Attachment I Guidelines for Documenting Invasive Plant Infestations.docx

Attachment I: Guidelines for Documenting Invasive Plant Infestations Summary of products to be provided to the government:

1. Completed R6 Invasive Plants Inventory Field Forms (Attachment I).

2. Completed Invasive Plant Infestation Summary Spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel (Attachment J), populated with data transcribed from completed Invasive Plants Infestation Forms.

3. A summary ArcGIS shapefile (i.e., including data from all units and road segments), documenting infestations as polygons. Each polygon should be attributed with unique Site ID (as described on the R6 Invasive Plant Inventory Field Form), unit, percent cover, and full scientific name. Site ID is preferred as the ArcGIS shapefile unique identifier to provide easy cross-referencing between forms, excel spreadsheet, and shapefile.

Specific directions for delineating and recording invasive plant infestation polygons:

1. All infestations will be documented as a polygon (not a point), and data will be recorded in a summary ArcGIS shapefile for the project. The GPS location data recorded on the Invasive Plants Infestation Form should reflect the approximate centroid of the infestation as spatially delineated in ArcGIS. The spatial extent of each infestation should be mapped. The contractor will delineate occurrences spatially to provide the most meaningful representation of conditions of the ground. As far as is practicable and biologically relevant, substantial, or significant non-infested areas should not be incorporated into records of invasive plant infestations. For example, diffuse or scattered small patches of an invasive plant across a hectare of land may be better documented as individual small polygons rather than a 1-hectare polygon with 1% infested area. Exact cutoffs will depend on the species, habitat type, and terrain, and will be left to the contractor’s best professional judgment.

2. Complete an R6 Invasive Plants Inventory Field Form (Attachment I) for each infestation.

3. Complete the Invasive Plant Infestation Summary Spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel (Attachment J), populated with data transcribed from completed Invasive Plants Infestation Forms. For non-priority species, include the Site ID, Unit # or Road #, Date, Examiner, Species, USDA Plants Code, Total Area (m2), Percent Infested, Distribution, Percent Cover, Phenology, UTM, Projection and any notes. For priority species, include all the information for non-priority species, as well as Density, Density Measure (Number/Sq Ft, Number/Sq M, or Number/Acre), Count, and Count Measure (Plants, Individuals, Stems). If plant counts are greater than 20, an estimate may be used. Refer to Attachment D, Invasive Botanical Species List, for a full list of target invasive species, including PRIORITY species.

Products to be provided to the government:

1. Completed Invasive Plant Inventory Field Forms, as specified above in electronic format.

2. Completed Invasive Plant Infestation Summary Spreadsheet (Attachment J) in electronic format.

3. A summary ArcGIS shapefile (i.e., includes all units), documenting infestations as polygons. Each polygon should be attributed with unique Site ID (as described on the R6 Invasive Plant Inventory Field Form), unit, percent cover, and full scientific name.