The CVS-EEP Partnership Working together to restore North Carolina's natural communities

The CVS Team Project Directors Staff Robert Peet, UNC Chapel Hill Thomas Wentworth, NC State University Michael Schafale, NC Natural Heritage Program Alan Weakley, NC Botanical Garden Staff Forbes Boyle, Project Manager Michael Lee, Database admin & software developer

The Carolina Vegetation Survey Multi-institutional collaborative program. Established in 1988 to document the composition and status of natural vegetation of the Carolinas. Provides data, data services and analysis to EEP and its contractors.

CVS-EEP collaboration activities Research and Services Restoration targets Protocols and tools Data management Data analysis Training

Restoration protocol Document reference conditions Derive restoration targets Design site-specific restoration plan Implement the plan Monitor change and assess success Employ adaptive management CVS provides improved reference data, target design, monitoring protocols, data management and analysis, and training.

Reference data collection is an on-going activity Over 6000 plots, containing > 2600 species, documenting > 250 vegetation types

1. Reference site data A. Pulse Boot camp for botanists; Woodstock for botanists; Extreme botany Access to sites rarely available Unparalleled training Networking opportunities Free lodging and free t-shirt Send email to peet@unc.edu or join the list at http://cvs.bio.unc.edu July 18-25, 2008: Chowan & Meherrin Rivers

Reference site data B. Focal projects & data mining Student research projects Broad-scale collaboration and data mining Targeted systems Piedmont rivers Mountain bogs Other research projects

National & International Context U.S. National Vegetation Classification http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/ Ecological Society of America Vegetation Panel – Guidelines for recording and classifying vegetation (v 5.1 to be released in July). http://www.esa.org/vegweb/docFiles/NVC_Guidelines_v45.pdf Federal Geographic Data Committee, Vegetation Subcommittee – Federal standards http://cvs.bio.unc.edu/FGDCVegetationStandard-V2-2008.pdf VegBank http://vegbank.org

www.vegbank.org

CVS Vision The Carolina vegetation database, available on the web Revision and documentation of the National Vegetation Classification Tools for identification and prediction of existing and potential vegetation Synthesis and reference information on the vegetation of the Carolinas

2. Restoration targets Move from crude species lists to a plot database and high-resolution community classification with quantitative descriptions. EEP contractors can use these data to establish site-specific restoration targets. Phase 1: National Vegetation Classification type descriptions. Phase 2: Dynamically generated targets. Growers can predict material needs. EEP can anticipate significantly higher success.

3. Data collection & recording CVS Protocol Consistent methodology Appropriate for most vegetation types FGDC compliant and broadly compatible Flexible in intensity and time commitment Easily resampled Total floristics &/or tree population structure Major site variables, including soil attributes

CVS sampling protocol 5 sampling levels provide flexibility plus consistency. Available resources include manuals, datasets, and data entry tools. Applicable for multiple purposes and organizations

Sampling levels Level 1: Inventory of planted stems Level 2: Inventory of planted and natural stems Level 3: Cover of dominants and optional stem inventory Level 4: Full floristics Level 5: Full floristics, by module, across scales.

Level 1: Basic Plot Data planted stems only For restoration areas with planted stems. The primary purpose is to document installation and to monitor survival and growth of installed plants.

Level 2: Natural Stems For restoration areas. Plots allow accurate and rapid assessment of the overall status and trajectory of woody-plant restoration on a site.

Level 3: Community occurrence Cover class of each dominant species Used to document leaf area cover of the more common species Plots conform to the FGDC standards for plots used to classify vegetation to an NVC association Used to assess vegetation successional status as well as the presence and abundance of undesirable taxa

Levels 4 & 5: Comprehensive community classification Similar to level 3, but more Cover values are determined for all plant species Additional environmental data are collected Plots conform to the FGDC standards for plots used to revise the NVC.

The module: 1 are = 100m2

Typical Level-5 plot layout

4. Data management The CVS data management system insures accurate data collection and reporting The CVS data-entry tool allows efficient data entry with automatic error checking Reports and plot statistics are automatically generated The archived data are used in various analyses and to generate datasheets for subsequent monitoring

Data entry & submission Demonstration on Wednesday

SAVES TIME & MONEY, DELIVERS HIGHER QUALITY DATA! Entry Tool Features Contractors use the tool to digitize & organize data. Centralizes the entry process into one place Can calculate number of required plots for a project Efficient data entry at all CVS Levels: Forms mimic paper datasheets Lookup data (species, locations) quickly Avoid redundant typing. Flags possible errors for resolution Reports summarize final data New datasheets printed for future monitoring SAVES TIME & MONEY, DELIVERS HIGHER QUALITY DATA!

Efficient Planted Stem Entry

Catch Errors Early Data automatically checked for errors as entered.

Datasheets prepared for next year

Stems mapped for easy resampling

Second-year entry: twice as fast You don't have to retype data that is known from last year. The cursor stops only on the few fields with solid borders.

5. Data analysis CVS reports Datasheets for monitoring Survival & growth of planted stems Direction of compositional change Rate of compositional change Problems needing attention (e.g., stem mortality, exotic species) The data and services provided by CVS improve the likelihood that vegetation within monitored sites is developing towards a pre-defined reference condition.

Reports generated by entry tool Data summarized with click of a button Multiple configuration options available Reports based on a single year or multiple years Reports based on a single project or multiple projects

Highlights year of project failing to meet requirements! Summary Report Project Summary Highlights year of project failing to meet requirements! Matrix of plots, species, and number of stems (This page shows 3 of 10 to 12 worksheets in the Report) Summary of Stem Vigor

Mapping of Plots

Spotting Outliers

6. Training Contractors receive hands-on training in data collection and management at annual workshops Annual “Pulse” events provide intensive training in sampling protocols and North Carolina’s plant species and vegetation.

Looking forward to continued collaboration