Exhibit 2p Survey-Inventory Data Collection Standards_Part C.pdf

2023 – 2027 IDIQ Region 4 Idaho Forests & Field Offices Invasive Species/Rare Plants Vegetation Management Services

STANDARD Exhibit: Survey and Inventory Data Collection Standards – Part CB

EXAMPLE Invasive Plant Data Collection Data Fields & Lists of Values

This is an example of likely data to be collection formats to collected during rare plant survey, rare plant population mapping and/or rare plant monitoring. Rare plant surveys are conducted to document the presence or absence of rare plants in an area. Rare plant population mapping occurs when a new target rare plant species is encountered during rare plant survey. Rare plant monitoring occurs when rare plant populations are documented and need to be revisted to gather updated population, habitat and trend information. The individual task order may contain one or all three of these components. data on invasive plant infestations. Depending on the individual task order, the Forest Service spatial contract data may be provided as an electronic datafile to be used with a portable data recorder or be made available to the contract via a data collection app. The Contractor can use a Field Maps (replacing Collector) form or a fillable form with the data found below or another method agreed upon by the COR and the Contractor. The COR will review this format with the Contractor during the Pre-Work conference.

At each rareinvasive plant occurrence infestation to be mapped with GPS, collect spatial data per the requirements of Survey and Inventory Standards – Part A or as specified in the Task Order and enter the following data for each infestation.

REQUIRED DATA FIELDS FOR RARE PLANT SURVEY, MAPPING AND/OR MONITORING:

Datum: Geographic Coordinate System GPS data is collected in.Required Data Fields

Location Uncertainty: If you are using Field Maps/Collector this should be negligible.

Data Field: Date: Date the survey, population mapping took place (Month/Date/Year)

Definition: Date the inventory took place

List of Values: Month/Date/Year

Explanatory Notes: None

Data Field: Examiner(s) Last:

Definition: Three InitialsLast Name(s) of Person (People) Collecting the Data

Examiner(s) First: First Name(s) of Person (People) Collecting the DataList of Values:

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Data Field: Ownership: Name of Landowner where GPS data is collected (BLM (Bureau of Land Management), Definition: Name of Landowner where GPS data is collected FS (Forest Service), Private (OR Name of Landowner, if Known)

List of Values:

• BLM

• County

• State

• FS

• Private (OR Name of Landowner, if Known)

Explanatory Notes: BLM=Bureau of Land Management. _C= e.g., Gem County- GC, Boise County, BC. IS=State of Idaho. FS=Forest Service. PL=Private Land. (If name of private landowner is known, please provide landowner’s name).

REQUIRED FIELDS WHEN MAPPING A NEW RARE PLANT POPULATION OR MONITORING A

KNOWN RARE PLANT POPULATION:

Data Field: Site Location Name

Site ID: This is an example of the unique Site ID that would be used to identify and correlate spatial and tabular or paper form site data. A specific units’ format for a Site ID would be provided in the individual Task Order.

• Monitoring/Revisits: Use the existing Site ID of the population, as identified in the corporate database of record. Units would identify Site IDs in the individual Task Order.

• New Populations: If you’ve found a new population enter a unique ID following this format:

NRCS Plants Database alphanumeric species code + ‘-‘ + Year (YYYY) + Month (MM) + Date (DD) + Time (TTTT) + Your Initials. Example: If today is the 18th of July at 2:24 and John Doe found a new population of Allotropa virgata the unique ID would be: ALVI2- 202207181424JD. This is also the Site ID that should go on the IDFG EO Form in the field.

Site Name: Use a geographically relevant site name that someone in 20 years could find again. Example:

If you are in Pony Creek RNA it would be appropriate to have the site name ‘Pony Creek RNA.’ Likewise, if you are near Lookout Butte or a named road, stream, landmark, etc. these are all appropriate site names. Inappropriate site names include things that are temporary or Forest Service specific such as a burn unit name or a FS timber sale name.

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Definition: Specific geographic location followed by the NRCS Plants database alphanumeric code for the invasive plant species (e.g. LittleRoaring_EUES_024).

List of Values: Not Applicable

Explanatory Notes: The geographic location will be (a) a geographic or topographic place name,

(b) name of drainage in which infestation is located or (c) the name of the nearest feature with cardinal directions (N, NE, NW, E, S, SE, SW, W), indicating the location of the infestation relative to this nearest feature. The contractor will be provided maps with labeled geographic or topographic features.

Species TES: Scientific name of the target

Data Field: rare pInvasive Plant sSpecies. Only one plant species may be assigned to a particular GPS data feature. If more than one rare plant species is present, separate GPS data features will be required for each plant species even if the populations are wholly overlapping.

Plant Code TES: NRCS Plants database alphanumeric code of the target rare plant species. Only one plant species may be assigned to a particular GPS data feature. If more than one rare plant species is present, separate GPS data features will be required for each plant species even if the populations are wholly overlapping.

Plant Found: Did you find a sensitive plant population?

Record Source: How the population was identified for survey or monitoring?

o Field Survey: this population was found during a targeted field survey looking for this or other species as part of project work o Existing SNHP: this population is known because of a State record and has not been previously mapped by FS personnel.

o Herbarium: this population is known from an herbarium record and has not been previously mapped by FS personnel.

o Incidental: this population was found randomly outside of normal field work activities o Literature: this population was found in a report or some other literature and has not been previously mapped by FS personnel.

o Revisit: this is a revisit of a previously documented population

Plant Count Type:

o Genets: A single, genetically unique plant (originated from seed, not stolons, rhizomes or bulbils) o Ramets: Pieces of a clone Example: if you counted each trunk of an aspen clone you’ve likely counted ramets. Plants arising from stolons or rhizomes would also be considered ramets.

o Undetermined: use if you have no idea what you counted, but you counted something

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Percent Vegetative: Portion of population in a vegetative state (all phenology classes must add up to 100%).

Percent Flower/Bud: Portion of the population with buds or flowers (all phenology classes must add up to 100%).

Percent Fruit/Dispersed: Portion of the population fruiting or that has already dispersed fruit (all phenology classes must add up to 100%).

Percent Seeding: Portion of the population producing seed (all phenology classes must add up to 100%).

What distinguishes Percent Fruit from Percent Seeding? We should try to clarify.

Percent Juvenile: Portion of the population that is too immature to flower/produce seed (all phenology classes must add up to (100%). What distinguishes juvenile from vegetative? We should try to clarify.

Revisit Needed: Is there any reason this population needs to be visited again in the next 3-5 years? If yes, explain why in the General Comments section.

Revisit Date: The ideal timing for next revisit. Consider things like survey windows when plant is more likely to be visible or when impacts from project implementation may be observed.

Population Comments: Discuss details associated with population health and viability including but not limited to changes in density throughout a population, changes in vigor, key characteristics used to confirm this specific population, evidence of disease, relative flower stage, etc.

Pollinator Present: Do you see any pollinator species on target plant?

Pollinator Types: What types of pollinators do you see on target plant?

Pollinator Comments: Notes about any pollinators that are observed during survey

Threat 1: Evaluate if these are truly threats that are or will impact the viability of the population.

Describe why this is a threat in threat comments.

Threat 2: Evaluate if there is a second threat that is or will impact the viability of the population.

Describe why this is a threat in the threat comments.

Threat Comments: Describe why the listed threat should be considered an issue. Example: The threat of timber harvest is significant because the best access route is through the population OR The threat of fire (FR) is significant because populations are not likely to recover if burned for xxx reason. OR The indirect threat of grazing (GI) is significant because cattle activity has caused erosion that has limited water availability to the population.

Habitat Description: Describe the habitat to the best of your ability. If you know habitat types, add the potential habitat type group

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Associated Species Comments: A list of associated species. Limit this list to species that are actually found within the boundaries of the population not species that only exist on the margins. If using plant codes be sure to look up accurate code.

Community Quality: Describe the community quality within the population boundary. Explain choice in Habitat Description o High: System appears intact with no or very low non-native plant cover and no to low anthropogenic disturbance o Medium: Low to medium non-native plant cover or low to medium anthropogenic disturbance o Low: Medium to high non-native plant cover or medium to high anthropogenic disturbance

Landscape Integrity: Describe the larger landscape surrounding the population. Explain choice in Habitat Description o High: Unfragmented with ecological and hydrological processes intact or very minor disturbances (a nearby road that is not significantly changing the landscape) o Medium: Low to moderate fragmentation with ecological and hydrological processes mostly intact (nearby road that alters natural runoff, grazing impacts, something anthropogenic that has temporarily impacted the landscape) o Low: Moderate to high fragmentation with ecological and hydrological processes functioning at risk or no longer intact (dams, poorly designed roads, significant weed invasions, something anthropogenic that will take significant work to fix or that has permanently altered the landscape)

Dominant Process: If something is causing damage to the population, what is it? Explain in General Comments

Elevation: Estimated elevation in feet – can pull this data from GIS during quality control

Slope Position:

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Slope: % Slope as determined with clinometer

Aspect: cardinal direction that slope is facing

Invasive Species Present: Are there invasive species?

Invasive Species Comment: Which ones? How bad? Where in relation to the sensitive population?

REQUIRED FIELDS WHEN SURVEYING FOR RARE PLANTS:

Survey ID: Each survey ID needs to be unique and correspond to a specific line walked by a specific individual. The unique Site ID is used to identify and correlate spatial data with tabular or paper form survey record data. A specific units’ format for a Site ID would be provided in the individual Task Order.

An example of a unique Survey ID format is: Year (YYYY) + Month (MM) + Date (DD) + Time (TTTT) + Observer Initials. Example: If today is the 18th of July, 2022 at 2:24 pm and John Doe begins a survey at 2:54 pm, the unique Site ID would be: 202207181424JD.

Survey Name: This should be named after the ‘Project’ field of the respective BotanySurvey shapefiles (point, line, polygon). Example: TS-MFWR-QuakingPine-15. The broad formula for this name is: Project Type (TS = timber sale, Rx = prescribed burn, NCT = noncommercial thinning, Rng= range, Rec = recreation) + NEPA document this project falls under + specific sale (if timber) + unit number or name.

Having projects labeled like this is helpful for searching for survey data when talking to a different specialist.

Region Forest District: 041201 = Council, 041202 = Weiser, 041203 = New Meadows, 041204 = McCall, 041206 = Krassel

Survey Type: This is the type of survey you’re completing o Cursory: used to confirm the presence of a species identified in previous surveys or pre-field analysis. A quick survey to determine if a plant population remains present or intact o General: used when you do a walk-through of the majority of a polygon/line o Focused (Intuitive Control): used when you focus surveys only to areas of potential or likely habitat. We will use this type of survey for most surveys o Random: a non-directed traverse through a project area o Stratified Random: used when plots are used to conduct a series of surveys for a targeted species o Systematic: used when areas need to be thoroughly traversed and surveyed. Should be used only in small, targeted areas where planned activities are likely to lead to significant habitat alterations o Field Check: a quick once-over to verify that no habitat exists. Surveyor does not walk through the entire survey area. We will use this type of survey frequently.

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Survey Parameter: The parameters, strategies or ecological characteristics that were used to define or direct the survey. They could include such characteristics as habitat types, north slopes, calcareous soils, or distance in feet on each side of the road. Information in this field will be useful for interpreting survey results and for defining necessary fieldwork in pre-survey documentation.

Survey Comments: This field is available to document any relevant information about the survey.

Record general comments about the survey work, the survey area or findings. Include comments about specific visits, survey focus, land management within the survey area, etc., as needed.

Target Rare Plant Species: What is the primary rare plant species you are looking? FS calls this field ‘Target TES’. Other target rare plant species should be identified somewhere in the record.

Potential TES Species: Identify any non-target TES or unique, non-TES species you are looking for

Target TES Habitat: Are you in habitat that seems suitable for the Target TES species?

Target TES Present: Did you find the Target TES species you were looking for?

TES Species Comments: Use this comment box to: 1) note if non-target TES species or suitable/potential habitat were observed; 2) describe what suitable/potential habitat looked like for both target and non-target TES, as well as, any ‘other’ species being surveyed for; and, 3) discuss potential reasons TES plant(s) were not observed if it is strongly believed they should be there (i.e. drought, recent fire/grazing, wrong survey window)

Target Invasive: Are you looking for a specific invasive species too?

Invasive Species Present: Did you see any invasive species in your survey?

Invasive Species Comments: List the species observed. How big is the infestation? Is the invasive dominant or a small component of the ecosystem?

Habitat Guild: broadly, what type of habitat are you surveying in?

Habitat Type: Briefly describe the habitat category. Example: seasonally wet meadow surrounded by forest OR list the habitat type(s) you believe you are in if you have had habitat type training and key it out.

Associated Species: Quick list of the most common plants you came across during your survey. Please make sure you are using the correct plant codes

Disturbance: Evaluate if there is a disturbance (or lack of one) that is currently impacting the landscape in a negative way or that will lead to negative consequences that should be addressed. Record threats or potential threats, e.g., noxious weeds, OHV trails, or environmental problems that could affect the TES plant habitat. (CO) Collecting = Collecting; includes scientific collecting or gathering by gardeners or others with the intent of cultivation or collecting for medicinal or wildcrafting use (EX) Exotic Plant Species = Threats related to the invasion of an invasive plant infestation. (FC) Change in fire regime = Successful fire suppression activities have led to changes in the seral

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Disturbance Comments: List all disturbances observed during survey describe why the listed disturbance should be considered an issue for the Target of the survey or the survey area in general. Be specific about species affected, extent, possible management actions that would remedy if you can.

Definition: NRCS Plants database alphanumeric code.

List of Values: See Table at bottom of this Exhibit

Explanatory Notes: Only one plant species may be assigned to a particular GPS data feature. If more than one invasive plant species is present, separate GPS data features will be required for each plant species even if the populations/infestations are wholly overlapping.

Data Field: Plant Phenology

Definition: Predominant growth stage of invasive plant species at the time of inventory

List of Values:

• Rosette

• Bolt

• Flower

• Fruiting

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• Senescent/Dormant

Explanatory Notes: Rosette = leaves arranged circularly, no distinguishable stem. Preflower = stem elongation, usually vertical, up to unopened bud stage. Flower = buds open, tepals present. Fruiting = plant has gone to seed and seed dispersal has begun. Senescent/Dormant = seed dispersal is complete, plant is dormant, dying, or plant appears to be dead.

Data Field: Cover Class Distribution

Definition: A subjective measure of invasive plant distribution (only in relation to area that is infested).

List of Values:

• I

• CL

• SE

• SP

• LI

Explanatory Notes: I = Isolated (e.g.,1 to 3 plants with no other populations/infestations nearby). CL = Grouped or clumped (e.g., plants are distributed in groups with no or few scattered plants between the groups). SE = Scattered Evenly (e.g., plants are evenly distributed within the population/infestation [Note: this category includes a dense monoculture of invasive plants]). SP = Scattered/Patchy (e.g., occasional or numerous patches of invasive plants with scattered plants between the groups). LI = Linear (typically and invasive species infestation distributed in a linear fashion, such as along a stream or road with few or no gaps in the distribution of the invasive plants).

Data Field: Percent Cover Class Code

Definition: Ocular estimated percent cover of invasive plant species in the infested area

List of Values:

• T – 0.1% - 1%

• 1 – 1.1% - 5%

• 2 – 5.1% - 25%

• 3 – 25.1% - 50%

• 4 – 50.1% - 75%

Explanatory Notes: An ocular estimate of the coverage of the invasive plant species within the area

Data Field: Distance to Water

Definition: Estimated horizontal and/or vertical distance from infestation to nearest water source for invasive plant control

List of Values: Not Applicable

Explanatory Notes: Please note presence and approximate distance to functioning stock tanks, upland spring, nearest stream, etc.

Data Field: Comments

Definition: Any remarks about the location or the population or infestation that will assist with plant management or invasive plant control treatments. Please include cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), tumble mustards (Sisymbrium spp.), and other weedy annual species, etc. in this field.

List of Values: Not Applicable

Species List Here

*Will enter after we get watch out invasives from other forests.

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