Sampling Vegetation Attributes

SAMPLING VEGETATION ATTRIBUTES INTERAGENCY TECHNICAL REFERENCE Sampling Vegetation Attributes Interagency Technical Reference Cooperative Extension Service U.S. Department of Agriculture — Forest Service — Natural Resource Conservation Service, Grazing Land Technology Institute U.S. Department of the Interior — Bureau of Land Management — 1996 Revised in 1997, and 1999 Supersedes BLM Technical Reference 4400-4, Trend Studies, dated May 1985 Edited, designed, and produced by the Bureau of Land Management’s National Applied Resource Sciences Center BLM/RS/ST-96/002+1730 TABLE OF CONTENTS SAMPLING VEGETATION ATTRIBUTES Interagency Technical Reference By (In alphabetical order) Bill Coulloudon Paul Podborny Rangeland Management Spec. Wildlife Biologist Bureau of Land Management Bureau of Land Management Phoenix, Arizona Ely, Nevada Kris Eshelman (deceased) Allen Rasmussen Rangeland Management Spec. Rangeland Management Spec. Bureau of Land Management Cooperative Extension Service Reno, Nevada Utah State University Logan, UT James Gianola Wildhorse and Burro Spec. Ben Robles Bureau of Land Management Wildlife Biologist Carson City, Nevada Bureau of Land Management Safford, Arizona Ned Habich Rangeland Management Spec. Pat Shaver Bureau of Land Management Natural Resource Conservation Service Denver Colorado Rangeland Management Spec. Corvallis, Oregon Lee Hughes Ecologist John Spehar Bureau of Land Management Rangeland Management Spec. St. George, Utah Bureau of Land Management Rawlins, Wyoming Curt Johnson Rangeland Management Spec. John Willoughby Forest Service Region 4 State Biologist Ogden Utah Bureau of Land Management Sacramento, California Mike Pellant Rangeland Ecologist Bureau of Land Management Boise, Idaho Technical Reference 1734-4 copies available from Bureau of Land Management National Business Center BC-650B P.O. Box 25047 Denver, Colorado 80225-0047 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. PREFACE ..................................................................................................................i II. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1 A. Terms and Concepts ...........................................................................................1 B. Techniques Not Addressed ..................................................................................2 C. Guidelines...........................................................................................................3 D. Location of Study Sites .......................................................................................3 E. Key Species ........................................................................................................ 4 F. General Observations..........................................................................................5 G. Coordination .......................................................................................................6 H. Electronic Data Recorders ..................................................................................6 I. Reference Areas ..................................................................................................6 III. STUDY DESIGN AND ANALYSIS..........................................................................7 A. Planning the Study ..............................................................................................8 B. Statistical Considerations ..................................................................................12 C. Other Important Considerations .......................................................................22 IV. ATTRIBUTES.........................................................................................................23 A. Frequency .........................................................................................................23 B. Cover ..............................................................................................................25 C. Density .............................................................................................................26 D. Production ........................................................................................................27 E. Structure ...........................................................................................................28 F. Composition .....................................................................................................28 V. METHODS ........................................................................................................... 31 A. Photographs ......................................................................................................31 B. Frequency Methods...........................................................................................37 C. Dry Weight Rank Method .................................................................................50 D. Daubenmire Method ........................................................................................55 E. Line Intercept Method ......................................................................................64 F. Step-Point Method ............................................................................................70 G. Point-Intercept Method ....................................................................................78 H. Cover Board Method ........................................................................................86 I. Density Method ................................................................................................94 J. Double-Weight Sampling................................................................................102 K. Harvest Method ..............................................................................................112 L. Comparative Yield Method .............................................................................116 M. Visual Obstruction Method - Robel Pole ........................................................123 N. Other Methods ...............................................................................................130 VI. GLOSSARY OF TERMS ......................................................................................131 VII. REFERENCES ......................................................................................................139 APPENDIXES ...............................................................................................................149 Appendix A Study Location and Documentation Data Form........................................149 Appendix B Study and Photograph Identification .........................................................153 Appendix C Photo Identification Label .........................................................................157 Appendix D Selecting Random Samples (Using Random Number Tables)....................161 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Illustration Title Page Number 1 ........ Photo Plot - 3 X 3 Plot Frame Diagram .........................................................34 2 ........ Photo Plot - 5 X 5 Plot Frame Diagram .........................................................35 3 ........ Permanent Photo Plot Location......................................................................36 4 ........ Frequency Form ....................................................................................... 44-45 5 ........ Nested Frequency Form ........................................................................... 46-47 6 ........ Frequency Frame ............................................................................................48 7 ........ Nested Plot Frame..........................................................................................49 8 ........ Dry Weight Rank Form ............................................................................ 53-54 9 ........ Daubenmire Form.................................................................................... 59-60 10 ...... Daubenmire Summary Form ................................................................... 61-62 11 ...... Daubenmire Frame ........................................................................................63 12 ...... Line Intercept Form ................................................................................. 68-69 13 ...... Cover Data Form ..................................................................................... 75-76 14 ...... Sample Units (Hits) and Recording Procedures .............................................77 15 ...... Examples of Sighting Devices ........................................................................83 16 ...... Examples of Pin Frames .................................................................................84 17 ...... Example of a Point Frame ..............................................................................85 18 ...... Cover Board Method: Density Board Form ............................................. 89-90 19 ...... Cover Board Method: Profile Board Form ............................................... 91-92 20 ...... Examples of Cover Boards .............................................................................93 21 ...... Density Form ....................................................................................... 100-101 22 ...... Production Form .................................................................................. 109-110 23 .....

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