Northeast Temperate Network Long-Term Forest Monitoring Protocol 2016 Revision
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Northeast Temperate Network Long-term Forest Monitoring Protocol 2016 Revision Natural Resource Report NPS/NETN/NRR—2016/1184 ON THE COVER Camilla Seirup and Mary Short sampling a forest plot in Acadia National Park Photograph by: Kate Miller, NPS Northeast Temperate Network Long-term Forest Monitoring Protocol 2016 Revision Natural Resource Report NPS/NETN/NRR—2016/1184 Geri Tierney1, Brian Mitchell2, Kate Miller3, James Comiskey4, Adam Kozlowski2, Don Faber- Langendoen5 1Department of Environmental & Forest Biology SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry Syracuse, NY 13210 2Northeast Temperate Network 54 Elm Street Woodstock, VT 05091 3Northeast Temperate Network Acadia National Park Bar Harbor, ME 04609 4Mid-Atlantic Network 120 Chatham Lane Fredericksburg, VA 22405 5NatureServe Conservation Science Division Arlington, VA 22209 March 2016 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado, publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics. These reports are of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate comprehensive information and analysis about natural resources and related topics concerning lands managed by the National Park Service. The series supports the advancement of science, informed decision-making, and the achievement of the National Park Service mission. The series also provides a forum for presenting more lengthy results that may not be accepted by publications with page limitations. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received formal, high-level peer review based on the importance of its content, or its potentially controversial or precedent-setting nature. Peer review was conducted by highly qualified individuals with subject area technical expertise and was overseen by a peer review manager. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Government. This report is available from the Northeast Temperate Network, (http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/netn/monitor/programs/ForestHealth/forestHealth.cfm) and the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/). To receive this report in a format optimized for screen readers, please email [email protected]. Please cite this publication as: Tierney, G., B. Mitchell, K. Miller, J. Comiskey, A. Kozlowski, and D. Faber-Langendoen. 2016. Northeast Temperate Network long-term forest monitoring protocol: 2016 revision. Natural Resource Report NPS/NETN/NRR—2016/1184. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 962/132164, March 2016 ii Revision History Version numbers will be incremented by a whole number (e.g., Version 1.30 to 2.00) when a change is made that significantly affects requirements or procedures. Version numbers will be incremented by decimals (e.g., Version 1.06 to Version 1.07) when there are minor modifications that do not affect requirements or procedures included in the protocol. Add rows as needed for each change or set of changes tied to an updated version number. Revision History Log Version # Date Revised by Changes Justification 1.01 November Geri Tierney Added to Existing Monitoring Changes were based on 2007 Brian Mitchell Programs; minor editorial suggestion from external changes; revised discussion review. of connected design to document decision to not use this design. 1.02 May 2008 Brian Mitchell Reorganized table of Changed order of SOPs, contents. added new SOPs (LAR), added appendices (field notes and “on-the-road” procedures), and deleted the appendix for the slope conversion table. 1.03 December Kate Miller Minor editorial changes. 2008 Geri Tierney Changed number of forest plots in Acadia NP to 176. Added Safety Precautions SOP. 1.04 April 2009 Kate Miller Minor editorial changes. Based on external review. 1.05 June 2009 Sarah Lupis Editorial changes, formatting. Conform to NPS standards. Kozlowski 1.06 December Kate Miller Minor editorial changes 2009 Andrew Vincello Removed USFS Pest Alert Brian Mitchell Appendix and added online links to these documents to EquipPrep SOP. 1.07 October 2010 Kate Miller Minor editorial changes 1.08 March 2013 Kate Miller Altered target for detectable To match 4-year survey level of change to refer to 12 cycle. years instead of 10. 1.09 December Kate Miller Changed Type I error rate To match goals and results 2013 from 20% to 10% and from power analysis revised power justification. conducted in 2013. Minor editorial changes iii Contents Page Figures........................................................................................................................................... vii Tables ............................................................................................................................................ vii Appendices ..................................................................................................................................... ix Standard Operating Procedures...................................................................................................... xi Background and Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1 Justification ................................................................................................................................. 1 Goals and Objectives .................................................................................................................. 1 Existing Monitoring Programs .................................................................................................... 2 Sampling Design ............................................................................................................................. 5 Approach ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Sampling Frame .......................................................................................................................... 6 Spatial Allocation........................................................................................................................ 7 Temporal Allocation ................................................................................................................... 8 Methods......................................................................................................................................... 11 Plot Layout ................................................................................................................................ 11 Forest Measurements ................................................................................................................ 11 Landscape Context .................................................................................................................... 13 QA/QC ...................................................................................................................................... 14 Data Management and Analysis ................................................................................................... 15 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 15 Reporting....................................................................................................................................... 17 Assessing Ecological Integrity .................................................................................................. 17 Scorecard................................................................................................................................... 18 Reporting Schedule ................................................................................................................... 18 Operational Requirements ............................................................................................................ 19 Personnel Requirements and Training ...................................................................................... 19 Facility and Equipment Needs .................................................................................................. 19 Literature Cited ............................................................................................................................. 21 v Figures Page Figure 1. Northeast Temperate Network plot layout showing square tree plot with three nested 2-m radius regeneration microplots; eight,1-m2 vegetation quadrats; and three, 15-m coarse woody debris transects. Locations of the five soil samples are indicated