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2 nd of 3 Part Training Series

FIA’s Down Woody Materials Field Sampling Protocols. 2 nd of 3 Part Training Series. Outline. Plot-level Variables Transect Segmenting Coarse Woody Debris Fine Woody Debris Duff and Litter Slash Piles. Plot-level variables.

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2 nd of 3 Part Training Series

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  1. FIA’s Down Woody Materials Field Sampling Protocols 2nd of 3 Part Training Series Christopher Woodall

  2. Outline • Plot-level Variables • Transect Segmenting • Coarse Woody Debris • Fine Woody Debris • Duff and Litter • Slash Piles

  3. Plot-level variables • Since we will have a mixture of P3 plots and various P2+ sample designs in the database…we need ways to distinguish Variable: Sampling Status 0 = Not sampling DWM 1 = BASE DWM variables collected If sampling DWM…then remainder of variables tell us which sample design you used ( we autopopulate?)

  4. Plot-level variables Variable: Number of Subplots Value = 4 Variable: Number of Transects per Subplot Value = 2 Variable: Transect length Value = 24

  5. Transects • All sampling occurs on transects • P2+ should save time by not wandering off transects

  6. Even though each subplot transect looks like one 48 foot transect, it is still considered as two 24 foot transects originating at sub-plot center CWD and Slash Piles 24 feet (h.d.) Three / subplot FWD (large) 10 ft(h.d.) 6 ft(h.d.) FWD (small & medium) 14 ft (h.d.) 20 ft (h.d.) 24ft (h.d.) Duffand Litter depths 24 ft. (h.d.) location, every transect

  7. Transect Segmenting 1) Only sample DWM components on accessible forest land  2) Must map changes in forest condition classes along transects

  8. Transect segmenting Non-Forest CC #2 10 ft Forest CC #1 Transect length must equal 24 ft, Horizontal Dist.

  9. Transect segmenting • Transect orientation changes by subplot…big change from P3 Subplot 1: 90 and 270 Subplot 2: 180 and 360 Subplot 3: 135 and 315 Subplot 4: 45 and 225

  10. Transect segment Sample Status • Always recorded as 1 if coarse woody debris can be measured…even 1 for non-forest since we know no DWM is there • Recorded as 0 if coarse woody debris cannot be measured due to water or snow obstruction

  11. CWD Decay Classes Moderate Decay Mostly Decayed Freshly Fallen Tally Rules Depend on Decay of Individual Pieces

  12. CWD Decay Classes

  13. Coarse Woody Debris Definitions Point of Intersection Transect Transect Diameter CWD Piece Axis • Decay Classes 1 - 4 • Piece >= 3” Transect Diameter • Piece >= 0.5’ Long • Decay Class 5 • Piece >= 5” Transect Diameter • Piece >= 0.5’ Long • Piece >= 5” Above ground-level

  14. CWD Tally Rules Continued Only tally portion of log above ground and or above water Standing dead trees are CWD if they lean >= 45  from vertical Tally a piece each time it intersects any transect, regardless of the number of times If log split down center, treat as two separate pieces Do not tally roots

  15. CWD Forks and Branches Forked Pieces Each fork is tallied if it meets minimum specs Large branch Branch must meet minimum specs

  16. CWD Measurements Transect Diameter Decay Class Species Diameter at Hollow Length => 3ft? horizontal distance

  17. Separated CWD Pieces CWD Diameter CWD Diameter If CWD piece is fractured, either across diameter or length, and crew determines it would separate if pulled by either end… Then… Tally as two separate CWD pieces

  18. Slash/Residue piles • Totally revised from old P3 methods • Now sampled along transects End of pile Start of pile

  19. Slash/residue piles • Loose piles should be sampled with regular CWD transects • Only use pile protocol if safety issue or CWD protocols do not work • If pile straddles 2 conditions pick the condition closest to subplot center • Visually compact pile along transect then estimate compacted height • Just like CWD, estimate the species and decay class of the majority/plurality of pieces in pile

  20. Compacted Height Estimation • Determine average height along transect • Move that average height down to account for density of CWD in pile • Record compacted height

  21. Pile density estimation vs Be careful with your compacted height = amount of solid wood you are saying covers the ground within a condition = a lot of dead wood in a forest

  22. Slash/residue piles

  23. Fine Woody Debris • Wood material less than 3 inches in diameter at point of intersection with transect up to 6 feet from the ground

  24. FWD Size Classes Coarse woody debris (>= 3 inches at transect) Large FWD (1.0 to 2.9 inches at transect) Medium FWD ( 0.25 to 0.9 inches at transect) Small FWD (<= 0.24 inches at transect)

  25. FWD sample design Tallied on end of one transect on each subplot Size-Class Tally Counts 10 ft(h.d.) Large FWD: Tally pieces 1” – 2.9” 6 ft(h.d.) Medium FWD: Tally pieces >= ¼ ” – .9” Small FWD: Tally pieces < ¼ ” 14 ft (h.d.) 20 ft (h.d.) 24ft (h.d.)

  26. FWD Sample design • Tally FWD at the end of these transects for specific subplots Subplot 1: 270 Subplot 2: 360 Subplot 3: 135 Subplot 4: 225

  27. Fwd tally rules • Estimate FWD tally after count > 50 for diameter < 1 inch • Estimate FWD tally after count > 20 for diameter >= 1 inch • Make attempt to tally FWD first due to trampling • Do not include litter material in counts • If count exceeds 100 in any size class indicate reason why (i.e. rat’s nest, fallen tree, or residue pile) • Not attached to standing tree, dead or alive • Only tally FWD on top of litter layer…do not dig through litter

  28. FWD Sample Status • Always recorded as 1 if fine woody debris can be measured…even 1 for non-forest since we know no FWD is there • Recorded as 0 if fine woody debris cannot be measured due to water or snow obstruction

  29. Fine woody debris Count FWD pieces, by size class, intersecting subplot transects

  30. Duff and Litter • 8 depth measurements on a fully forested plot with no water/snow obstructions

  31. Litter definition • Loose plant material (excluding woody material you already measured) on surface of forest floor that is either undecomposed or partially decomposed

  32. Duff definition • Layer just below litter above mineral A-horizon…dominated by dark and highly decomposed organic material where you cannot identify originally plant parts • If you are in a peat land area then duff=peat material

  33. Duff and litter Subplot CWD & FWD Litter Duff Mineral Soil Obstructions: Rocks and logs are not considered obstructions…measure as zero. Non-sample: Water or snow cover are considered non-sampled Measure depths at 24 ft(horizontal distance) at end of every transect.

  34. Duff and litter sample status Duff and litter depth not sampled 0 1 Duff and litter depth sampled Only water and snow considered obstacles to sampling

  35. Duff and litter Method Duff and litter depth measured 1 2 3 Litter measured and duff estimated Both litter and duff estimated Should allow more freedom in deep duff areas to explain what was done on the plot

  36. Duff and litter Depth of 2 organic layers above mineral soil

  37. Total Design once more

  38. Questions? Blast from Past Part 2 2005 National P3 Pre-Training Ocala, FL

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