Exhibit 2m SIMP Monitoring Form.pdf

Monitoring biological control agents is an essential component of a successful biological control program. Monitoring data can be used to accurately document the impact of this weed management practice. This monitoring form has been endorsed by the Nez Perce Biocontrol Center, University of Idaho, Forest Health Protection, Bureau of Land Management, and Idaho State Department of Agriculture. The monitoring information from this form will be used to document vegetation cover, target weed density, and biological control agent abundance. When conducted annually, this monitoring data will document changes that occur over time.

Standardized Impact Monitoring Protocol (SIMP) Biological Control Monitoring Form

General Information:

Observer(s): Date: Landowner:

Permanent site? Y N Site name: Weed:

Biological control agent: Insect Stage:

Lat/Long: N ° ‘ W ° ‘ UTM Datum: UTM E:

UTM Year : UTM N:

Weed Infestation:

Size in acres: Picture taken? Yes No If Y, picture direction:

Vegetation cover (all in %, rows add to 100%):

Frame Target weed%

Other weed%

Forb/shrub% Perennial Grass%

Bare ground%

Litter% Moss% Total%

Target weed size/density: Biological control agent:

Notes:

Frame Number of Stems

Height of tallest stem (cm)

10 sweeps repeated 6 times (for AP, GA, LA, CYAC & OBER) OR a 3 minute timed count repeated 6 times (for ACMA, AUAC, JAIV, & URCA galls and MEJA)

Count site Insect (or gall) count

Perennial grass – note the multiple stem base with multiple year’s growth.

Annual grass – note stems which are typically solitary or in a few stemmed tufts.

A step-by-step guide for completing the SIMP biological control monitoring form:

General Information:

Observer(s) – Who are you?

Date – Today’s date.

Landowner – Who is the landowner/land manager?

Permanent? – Is this a permanent monitoring site?

Site name – Which site are you monitoring? This could have a specific name if it is a permanent site.

Weed – Which target weed are you are monitoring?

Biological control agent – Which biological control agent you are monitoring?

Insect Stage – What is the developmental stage of the agent are you monitoring (egg, larva, nymph, pupa adult)?

Lat/Long OR UTM – What are the GPS coordinates of the site you are monitoring? If UTM (preferred), what datum and year is your coordinate system?

Vegetation Cover (all in %, rows add up to 100%) – All percentages are to be estimated to the nearest 5%. If there is a trace of any of the vegetation you monitoring in the frame, round up to 5%.

Frame – Which frame number are you working on (1= 2m, 2= 4m, …,10 = 20m)?

Target weed % – What is % cover of the target weed to the nearest 5%?

Other weeds % – What is the % cover of any other weeds in the frame to the nearest 5%? Count undesirable annual grasses as weeds.

Forb/Shrub % – What is the % cover of native forbs/shrubs in the frame to the nearest 5%?

Grass % – What is the % cover of perennial grass to the nearest 5%?

Bare Ground/Litter % – What is the % cover of bare ground/litter to the nearest 5%?

Target Weed Size/Density

Frame – Which frame number are you working on (1=2m, 2=4m,…,10=20m)?

Number of stems – How many stems of the target weed are in the frame?

Height of tallest stems (cm) – How tall is the tallest stem of the target weed in the frame (in cm)?

Biological Control Agent

Count location – Identify 6 sites at least 5 paces away from the vegetation transect but within the same weed infestation.

# of insects per 10 sweeps – How many insects are in your net after 10 sweeps of the surrounding vegetation? Take one step between each sweep. Repeat 5 more times (for a total of 6 sweep sites, 60 sweeps) moving at least 2 steps away from the last sweep location (for AP, CYAC, GA, LA, & OBER).

# of biological control insects or galls per 3 min. count – How many biological control agents or galls do you see in a 3 minute period? Carefully approach the plants and be sure to count insects one time only. Please repeat 5 times (for a total of 6) moving at least 4 paces away from the first count location (for ACMA, AUAC, JAIV & URCA galls and MEJA).