover is collected along a transect using the line-intercept method in the Sample Design Form for Vegetation Composition (see below).

Method two is used if you intend to collect tree canopy cover and no other vegetation composition information. This is the case where the Exam Level of the Vegetation Composition Form = 0 (2.13). Use the following method: Enter CXXX in the plot user field where C denotes canopy cover is being collected and XXX is a three digit number indicating the percent canopy cover of trees on the transect.

For Example, C075 indicates that there was 75 % percent canopy cover. Be sure to use all three digits when entering the canopy cover so the value is interpreted correctly by the post-load processor when moving this value into the Canopy Cover field in FSVeg.

For either method used, follow these instructions: From the plot center lay out a 100 foot transect centered on plot center such that 50 feet extend east and 50 feet west for even numbered plots and north south for odd numbered plots. If the slope exceeds 10 percent correct both the transect length and feet of canopy cover prior to entering a percent. (see Appendix J)

Version 1.8 Appendix R1-E

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Count linear feet of transect that has tree crown above it to the nearest foot. Work in whole feet such that you only subtract gaps in crown or crown itself if they are one foot or longer. If the transect extends past stand boundaries, bend 90 degrees in whatever direction will keep the transect within the stand you are working in. Every tree, regardless of height or diameter should be included. Sum up the total linear feet of covered transect and record in the Cover by Lifeform form next to TOT, total tree. Estimate the percent cover in TOV (trees >= 6.1 ft) and TSA (trees <= 6 ft) along the transect. Note that these two fields can add to a total greater than TOT because TOV and TSA can be layered. The screen shot below of the Cover by Lifeform form in Exams shows where to record transect information and how TOV and TSA can add to a sum greater than TOT.

This is an example of an odd numbered plot. In this example, the plot is a fixed radius 1/24 th acre plot (24 ft. radius). The transect extends 50 feet north and 50 feet south, if the plot were even numbered it would extend east/west.

N

Plot

Center

Version 1.8 Appendix R1-F

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Appendix R1-F: Protocols for taking Plot Photos

Digital Plot Photos If photos are taken in the field, such as in each of the cardinal directions from the plot center, then use the following protocols. These types of photos can be used by land managers to appraise fuel and vegetation conditions on the plot, such as dead and down-woody material loading, tree density, and height of understory vegetation and, if using the Inventory and Monitoring protocols, how vegetation changes over time.

Procedure Prior to taking digital plot photos, fill out a photo placard with the information necessary to identify what the photo displays. Include identification information such as:

stand number, project name (optional), district number (optional), measurement number (IM), plot number identify the cardinal direction from plot center that the photo displays.

See an example of a photo placard below (Figure 1). Placards can be printed on paper, or could be made using a small dry-erase board with the project information printed in permanent marker. The placard should be located in one of the lower corners of the photo, without blocking too much of the field of vision. The information on the placard needs to be legible when the photo is zoomed in and should not be obscured by light reflections, vegetation, or darkness. The photo field of vision should include some understory vegetation as well as the spatial arrangement of trees in the direction the photo is being taken to provide information on tree spacing, surface fuels, and ladder fuels. The following photo shows a good example of an informative plot photo (Figure 2). Figure 3 shows a poor plot photo that doesn’t provide enough information on tree density and ladder fuels because the camera was pointed at the ground, limiting the field of vision.

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Figure 1: Example Photo Placard

Figure 2: Informative Plot Photo

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Figure 2: Unacceptable Plot Photo

Version 1.8 Appendix R1-G

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Appendix R1-G: Plot Monumentation/Witness Tree Information (IM)

This section will be added shortly. If you need it or need to be notified when it is added, please contact Tami Fikstad.

Version 1.8 Appendix R1-H

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Appendix R1-H: Fire Information/Weather Observation Form (IM)

This section will be added shortly. If you need it or need to be notified when it is added, please contact Tami Fikstad.