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

1. Restoration targets 2. Protocols and tools 3. Data management 4. Data analysis 5. Training

1.Document reference conditions 2.Derive restoration targets 3.Design site-specific restoration plan 4.Implement the plan 5.Monitor change and assess success 6.Employ adaptive management CVS provides improved reference data, target design tools, monitoring protocols, data management and analysis, and training.

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 to or join the list at June (NC Piedmont), July (SC coast)

Student research projects Broad-scale collaboration and data mining Targeted systems  Piedmont rivers  Mountain bogs Other research projects

U.S. National Vegetation Classification Ecological Society of America Vegetation Panel – Standards for associations and alliances of the NVC. Ecological Society of America Vegetation Panel – Guidelines for recording and classifying vegetation. Federal Geographic Data Committee, Vegetation Subcommittee – Federal standards VegBank National & International Context

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

Move from crude species lists to a plot database and quantitative community 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.

Consistent methodology Appropriate for most vegetation types FGDC compliant and broadly compatible Flexible in intensity and time commitment Easy to resample Total floristics &/or tree population structure Major site variables

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

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

For restoration areas with planted stems. The primary purpose is to document installation and to monitor survival and growth of installed plants.

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

Documents leaf area cover of common species Conforms to the FGDC standard 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

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 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 can be automatically generated The archived data are used in various analyses and to generate datasheets for subsequent monitoring

Demonstrations today and tomorrow

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. Possible errors are flagged for resolution Reports summarize final data Download plots from our website for monitoring New datasheets printed for future monitoring SAVES TIME & MONEY, DELIVERS HIGHER QUALITY DATA!

Data automatically checked for errors as entered.

You don't have to retype data that is known from last year. The cursor stops only on the few fields with solid borders.

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 the monitored vegetation is developing towards a pre-defined reference condition.

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

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

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.