InvSpp-SurveyInventoryTreatment-NatProtocols-Integration_v2014-Final.pdf

USDA Forest Service National Forest System Data Recording Protocols and Requirements for

Invasive Species Survey, Inventory, and Treatment

Integration Version: 01/10/2014

Data Recording Protocols and Requirements for

Invasive Species Survey, Inventory and Treatment Activities

Table of Contents Page

Introduction ………………………………………………………………………

National Standards and Requirements...………………………………………………7

Invasive Species Survey……………………………………………………………….7

Invasive Species Inventory……………………………………………………………8

Invasive Species Treatment……………………………………………………………8

National Spatial Requirements for Invasive Species Data……………………………10

Required Invasive Species Survey Attributes…..……………………………….……12

Optional Invasive Species Survey Attributes……...…………………………………13

Required Invasive Species Infestation Attributes…………………………………….15

Optional Invasive Species Infestation Attributes..……………………………………17

Optional Site Attributes……………………………………………………………….19

Invasive Species Monitoring (Re-measurements)……………………………………..21

Invasive Plants without a Crosswalk in PLANTS Database………………………….22

Optional Location Detail for Survey and Inventory…………………………………..23

Required Treatment Area Attributes………………………………………………….25

Basic Invasive Species Treatment Activity –Required Attributes……………………25

Inventory/Target Species Attributes…………………………………………………..27

Pesticide Application Records..……………………………………………………….28

Biological Treatment Records…………..……………………………………………..31

Treatment Effectiveness Monitoring…………………………………………………..34

Appendix A: General Terminology……………………………………………………37

Appendix B: Infested Area Treated-Application Area-Acres Accomplished…………41

Appendix C: List of Values (LOV)……………………………………………………43

I. Introduction

The management of aquatic and terrestrial invasive species is an important part of the broad research and management work of the USDA Forest Service, particularly with respect to the integrated watershed restoration and resource stewardship activities of the National Forest

System (NFS). As defined in Executive Order 13112, and articulated in Forest Service management policy (FSM 2900 - Invasive Species Management), the term “invasive species” refers to any exotic species (including plants, pathogens, algae, fungi, vertebrates, and invertebrates) which causes harm to the environment, the economy, or human health. FSM

2900 also applies to harmful plants regulated as “noxious weeds” under State or Federal Statute.

Invasive species impact all aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. As we implement actions against these exotic invaders, we utilize many kinds of information on the location, extent, impacts, treatment efficacy, and rate of spread of infestations. It is important to maintain accurate records of our invasive species management activities.

The data recorded using these protocols will be a key source of information for reporting invasive species population or infestation levels, invasive species management planning, impact analyses and risk assessments as well as the basis for reporting information related to treatment and treatment monitoring of invasive species. Maintaining accurate records within prescribed protocols, rules, and standards will help provide valuable perspectives over time and help program managers set priorities and adapt management activities to improve future performance. In addition, keeping accurate records will also provide cumulative effects data to support forest planning activities and can help defend our actions during legal challenges to the

NFS Invasive Species Management Program, ultimately improving the overall accountability and integrity of the Program.

National Policy Requirements for Record Keeping

The Invasive Species Management directive (Forest Service Manual 2900) provides a solid policy foundation upon which to manage invasive species using proactive and science-based approaches and increased integration and collaboration at all levels. In particular, FSM 2900 stresses the importance of adhering to NFS national protocols, business rules, and standards when collecting, maintaining, and reporting accurate spatial and tabular records for each management activity. National record keeping and reporting requirements apply to all activities conducted to combat aquatic and terrestrial invasive species on national forests, national grasslands, and adjacent areas when accomplished under the Wyden Amendment. All records for these activities (regardless of project funding source or objective) must be collected and maintained within NFS national applications that are maintained within the national

Natural Resource Manager (NRM) database structure.

NRM-FACTS (Forest ACtivity Tracking System) and NRM-TESP/IS (Invasive Species Survey and Inventory Application) are, respectively, the Databases of Record for all treatment/treatment monitoring data and all survey/inventory data, related to invasive species management activities occurring on National Forests and Grasslands regardless of funding source or project objective. On July 1, 2012, NRM released the Invasive Species Integrated User

Interface to the field as the new required data entry/editing application for all spatial and tabular information associated with invasive species survey, inventory, and treatment activities conducted on National Forests and Grasslands. This new interface requires users to enter data through a single user interface that will feed data appropriately to both of the required

Databases of Record (FACTS and TESP/IS). As per the direction from USFS leadership, this new Integrated User Interface will improve NFS invasive species management data integration and meets all national record keeping and reporting standards, protocols, and requirements.

This integrated interface is also designed to simplify data entry across the entire NFS invasive species management business area, increase data quality, and meet the Forest Service’s national spatial data information requirements for activities conducted on National Forests and

Grasslands. As the NFS Invasive Species Management Program grows, all future modifications to these national data applications must meet the national architectural standards, security requirements, and NFS Invasive Species Management program business rules, standards and requirements; as well as be sanctioned and approved by NRM and NFS leadership.

Scope of These National Protocols

These data recording protocols and requirements provide details and direction for properly recording tabular and spatial information associated with invasive species surveys, inventories, and treatments when these activities are conducted on National Forests or National Grasslands, or on adjacent areas under the authority of the Wyden Amendment. These data entry protocols and requirements apply to all aquatic and terrestrial invasive species management activities conducted directly by USFS personnel, and indirectly by other cooperators or partners conducting activities on National Forests or Grasslands under contract, permit, or agreement with the USFS. These protocols do not apply to information related to native pest management (i.e. native forest pest insects, resident pest mammals, native pest plants, etc.).

Additionally, these data recording protocols and requirements provide a standardized approach for the recording of invasive species survey/detection activities, infestation/ occurrence data and treatment data collected in the field. That is, the user will not find information in this document to help him/her select the most effective integrated treatments available to achieve control of a particular invasive species or group of invasive species, or specifically how to detect a particular invasive species invasion. A compiled set of guidance on detecting, mapping, controlling, and other management activities against aquatic and terrestrial invasive species will be available in Forest Service Handbook 2909.11 when finalized.

There are six objectives for these Invasive Species record keeping standards, requirements, and protocols:

1. Meet requirements set forth in the NFS Invasive Species Management Policy (FSM

2900).

2. Provide consistent program oversight between levels of the organization; from the

Washington Office to Regional Offices, from Regional Offices to National Forests;

3. Clarify the allowable accomplishments and concepts to users and program managers;

4. Maintain transparency for accomplishments across regions and forests;

5. Document protocols for accounting and oversight by other groups;

6. Provide a process to accurately record the occurrence and spread of invasive species on

NFS lands, and the management activities applied to NFS landscapes.

A Landscape Approach for Data Sharing

Invasive species infestations cross-jurisdictional boundaries and are seldom managed in isolation. A cornerstone of invasive species management is cooperation and coordination with adjacent land ownerships and jurisdictions. This cooperation requires that information on the management of invasive species be shared. These data recording protocols and requirements are based on internationally recognized standards and meet National Forest System invasive species program reporting requirements. By using universally accepted data management standards and protocols, information can be easily shared between a variety of public and private organizations conducting invasive species management activities. Some of the data elements identified in these protocols may be optional for Forest Service use; but if used, can greatly facilitate data sharing with other cooperators across the broader landscape.

Relationships between Treatment Data and Survey/Inventory Data

The user should be aware of the relationship between treatment data stored in NRM-FACTS and invasive species inventory data stored in NRM-TESP/IS. In most cases, invasive species infestations/occurrences will be surveyed and if found recorded in TESP/IS prior to treatment.

There are situations where invasive species treatment activities will occur concurrently with the discovery of a new infestation/occurrence.

In many cases successful invasive species control or eradication programs require multiple treatments on the same site, during the same season/year, or over multiple years. The resulting data collected on these activities can be confusing without adequate descriptors in place to sort the treatments apart. By objectively delineating and recording these reoccurring activities, program managers can more accurately portray the effectiveness of invasive species treatment performance. This protocol outlines the standards for recording field data related to invasive species treatment activities conducted on an infested site, such as pesticide applications, mowing, burning, trapping, and biological control tactics, etc. and will serve to document effectiveness monitoring of the treatment and overall restoration outcomes.

Data can be recorded in the field using the standard field form for Surveys and Infestations then entered into the appropriate application through a set of data entry/editing screens. By using standardized protocols for recording of critical information related to treating invasive species, the quality and value of the data collected will improve. Generally speaking, increasing the amount of data collected does not necessarily equate to better information unless it is properly utilized. Therefore, these protocols and standards represent a selection of required and optional data elements which support the invasive species management activities of the

National Forest System and any additional data collected will be determined by the needs of individual Forests and Regions.

INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE

NFS Invasive Species Management activities are conducted in support of broader watershed restoration and condition improvement objectives under the new NFS Integrated Resource

Restoration budget structure. Invasive species management activities in aquatic and terrestrial areas are integrated with other management activities designed to improve watershed condition and restore degraded areas. Invasive species survey and inventory activities are typically a key component of a successful invasive species management program. In some cases, a substantial amount of agency resources are expended on surveying for and recording data for invasive species infestations in order to identify the level of threat, set management priorities, communicate with the public, and develop sound integrated strategic plans.

At the national level, invasive species management success is not measured by the amount of pre-treatment survey and inventory work being completed, and thus there are no associated national performance measures. However as previously mentioned the inventory is a critical element in quantifying threat levels and establishing the foundation for an integrated treatment program.

Local-level invasive species treatment activities and efficacy records will be used to generate output and outcome performance reports at the national level. Within the NFS Invasive Species

Management Program, the national performance structure is as follows:

Output 1 Number of priority acres treated against invasive species

The total number of priority acres treated is based on the annual program capabilities.

Risk assessments and other scientific methods and systems are used to identify priority acres for treatment in a project plan. This applies to all taxa of invasive species treated on National Forests and Grasslands.

Output 2 Number of priority acres monitored for treatment efficacy

The acres monitored are based on the level of post treatment efficacy evaluation in relation to the total number of priority acres treated. This applies to all treatment activities conducted on National Forests and Grasslands.

Outcome Percentage (%) of priority acres successfully restored against targeted invasive species.

The percentage of priority acres successfully restored is based on the objectives within a project plan – where the targeted species defined in the project plan were prevented, controlled, or eradicated on the priority acres identified in the plan. The program outcome is a long-term (5 -10 yrs) measure of program performance. This long term program performance will be calculated from data collected annually that describes annual treatment efficacy. The number of priority acres restored against invasive species is reported in the Performance Accountability System (PAS) by summarizing data from NRM-FACTS.

TRAINING IN THE USE OF THE NATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES INTEGRATED

USER INTERFACE APPLICATION AND THE NATIONAL PROTOCOLS

Record keeping and reporting requirements are available through NRM-sponsored training, and on the Forest Service Intranet website: http://fsweb.wo.fs.fed.us/invasivespecies/. NRM provides re-occurring on-line and classroom training courses for the Invasive Species Integrated

User Interface and related NFS Invasive Species Program business rules, standards, and protocols; On-line courses will be posted on the NRM Training Calendar. Regional Foresters, NFS Directors, Regions should work closely with their Regional Resource Information

Coordinators (RRIC) to help schedule classroom training on the use of the new Invasive Species http://fsweb.wo.fs.fed.us/invasivespecies/

Integrated User Interface before major field operations begin, or as soon as possible. In addition, Regions and Forests should:

1. Ensure that all personnel have access to the required national NRM applications for NFS invasive species management information;

2. Provide access to NRM-sponsored training for all personnel responsible for collecting and recording NFS invasive species management information; and

3. Ensure that all invasive species management activities conducted on national forests and grasslands adhere to the NFS Invasive Species Management Program’s national requirements, protocols, business rules, and standards for all spatial and tabular record keeping and reporting.

4. Work closely with non-USFS contractors and cooperators to ensure they provide all invasive species survey, inventory, and treatment information necessary to complete the required fields in the NFS national Databases of Record. When appropriate, Forests may provide access to the Invasives Species Integrated User Interface so cooperators and contractors can enter data directly into the NRM application to streamline the data entry process for USFS offices. Training opportunities should be made available to contractors and cooperators whenever possible to ensure proper record-keeping and data entry is conducted during those respective operations.

II. National Standards and Requirements

The National Protocol is based on searching, detecting and recording single species infestation or occurrence where the target species has been identified as an invasive organism on the project site.

Invasive Species Survey:

Invasive species survey is the process of systematically searching a geographic area for a particular (target) invasive species or a list of numerous species. Surveys may be conducted as part of Early Detection – Rapid Response (EDRR) process as well as during project planning such as road construction, timber sales or prescribed burning where the purpose of the survey is to locate any invasive species within the project area prior to site disturbance.

It is important to know where and when surveys have occurred, even if the object of the survey

(target species) was not located. Information on the absence of invasive species in specific areas can be as valuable as information on the presence of the species.

The minimum national requirements for invasive species survey include documenting a set of core attributes:

1. What was the target(s) of the search - requires a standard national Species Code that includes scientific name and common name, and Target Focus.;

2. What type of survey was conducted – requires Survey Type and Survey Focus;

3. Where was the survey conducted - requires a unique identifier and spatial polygon;

4. How large was the search area – requires a polygon, with area calculated in acres from the spatial feature;

5. Who conducted the search – requires Examiner;

6. When was the area searched – requires Survey Date(s)

7. How was the survey financed – requires the Budget Line Item Fund Code that provided financing with the fiscal year the funds were obligated or used.

Invasive Surveys can be approached in two ways. One approach is to document the survey as it is completed in the field. All the required core attributes would be recorded during field work and electronically entered in the TESP-IS Application to meet the minimum national business requirements.

The second approach creates Pre-survey records and a set of minimum attributes to describe a proposed or planned survey. Not all of the required core attributes would need to be recorded at this time. Since some surveys may extend over many weeks and over large geographic area, data would then be added to the pre-survey records as the survey is implemented. The updated records would be flagged as “Active”. Once the work is completed the entire set of core attributes would be required and the survey record coded as “Completed”.

Invasive Species Inventory:

Invasive Species Inventory is a collection of data related to the occurrence, population or infestation of a detected invasive species across a landscape or with respect to a more narrowly-defined area or site.

When a target species is detected, a set of spatial and tabular core attributes are recorded to meet the minimum national requirements:

1. What was found - requires a standard national Species Code that includes scientific name and common name, and Species Category;

2. Where was it found - requires a unique identifier, spatial polygon, Ownership and if necessary Proclaimed Forest;

3. How much was found - requires a spatial polygon, Percent Infested and Infested Area;

4. Who found it - requires Examiner;

5. When was it found - requires Date.

The national protocol also includes a standard set of attributes that allow users to collect optional descriptive data related to the target species or site at the time of observation. The optional fields can be used to create qualitative and quantitative baseline assessment of the infestation or population for later evaluations.

Invasive Species Treatment:

With respect to invasive species management, the term “treatment” refers to any activity or action taken to directly eradicate, control or otherwise manage the spread of an invasive species infestation. Treatment of an infestation does not necessarily result in the immediate elimination of the infestation, particularly when multiple treatments are required to affect a change in the survival of the target species infestation. Treatments can include actions within any of the 4 general categories of integrated pest management techniques: Biological treatments, Cultural treatments, Mechanical/Physical treatments, or Chemical treatments. Since the national application where invasive species management data will be stored, is structured to include a broad range of management activities on the National Forests, treatment data includes a set of common fields that all management activities will collect. There are essentially four required categories of data collected on invasive species treatments:

1. Basic elements of documenting Treatment Areas.

2. Spatial features depicting the Treatment Area.

3. Specific treatment activity core attributes including effectiveness monitoring.

4. Identifying the target of the treatment activity through association with invasive species inventory record.

Treatment Area (Activity Subunits)

The basis for managing information on invasive species treatment is the creation of a Treatment

Area. The Treatment Area is a specific piece of land or water on which a management activity or series of management activities occur across the entire area. Treatment Areas may overlap, but cannot be divided. A Treatment Area may include an entire invasive species infestation, a portion of an infestation, or include multiple infestations that are adjacent or overlapping. In order to maintain the integrity of program accountability and maintain accurate records of where our invasive species management activities occur on the landscape, each Treatment Area is required to have a spatial representation. Treatment Areas will be linked to a single spatial feature which will be a polygon.

Treatment Activity

Treatment Activity is a management entry across a treatment area to meet specific resource objectives. With respect to invasive species management, the term “treatment” refers to any activity or action taken to directly eradicate, control or otherwise manage the spread of an invasive species infestation within any of the 4 general categories of integrated pest management techniques: Biological treatments, Cultural treatments, Mechanical/Physical treatments, or Chemical treatments.

The actual spatial extent of the treatment activity will determine if additional Treatment Areas are necessary. For some smaller treatments (typically no more than a few acres in size) which are very closely associated (adjacent or overlapping) on the landscape, it may be appropriate to group these areas under one multi-part polygon. However, it would not be appropriate to group treatments which are significantly distant from each other, because the larger spatial representation would inaccurately depict the actual location where the management activity occurred. This inaccuracy would make it difficult to defend management actions during lawsuits and would provide little value to future managers as a historical account of the management activity applied to the landscape.

National Spatial Requirements for Invasive Species Data

The National Standard requires spatially locating and delineating each survey area, invasive species infestation/occurrence, and each treatment area as polygons. The relationship between the area of the treatment polygon and the tabular acres accomplished should not exceed a 3:1 ratio. In other words the treatment feature area should not exceed three times the area of the acres accomplished. Each polygon represents a single survey area, a single invasive species infestation/occurrence which may overlap. Each treatment polygon (including multiple parts) represents a single site-specific area within which a number of treatment activities may be recorded. Multiple Treatment Activity records may be associated with a single Treatment Area if the activity covers the entire spatial extent of the treatment area. Otherwise, a new treatment area (subunit) must be created.

The survey area, infestation or treatment area feature may be comprised of more than one polygon (multi-part polygon). For example, a single infestation may be defined by clumps or patches of the same population in close proximity. Species and site tabular data such as %

Infested, Cover, Density, and Count would apply to the entire infestation. Although each clump or patch can be individually drawn, acres for all the parts are combined to calculate the Total

Area in the NRM application.

Copying an existing polygon created for another purpose – i.e. a timber harvest unit or fuels treatment– for the Treatment Area is acceptable only if the Treatment Activity covers the entire spatial extent.

The minimum size for a delineated polygon can be as small as 0.0001 acre (4.4 sq. ft.). The NRM application will allow very small polygons to accurately depict and locate small infestations.

Spatial representations can be created by a number of methods:

Hand-drawing the perimeter of the survey or infestation on maps or aerial photos, then redrawing the feature within the National Application;

Using a GPS (Global Positioning System) device to define the perimeter, converting them to a shapefile, and importing the file;

Digitizing with a computerized mapping system (Geographic Information System [GIS]) and importing it.

Using a combination of Mobile software to create a polygon which is loaded directly into the parent feature class.

Regardless of the method used to delineate an Infestation in the field, the protocol requires that the polygon be digitized and stored in ArcGIS format in the system of record. To ensure consistency, the scale for hand-drawn occurrences on maps should be 1:24,000. This is the scale of United States Geological Survey (USGS) 7.5-minute quadrangle (quad) maps. (Note: the

1:24,000 scale is also the standard for invasive plant mapping as recommended by the

International Mapping Standards for Invasive Plants). Aerial photos, orthophoto quads and remote sensing approaches can also be useful formats for delineation.

Line and point data (layers) are not supported. Surveys, Infestations or treatments that could be mapped as “lines,” such as those occurring along ridges, streams, trails, or roadsides, will be stored as long, narrow polygons. Tools within the application are available to buffer lines and covert the selected line feature to a polygon.

Using the diagram below as an example, a spatial feature would be created for the insect release of Subunit 004, a single polygon would be created for the two days of herbicide application of

Subunit 003, and a spatial feature would be created for the invasive vertebrate trapping project of Subunit 001. If a subsequent treatment occurred on the subunit and the treated area did not change, additional Activity records could be added to the Activity Subunit represented by the same spatial feature. As an example, a crew returned to Subunit 002 the following year and treated the entire area, a new activity would be added to the existing subunit. If however, the area of the subsequent treatment is significantly different (30% difference) from the previous activity or a different treatment is used, a new subunit and feature would be created. As an example a crew returns to Subunit 002 the following year and treats the upper 50% of the original unit, a new Activity Subunit (005) would be created.

Equipment

The spatial requirement is the basis for the Forest Service corporate data management applications, specifically the TESP-IS Application. The TES-IS application uses an ArcGIS Task

Assistant (TA) and Feature Inspector (FI) data entry process to guide the user through a common workflow to enter and edit survey, infestation or treatment area polygons and the associated attributes.

Data collection hardware, such as Global Position System (GPS) devices, desktop computers, portable data recorders (PDR) and/or field tablets, etc can be helpful for efficiently collecting and entering data into the corporate applications, locating and relocating infestation sites, and automating electronic data transfer.

III. Invasive Species Survey Attributes (Required)

Survey ID (Required): A unique identifier of the survey. The Survey ID can be any combination of numbers and letters, up to 30 characters in length. It is recommended that the combination of Region, Forest, and District numbers form the first six digits of the Survey ID. An example:

Survey ID Description

011701IPS05LL01 Region(2), Forest(2), District(2), Protocol(3), FY(2) initials(2), number(2)

Survey Name: A descriptive label for the survey. Up to 240 characters can be used. Include the type of project as appropriate in the survey name.

Status (Required), LOV: This field is used primarily to indicate when complete survey results have been documented are ready for use in analysis. The application can be used to enter certain data prior to, during, or after survey field data collection. The List-Of-Values is found in Appendix A.

Source of Work, LOV: The primary work force used to perform the survey work. The List-Of-

Values is found in Appendix A.

Target Focus (Required), LOV: The type of Protocol followed for the survey. Select from a List of Values. This field sets the protocol to follow in the field and the required fields in the application.

Visit Date(s) (Required): Invasive Species surveys may be conducted over days, weeks and even months. The protocol allows the recording of each day of field survey. These are the actual days that the survey was performed in the field. The first Visit Date represents the first field day a survey was conducted and the last Visit Date is the last field day of the survey. Date provides information on the time of year plants were observed. A weed infestation may look very different in the spring of the year or in the fall of the year after flowering and seed formation.

Examiners (Required), LOV: The last and first name of all individuals conducting the survey on any given visit date.

Survey Area (Required): The size or extent, in acres, of the area within the survey perimeter. The actual area will be generated from the required spatial polygon. A single survey may be comprised of

Protocol Code Description

TESP TES Plant Survey Protocol with required TES Target Species list.

IS Invasive Species Survey Protocol with required Invasive Species target list(s).

TESP/IS TES Plant Survey Protocol with both TES plants and Invasive Species designated Target lists.

more than one polygon. Acres for all feature parts comprising a particular survey are combined to calculate the total survey area.

Survey Type (Required) LOV: The type of survey that was conducted. Up to three survey types may be entered. If the survey types are significantly different from one another, however, use the

“Survey Comment” field to describe why. The List of Values is documented in Appendix A.

Survey Focus (Required), LOV: Record the predominant focus of the survey from the List of

Values. More than one choice can be recorded if survey target species occur in more than one of these general habitats. The List of Values is documented in Appendix A.

Survey Funding (Required), LOV: The Fund Code(s) that was used to finance the Survey from the List of Values. Each survey record may have more than one fund code (BLI). If multiple fund codes

(including contributed or volunteers) are used to finance a survey the funding grid must include the additional fund code with an estimated percent funded.

Fiscal Year Obligated (Required): The fiscal year that survey funds were obligated to conduct the planned action. If the source of the work was Force Account then FY obligated is the year the personnel conducted the survey. With Force Account crews the financing of invasive species detection activities cannot cross fiscal years. If contracts or agreements are used, FY obligated would be the year that the document was approved or awarded and funds obligated.

Target Species List

This is a series of fields listing the invasive Species that were the target of the survey. At least one target species must be identified. In many instances there may be an extensive list, including the state noxious weed list or Forest/regional invasive species lists. TAXA stewards can compile and maintain Forest lists of locally important invasive species.

Species Code (Required), LOV: The appropriate species code for the target invasive species for the designated survey. There is no limit to the number of species that may be entered. The Plant Code will be selected from a forest or regional list of invasive species. When an invasive species code has been selected from the appropriate species list the Scientific Name and Common Name will be auto-populated.

Species Found (Required), LOV: Record (yes/no) whether an infestation of each particular target species was found during the survey. If an invasive species was found in the course of a survey it would be necessary to map the infestation/population and enter the data in Invasive Species Inventory. If a target species initially included in a search list was not assessed in the field, the species name should be removed from the target species list.

IV. Invasive Species Survey Attributes (Optional)

Number of Traverses: Designates the number of traverses or passes through the survey area which provides the means to quantify survey intensity. As an example if a 2 person weed crew used pace transects across an open slope and each individual completed 3 passes a total of 6 traverses would be recorded.

Elevation: For the spatial extent of the survey area, record the Average (or a “predominant”) elevation of the land surface occupied by the species as measured in feet from the average of the mean high and mean low tide. Minimum and Maximum elevation may be recorded if it is determined that the elevation range is significant for that particular infestation (e.g., on a steep slope or a large occurrence on an undulating landscape). Feet will be the default units of measure (UOM).

Survey Parameters: The parameters, strategies or site characteristics that were used to define and direct the survey. They could include such characteristics as habitat types, north slopes, calcareous soils, forty feet on each side of the road. Information in this field may be useful in interpreting survey results.

Survey Comments: Document any relevant information about the survey not covered in previous fields. Record general comments about survey work, survey area, site conditions or observations.

Survey Area Plant List

A list of all plant species found during the survey, or a partial list of species found to meet some desired criteria, can be stored for the survey area. The reasons for compiling species lists for surveyed areas include: 1.) developing floristic information for a Ranger District, National Forest or Grassland; 2.)

developing a baseline of what is present in an area for an early detection system and; 3.) refining knowledge about the distribution and frequency of plant species on a Ranger District, National Forest or

Grassland.

Completeness, LOV: An indication of how thorough the list of species recorded is for the survey area. If a list of species is recorded, this field is required.

Cover Method, LOV: Required only if percent cover is recorded for any of the plant species on the species list. This field defines the method used for estimating cover: either a cover class set of codes or actual estimates. NOTE: In this case, cover values are estimated and recorded for the survey polygon(s) as a whole (e.g., these values are not recorded using plot- or transect-based methods). The purpose for entering cover values in this case is simply to provide relative estimates that might be used to compare the general abundance of species in the survey area. As such, these cover values would not be appropriate for more rigorous quantitative analyses of vegetation data. If such rigorous data are desired, then the examiner(s) should use one of the appropriate vegetation protocols available such as ocular macroplot, cover-frequency, or line intercept. The List of Values is documented in Appendix A.

Comments: A text field used to describe guidelines used in recording species or to give a text description of how complete or thorough the species list is. It is good practice to explain in this comment section what criteria were used to collect any partial plant list.

Plant Code, LOV: Record all plant code (plant code and/or scientific name) that are to be included in the survey area plant list. Codes for plant species must follow the USDA PLANTS database, plant symbols convention (USDA, NRCS, 2002). Botanical nomenclature should follow a standard flora for the geographic area being sampled.

There is no limit to the number of species that may be entered. 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. The NRIS TES Plant application will auto-populate the entire scientific name when plant codes are entered, and can auto-populate the NRCS plant code when the scientific name is chosen from a standard list. Include the genus, species, and subspecies or variety as needed to properly identify the plant.

Scientific Name, LOV: Generated from Plant code.

Lifeform, LOV : Lifeform is defined as the characteristic form or appearance of a species at maturity.

As desired, enter the lifeform code from the LOV for each species recorded in the survey. A default value will be auto-populated when the Plant is enterd. User may edit if the default value is not correct.

Habitat: Text field to briefly indicate the habitat in which that particular species was found in the survey area.

Percent Cover or Class, LOV: Ocular estimates of canopy cover of live foliage for plant species are an effective way to quickly collect abundance information about plants. This information can be collected using direct values or by using established canopy cover classes. Indicate the cover class method used. Cover class codes come from a list of values, whereas actual estimates are recorded as a number from 0.1 to 100.0. Since survey areas can be large, these estimates are merely approximate values, and are intended simply to give a general picture of the composition and relative abundance of species in the area.

V. Invasive Species Infestation Attributes (Required)

The National Standard for Invasive Species record keeping begins with a spatial polygon that represents a single invasive species infestation or population along with a set of infestation and site attributes for a particular target invasive species.

The required, optional, and generated data attributes (or data fields) are identified in this protocol and include instructions for properly recording specific data about the infestation. Although there are numerous optional attributes, (such as soil characteristics, existing vegetation community type and/or associated species, potential vegetation types, aspect, slope and elevation, etc.) completing these fields is encouraged and can be useful information for project management.

Infestation ID (Required): A 30 character alpha-numeric code that uniquely identifies the invasive species infestation/population. Although no national convention for this field is mandated, national direction recommends that the region, forest and district form the beginning of the Infestation_ID. Using this convention will allow the easy sorting of information and uniquely identify infestations.

Date (Required): The calendar month, day, and year the infestation was found or re-measured. This is the day that the information was collected in the field. The format is MM/DD/YYYY.

Species Category (Required), LOV: The general taxonomic group of the detected Invasive

Species, selected from a LOV. This field allows for the categorization of the target species and is used to reduce the species code list when selecting a species code in the following Species Code field.

Species Category

Plant

Pathogen

Vertebrate

Invertebrate

Species Code (Required), LOV: The accepted Species Code for the target species from the LOV.

The Target Species Code is available based on the category selected from Species Category Field.

Scientific Name (View-only): This refers to the Latin scientific name for the invasive species. The scientific name is generated from the Species Code.

Common Name (View-only): This refers to the common or colloquial name, if any, for the target invasive species. This field is generated from the Species Code.

Total Area (Generated, view-only): An area, in acres, occupied by an invasive species delineated by a polygon that may represent a general area where the population is found or may represent the spatial extent of the infestation/ population. Total Area is calculated from the area of the spatial feature. Total

Area may contain significant areas that are not within the perimeter of the target invasive species infestation in which case “% Infested” would be less than 100%.

Percent Infested (Required): Percent (%) Infested is the proportion of the Total Area that is infested with the target invasive species. The default will be 100% Infested. In other words the application will assume that the spatial feature that represents the infestation is 100% infested. If the spatial feature represents a large area that contains significant area that is not within the perimeter of the target invasive species infestation, enter a percent that approximates the proportion that is actually infested based on the definition of “Infested Area”. A “0” may be used to document an infestation that currently contains no detectable individuals. A value of '0' for percent infested is allowed only for re-measured infestations, indicating that treatment has eradicated an infestation or under natural conditions an infestation has been eliminated.

Infested Area (Generated, view-only): Infested Area is defined as an area of land or water, in acres, containing a single invasive species infestation/ population delineated by the actual perimeter of the infestation or population as defined by the outer edge of the canopy cover of the plants or the visible population (i.e. Home Range or stream reach) of other invasive taxa, excluding adjacent areas not infested and outside the perimeter of the population. Generally, the smallest area of infestation mapped is

1/10,000th (.0001 acre or 4.4 sqft) of an acre. This field is the product of Total Area multiplied by the %

Infested.

Examiners (Required), LOV: The person that detected the infestation and collected the data, enter last and first name from the list of values.

Ownership (Required), LOV: The ownership of the land where the infestation is located. In the case of multiple ownerships, record the ownership where the preponderance of the infestation or population is located.

Proclaimed Unit (Required), LOV: The proclaimed National Forest/National Grassland number and name when the infestation is located on National Forest System Lands.

Project Name, LOV: A project is a grouping of multiple infestations related by a specific purpose or geographic area. Multiple records can be within the same project name. A project name is a useful way to group records. The project name code is selected from a drop down menu that was created by a data steward.

Discussion: Total Area, Percent Infested, and Infested Area are critical components of the national protocols. The estimate of “% Infested” is influenced by the perimeter of the infestation, the distribution of plants within the perimeter, species growth characteristics, site characteristics and the degree to which the created feature represents the actual infestation. Areas containing only occasional invasive plants per acre do not equal one acre infested. If an infestation of yellow starthistle, for example, has 1-5% canopy cover with plants and patches scattered evenly across a grassland site and the 2 acre created polygon captures the spatial extent of the infestation, the “% Infested” is 100% or equal to the area of the created polygon. If, however, Canada thistle is found growing in a series of stringer draws or narrow swales with 35% canopy cover but due to the complexity of the site and the distribution of

Canada thistle along the draws a single large polygon is created that does not follow the perimeter of stringer draws.

Even though the polygon is 20 acres the “% Infested” would typically be a much lower value such as 10%, or in other words, 2 acres of Canada thistle within a 20 acre mapping area.

Infested Area is a calculated estimate of the actual extent or size of the infestation. The Infested Area field will be used to answer the question “How many acres of spotted knapweed are there on the National Forest?” The results will be generated from summing all the Infested Area fields for records (Infestation_IDs) where spotted knapweed is found.

Some infestations are very large or discontinuous and it is difficult or not useful to delineate the actual perimeter of the infestation or population. The increase in accuracy gained by plotting a specific area of an individual population may not compensate for the increase in cost or manpower. The general spatial area on the landscape and an estimate of area infested may be sufficient to meet management requirements. In these situations the delineated spatial feature is assumed to include more area than the actual perimeter of an invasive population or infestation and

% Infested would be less than 100.

Example: A large spotted knapweed infestation is located in the West Fork drainage. By driving around the area and looking at aerial photos the weed infestation is contained within an approximately 600 acre area. There are significant portions of the general area outside the perimeter of the knapweed infestation. It is estimated that approximately 40% of the delineated area is actually within the perimeter of a infestion. The value in Total Area is

600 generated from the area of the spatial feature and the % Infested is 40. Infested Area would be calculated by

600 acres X 40% = 240 acres. In this case there was no added value or utility in mapping the smaller infestation within the larger area of 600 acres.

Survey, LOV: Where a survey record has been created that detected the invasive species population or infestation, the survey ID can be recorded. This field provides a method of linking the detected invasive species population or infestation with the survey.

Invasive Status (View-only): Invasive Status code is a locally created list of values used to rank or stratify invasive species at a specific scale. Status is attached to individual species at the invasive species list level and therefore respresents a ranking at the geographic scale in which the list is applied (Regional or Forest level). There is no limit to the number of Status Sets for a particular list of invasive species.

Field units are not limted to officially designated status, it could contain rankings generated by a cooperative weed management area, forest, or district.

Watershed HUC # (Generated, View-only): A single watershed 6 th code will be auto-populated for each inventory polygon and stored in the application. The value will be generated from a NRM web service process and displayed on the form as view only. For inventory polygons that cross multiple watersheds, a 6th code value for the watershed with the largest area will be entered in the application.

Latitude and Longitude Coordinates (Generated, View-only):

Latitude is the term for the distance from the middle of the circle, or, in the case of the Earth, the equator.

The equator is designated 0 degrees, with each pole being 90 degrees. Longitude is the vertical measurement--current convention places the zero degree point at Greenwich, England (also known as the

Prime Meridian), with 180 degrees being on the opposite point on the globe.

When a polygon is created an Insert/Update Trigger will auto-populate Decimal Degrees fields with a centroid coordinate of the feature. The resulting coordinate will be stored within the application and be displayed on the Location Detail Page of the form.

Latitude Decimal Degree: Latitude in a degree value to at least 6 decimal places.

Longitude Decimal Degree: Longitude in a degree value at least 6 decimal places.

VI. Optional Invasive Species Infestation Attributes

The following data elements allow users to collect optional descriptive data related to the target species at the time of observation. The optional fields can be used to create qualitative and quantitative baseline assessment of the infestation or population for later evaluations.

Density: The number of individuals of a target species per specified unit of measure.

Density UOM LOV: The Unit of Measure for density.

Count: Count is the total number of individuals (i.e. number of animals, stems, or plants, etc) across the population or infestation. This is an optional field and may be useful for small infestations or populations with a limited number of individuals occupying an area.

Count UOM LOV: The Unit of Measure of the total count.

COUNT UOM

Stem

Plant

Individuals

UOM Description

Acres Acres

SqFt Square Foot

SqM Square Meter

SqMi Square Mile…