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Plant Response Parameters to General Patton's Armored Maneuvers in the Eastern Mojave Desert of California

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Plant Response Parameters to General Patton's Armored Maneuvers in the Eastern Mojave Desert of California Loma Linda University TheScholarsRepository@LLU: Digital Archive of Research, Scholarship & Creative Works Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects 8-1979 Plant Response Parameters to General Patton's Armored Maneuvers in the Eastern Mojave Desert of California Randall J. Iwasiuk Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd Part of the Biology Commons, and the Desert Ecology Commons Recommended Citation Iwasiuk, Randall J., "Plant Response Parameters to General Patton's Armored Maneuvers in the Eastern Mojave Desert of California" (1979). Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects. 1037. https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1037 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by TheScholarsRepository@LLU: Digital Archive of Research, Scholarship & Creative Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects by an authorized administrator of TheScholarsRepository@LLU: Digital Archive of Research, Scholarship & Creative Works. For more information, please contact scholarsrepository@llu.edu. Abstract PLANT RESPONSE PARAMETERS TO GENERAL PATTON'S ARMORED MANEUVERS IN THE EASTERN MOJAVE DESERT Or CALIFORNIA by Randall J. Iwasiuk The purpose of this study, which was undertaken from September, 1977 through June, 1978 was to survey the response of perennial veg- etation to General Patton's World War 11 armored maneuvers. This information will be used to help construct a basis far predicting re- covery rates on the effects of off-road vehicle impacts in the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA). These impacts were assessed in three usage catagories: tank tracks in the maneuvers areas; roadways, which were used primarily by jeeps and trucks; and tent areas, cleared areas in which tents and other semi-permanent structures were erected. The data generated from these areas was compared to data gathered from ad- jacent undisturbed control sites. The methods employed were temporally separated series of aerial photographs analyzed for density and cover, supplemented by on-site ground disturbance and control measurements of these parametes. From these values diversity, stability, productivity, community quality in- dices, and Jaccard's coefficient of similarity were calculated. Results indicate that the maneuvers hada negative effect on the perennial vegetation, the degree of impact varying with habitat conditions and the various use catagories. This concentrated, distant past use even with 37 years allowed for recovery still shows an overall mean plant cover reduction of fifty percent. Ground measurements of percent species composition show differences between disturbed and control sites in addition to the reduction in cover indicating an alteration of plant diversity and stability. Both aerial photographic and ground transect analyses indicate a marked reduction of perennial vegetation as a result of the initial maneuvers and a relatively slow recovery rate, varying with use intensity, physiognomic, and topographic charact- eristics. Kay words: perennial vegetation responses, General Patton s tank man- euvers sites, aerial photographic analyses, on-site ground transect analyses, density, cover, stability, diversity, productivity, tank tracks, roadways, tent areas, recovery rates. LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY Graduate School I· I PLANT RESPONSE PARAfv1ETERS TO GENERAL PATTON'S ARMORED MANEUVERS IN THE EASTERN MOJAVE DESERT OF CALIFORNIA by Randall J. Iwasiuk A Thesis in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in the Field of Biology August 1979 Each person whose signature appears below certifies that he has read this thesis and that in his opinion it is adequate in scope and quality as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts. , Chairman Earl W. Lathrop, Associate Pro essor Department of Biology Conrad D. Clausen, Assistant Professor Department of Biology . Douglas leman, Associate Professor Depart of Biology ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Sincere appreciation is extended to all those who contributed time and effort in helping to make this project a success. A considerable amount of gratitude is owed to Dr. Earl W. Lathrop who unfalteringly provided guidance through periods of obscure direction and whose patience with equipment and people will certainly become legendary. Special thanks go also to Al Endo and Dr. John Adams of the Bureau of Land Management who provided physio- gnomic data on the study sites. • Recognition and thanks is due also to Loma Linda University, Department of Biology for the use of facilities and equipment and also to the BLM for their financial assistance in the form of grant WCA-060-RFP7-26. Favorable acknowledgement is made to Candy Horsley for her assistance. in the field and also to Dean Clayton and Bob Styles for their company on field trips. lii TABLE OF CONTENTS I. • INTRODUCTION'. • . • . •c • • . • • . • • • • • 6 . 1 II. STUDY SITES • . e • • 0 • • 0 • A • 9 2 A. Site Selection • • .• • • . • . • 0 • 2 B. Site Description' . 2 TIT. PROCEDURES . a 0 • • 0 • • • • • • • • • • A. Aerial Photographic Analyses • • • • • • A • • • B. On-site Ground Analyses • • • • 0 • • * • 18 C. Statistical Considerations . * • . 21 IV. RESULTS a • • 6 • • • • 0 21 A. Camp Ibis 1. Aerial photographs • • • • • • • • 21 2. Ground transects . • . • • , 9 • a i 0 • 22 B. C miEssex . 22 I. Aerial photographs . • . 6 . 0 • • 2 • 2 9 2, Ground transects . „ . • • . 0 37 C. Diversity • • . 6 •...... • • . * 37 52 D. Stability • • • • • • • • • • 0 0 0 4 • 0 E. Productivity . • • . • • • • V.. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS • • . • • • • • 0 4 • 0 • 60. VI. LITERATURE CITED . •. 4,1 6 . • • 78 APPENDIX A. Plant List. - • $ • APPENDIX B. 6 • Formulae/Calculations • • ° APPENDIX C. Aerial Photograph Carbrat ons 0 • • • • • 84 iv LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Summary data of physiognomic characteristics for Camps Ibis and Essex . • . e • • • Table 2. Density and mean percent cover from 1953 and 1974 aerial photographs of Camp Ibis . • • • • 27 Table 3. Density and cover means from ground transects at Camp Ibis . • • • • • • • • • • • • Table 4. Relative cover (% composition) and total percent cover from ground transects at Camp Ibis • 35 Table 5. Density and mean percent cover from 1953 and 1974 aerial photographs of Camp Essex . • . • . Table 6. Density and cover means from ground transects at Camp Essex • • . • o .. e a 48 Table 7. Relative cover (% composition) and total percent cover from ground transects at Camp Essex • • 50 Table 8. Diversity measurements. Richness, e uibility evenness, and diversity indices for Camps Ibis andEssex . • . • . .. ..,_c'. 0 Table . Community Quality Indices (CQI) for perennial vegetation at Camps Ibis and Essex . 4 0 6 6 6 55 Table 10,, Jaccard s Coefficient of Similarity (CCj) for pairs of transects at Camps Ibis and Essex . , . 57 Table 11. Summary of use intensity comparisons in the CDCA . LIST OF FIGURES Fig. 1. Location map of the Eastern Mojave Desert showing Camps Ibis and Essex . • • • 0 . 4 Fig. 2. Bar graph showing density of perennial vegetation Iron aerial photographs taken in 1953 and 1974 of Camp Ibis . • 4 0 4 • 23 Fig. 3. Bar graph showing mean percent cover of perennial vegetation from aerial photographs taken in 1953 and 1974 of Camp Ibis . • 11 • • • • • • • 4 . L.5 Fig. .4. Bar graph showing density of perennial vegetation from ground transects at Camp Ibis . • . 29 Fig. 5. Bar graph showing cover and mean cover of perennial vegetation from ground transects at Camp Ibis . 31 Fig. 6. Bar graph showing density of perennial vegetation from aerial photographs taken in 1953 and 1974 of Camp Essex . • . • • • •• • . • • • • 38 Fig. 7. Bar graph showing mean percent cover of perennial vegetation from aerial photographs taken in 1953 and 1974 of Camp Essex . • Fig. 8. Bar graph showing density of perennial vegetation from ground transects at Camp Essex . • . • • • 44 Fig. 9. Bar graph showing cover and mean cover of perennial vegetation from ground transects at Camp Essex . • . • 46 Fig. 10. Bar graph showing percent change of perennial veg- etation in relation to disturbance intensity from vi aerial photographs taken in 1953 and 1974 of Camp Ibis . • 61 Fig. ii, Bar graph showing percent change of perennial vegetation in relation to disturbance intensity from aerial photographs taken in 1953 and 1974 of Camp Essex . • . 63 Fig. 12. Bar graph showing percent change of perennial veg- etation in relation to disturbance intensity from ground transects at Camps Essex and Ibis . 65 Fig. 13. Bar graph showing successional recovery of peren- nial vegetation between 1953 and 1974 in relation to disturbance intensity at Camps Ibis and Essex . 67 Fig. 14. Bar graph showing comparison summaries of mean percent change in relation to disturbance in- tensity for study areas in the CDCA . • . • • 76 vii LIST OF PLATES Plate 1. Photograph showing tank tracks at Camp Ibis . • 8 Plate 2. Photograph showing tank tracks on desert pavement at Camp Essex . • . • . • . Plate 3. Photograph showing tank tracks on desert pavement at Camp Ibis 6 • • • • . 10 Plate 4. Photograph showing roadway at Camp Ibis. 10 Plate 5. Photograph showing roadway with an adjacent tent area at Camp Essex . •. • . • . 12 Plate 6. Photograph showing a tent area at Camp Essex . .. 12 Plate 7. Photograph showing a headquarters site at • Camp Essex . • • 0 a . , lb. • • . • . 14 Plate 8. : Photograph showing undisturbed control site nearCamp Essex . • . • . • • . 14 : Plate 9. Photograph
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