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

2. 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

3. 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.

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

5. 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.

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

7. 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 to or join the list at
July 18-25, 2008: Chowan & Meherrin Rivers

8. 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

9. National & International Context
U.S. National Vegetation Classification
Ecological Society of America Vegetation Panel – Guidelines for recording and classifying vegetation (v 5.1 to be released in July).
Federal Geographic Data Committee, Vegetation Subcommittee – Federal standards
VegBank

11. 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

12. 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.

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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

19. 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.

20. The module: 1 are = 100m2

21. Typical Level-5 plot layout

22. 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

23. Data entry & submission
Demonstration on Wednesday

24. 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!

25. Efficient Planted Stem Entry

26. Catch Errors Early
Data automatically checked for errors as entered.

27. Datasheets prepared for next year

28. Stems mapped for easy resampling

29. 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.

30. 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.

31. 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

32. 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

33. Mapping of Plots

34. Spotting Outliers

35. 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.

36. Looking forward to continued collaboration