2nd of 3 Part Training Series
Christopher Woodall
FIA’S DOWN WOODY MATERIALS
FIELD SAMPLING PROTOCOLS
Plot-level Variables Transect SegmentingCoarse Woody DebrisFine Woody DebrisDuff and LitterSlash Piles
OUTLINE
Since we will have a mixture of P3 plots and various P2+ sample designs in the database…we need ways to distinguish
PLOT-LEVEL VARIABLES
Variable: Sampling Status
0 = Not sampling DWM1 = BASE DWM variables collected
If sampling DWM…then remainder of variables tell us which sample design you used ( we autopopulate?)
PLOT-LEVEL VARIABLES
Variable: Number of SubplotsValue = 4
Variable: Number of Transects per SubplotValue = 2Variable: Transect lengthValue = 24
N
445
225
90
270
135
360
180
3
2
1
315
All sampling occurs on transectsP2+ should save time by not wandering off transects
TRANSECTS
24 feet (h.d.)Three / subplot
CWD and Slash Piles
20 ft (h.d.)
FWD (small & medium)
14 ft (h.d.)
24ft(h.d.)
6 ft (h.d.)
10 ft (h.d.)FWD (large)
Duff and Litter depths 24 ft. (h.d.) location,
every transect
N
445
225
90
270
135
360
180
3
2
1
315
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
TRANSECT SEGMENTING
1) Only sample DWM components on accessible forest land
2) Must map changes in forest condition classes along transects
TRANSECT SEGMENTING
Non-ForestCC #2
10 ft
Transect length must equal 24 ft, Horizontal Dist.
Subplot
T CC BEGIN H DIST
SLOPE%
END H DIST
Sample Status
2 360 1 0.0 10 10.0 1
2 180 2 10.0 50 24.0 1
ForestCC #1
Transect orientation changes by subplot…big change from P3
TRANSECT SEGMENTING
N
445
225
90
270
135
360
180
3
2
1
315
Subplot 1: 90 and 270Subplot 2: 180 and 360Subplot 3: 135 and 315Subplot 4: 45 and 225
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
TRANSECT SEGMENT SAMPLE STATUS
CWD DECAY CLASSES
Tally Rules Depend on Decay of Individual Pieces
Freshly Fallen
Moderate Decay Mostly Decayed
CWD DECAY CLASSES
Decay Class Structural Integrity Texture of Rotten Portions
1 Sound, intact, freshly fallen, bark on Intact, no rot
2 Sound Mostly intact, sapwood rotting and soft, can’t pull off easily
3 Heartwood sound, supports own weight
Heartwood hard, rot beginning, large cubical rot pieces, sapwood easily
pulled off or missing
4Heartwood rotten, does not
support its own weight, but holds shape
Heartwood soft, small cubical decay pieces, metal pin easily pushed into
heartwood
5 None! Spreads out on ground, losing shape of log
Wood is soft, crumbly, heavily decomposed, powdery when dry
COARSE WOODY DEBRIS DEFINITIONS
Point of IntersectionTransect
Transect DiameterCWD 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
CWD TALLY RULES CONTINUED
Only tally portion of log above ground and or above
waterStanding 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
CWD FORKS AND BRANCHES
Forked PiecesEach fork is tallied if it meets minimum specs
Large branchBranch must meet minimum specs
CWD MEASUREMENTS
Sub plot TRAN
COND CLASS
HOR DIST
DECAY CLASS SPP
TRAN DIA
DIA HOLLOW
LENGTH >= 3?
2 180 1 20.0 2 122 12 0 1
Transect Diameter
horizontal
distance
Decay ClassSpecies
Diameter at Hollow Length => 3ft?
SEPARATED CWD PIECES
CWD DiameterCWD 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
Totally revised from old P3 methodsNow sampled along transects
SLASH/RESIDUE PILES
End of pile
Start of pile
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
SLASH/RESIDUE PILES
Determine average height along transect
Move that average height down to account for density of CWD in pile
Record compacted height
COMPACTED HEIGHT ESTIMATION
Compacted height of DWM = 88% of pile height
Compacted height of DWM = 78% of pile height
Compacted height of DWM = 47% of pile height
Compacted height of DWM = 35% of pile height
Compacted height of DWM = 23% of pile height
Compacted height of DWM = 14% of pile height
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
SLASH/RESIDUE PILES
Subplot Transect CC HD Begin
HD End
Compacted Height
Decay Class Spp
1 270 1 10.4 20.1 1 3 545
Wood material less than 3 inches in diameter at point of intersection with transect up to 6 feet from the ground
FINE WOODY DEBRIS
FWD SIZE CLASSES
Medium FWD( 0.25 to 0.9 inches at transect)
Large FWD(1.0 to 2.9 inches at transect)
Coarse woody debris (>= 3 inches at transect)
Small FWD(<= 0.24 inches at transect)
FWD SAMPLE DESIGN
Tallied on end of one transect on each subplot
20 ft (h.d.)
14 ft (h.d.)
24ft (h.d.)
6 ft (h.d.)
10 ft (h.d.) Large FWD: Tally pieces 1” – 2.9”
Small FWD: Tally pieces < ¼ ”
Medium FWD: Tally pieces >= ¼ ” – .9”
Size-Class Tally Counts
Tally FWD at the end of these transects for specific subplots
FWD SAMPLE DESIGN
N
445
225
90
270
135
360
180
3
2
1
315
Subplot 1: 270Subplot 2: 360Subplot 3: 135Subplot 4: 225
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
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
FINE WOODY DEBRIS
Sub plot Transect CC Sample
StatusNon-
sample Reason
Small FWD
Med. FWD
Large FWD
Reason High
1 270 1 1 003 002 007 0
Count FWD pieces, by size class, intersecting subplot transects
8 depth measurements on a fully forested plot with no water/snow obstructions
DUFF AND LITTER
Loose plant material (excluding woody material you already measured) on surface of forest floor that is either undecomposed or partially decomposed
LITTER 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
DUFF DEFINITION
DUFF AND LITTER
Mineral Soil
DuffLitter
CWD & FWDSubplot
Measure depths at 24 ft (horizontal distance) at end of every transect.
Obstructions:Rocks and logs are not considered obstructions…measure as zero.Non-sample:Water or snow cover are considered non-sampled
DUFF AND LITTER SAMPLE STATUS
0
1
Duff and litter depth not sampled
Duff and litter depth sampled
Only water and snow considered obstacles to sampling
DUFF AND LITTER METHOD
1
2
3
Duff and litter depth measured
Litter measured and duff estimated
Should allow more freedom in deep duff areas to explain what was done on the plot
Both litter and duff estimated
DUFF AND LITTER
Subplot Transect CC Sample Status
Non-Sample Reason
Duff Depth
Litter Depth Method
1 090 1 1 0.4 1.1 1
Depth of 2 organic layers above mineral soil
TOTAL DESIGN ONCE MORE
24 feet (h.d.)Three / subplot
CWD and Slash Piles
20 ft(h.d.)
FWD (small & medium)
14 ft(h.d.)
24ft(h.d.)
6 ft (h.d.)
10 ft (h.d.)FWD (large)
Duff and Litter depths 24 ft. location, every transect
N
445
225
90
270
135
360
180
3
2
1
315
QUESTIONS?
Blast from Past Part 22005 National P3 Pre-TrainingOcala, FL