1. Integrated Upland Protocol Burton Pendleton; USDA Forest Service Debbie Soukup, Donovan Craig; UNLV Nita Tallent-Halsell; MOJN Jean Pan, Dana Robinson, Jennifer Burke, Bob Truitt; MOJN

2. Background The 2004 Vital Signs Workshop drafted a preliminary list of 27 Vital Signs. The final list of 20 Vital Signs was selected during a network-wide meeting on November 28-29, 2005. The IU protocol addresses 7 of the 20 vital signs.

3. Vital Signs • 2) Vegetation change • 3) Occurrence of invasive plants • 9) Soil chemistry and nutrient cycling ** • 10) Soil hydrologic function • 11) Soil erosion and deposition • 12) Soil disturbance • 13) Biological soil crust dynamics

4. Monitoring Questions • How is structure and composition of vegetation changing over time in network parks? • What are the regeneration and mortality rates of the dominant and subdominant perennial species? • How are soil surface properties, chemistry, and hydrologic function changing over time? • How are the abundance, structure, and composition of biological crusts changing over time? • What relationships are observed between soil properties, invasive species, and plant community characteristics? (Invasive/Exotic Plants)

5. Measurable Objectives • Determine long-term trends in composition, structure, mortality, relative abundance, and regeneration of the dominant and subdominant shrub species within selected shrub communities of MOJN parks. • Determine status and trends in abundance and composition of biological soil crusts in selected shrub communities. • Determine status and trends in soil chemistry and nutrients (particularly nitrogen), the magnitude and extent of soil erosion and surface disturbance, and soil hydrologic function within selected shrub communities. • Determine long-term trends in distribution and abundance of selected non-native plant species in selected shrub communities. (Invasive/Exotic Plants)

6. Metrics • Cover by life form • Shrub cover by species • Cryptobiotic soil crust cover • Bare ground • Rock • Litter • Soil pH • Soil electrical conductivity • Soil consistence, texture and strength • Presence/absence of selected exotic species

7. Shrub communities to be monitored (by Park) • LAKE – creosote-bursage • DEVA – creosote mixed desert shrub • GRBA – montane sage steppe • PARA – pinion/juniper/sagebrush • MANZ – mixed desert shrub/rabbitbrush • JOTR - joshua tree/blackbrush • MOJA – joshua tree/blackbrush

8. Joshua Tree

9. Lake Mead

10. Mojave

11. Death Valley

12. Manzanar

13. Parashant

14. Great Basin

15. Sampling Design • Permanent macroplots of 100m X 100m • 3, 50m transects per macroplot • Each transect sampled using line intercept • Cryptobiotic soil crusts sampled concurrently with vegetation • Soil measurements taken adjacent to macroplots

16. Transect 1 0 m 50 m • Three 50 m transects • Separated by 25 m each • 50 m x 50 m macroplot Transect 2 ● 0 m 50 m centroid downslope Transect 3 0 m 50 m end origin Macroplot design

17. SCHEDULES, etc… • Primary IU field season – October to April • Order in which Parks will be sampled and the frequency of sampling is not yet finalized • Start date of IU sampling is not final, but may overlap with riparian springs first year sampling • Vegetation and soil sampling methods will be field tested by early calendar year 2011

18. PERSONNEL NEEDS • A field crew will consist of 2 crew members and a crew leader • We will work towards cross-training crews so that protocols can share field crews

19. Timeline 2010 September October November December Soil/vegetation SOPs drafts Protocol narratives relevant to soil and vegetation sampling

20. TIME LINE • Drafts of vegetation and soil crust sampling SOPs will be completed by October 1 • Soil sampling SOPs are being prepared and near drafts will be completed by Oct 30 • I will submit vegetation and soil SOPs and their corresponding narratives before the end of the calendar year

21. COMPLIANCE • Park input on procedures for marking and maintaining permanent plots will be requested • Permits for the collection of voucher specimens, soils samples etc… will be requested from each park

22. DATA MANAGEMENT

23. QA/QC • SOP to examine the level of disturbance created by repeat sampling has been drafted • Each year we will use standard training protocols • Data collected will be reviewed for quality and accuracy

24. STATUS OF PROTOCOL We have made considerable progress since last years technical committee meeting and we are working hard to complete the IU protocol document as soon as possible. The questions and objectives are defined and the metrics, methods, and communities to be sampled have been determined.

25. QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION • For questions regarding sampling methodology, sampling rational, metrics, and plant community selection etc…, you can talk to me today or contact me. Dr. Burton Pendleton USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station 505-724-3674 bpendleton01@fs.fed.us