Transcript CVS Overview – Robert Peet - 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.
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Restoration targets
Protocols and tools
Data management
Data analysis
Training
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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.
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Boot camp for botanists; Woodstock for botanists;
Extreme botany
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Access to sites rarely available
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Unparalleled training
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Networking opportunities
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Free lodging and free t-shirt
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Send email to [email protected]
or join the list at http://cvs.bio.unc.edu
July 18-25, 2008: Chowan & Meherrin Rivers
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Student research projects
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Broad-scale collaboration and data mining
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Targeted systems
 Piedmont rivers
 Mountain bogs
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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
 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.
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Consistent methodology
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Appropriate for most vegetation types
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FGDC compliant and broadly compatible
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Flexible in intensity and time commitment
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Easily resampled
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Total floristics &/or tree population structure
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Major site variables, including soil attributes
5 sampling levels provide flexibility
plus consistency.
 Available resources include manuals,
datasets, and data entry tools.
 Applicable for multiple purposes and
organizations
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Level 1: Inventory of planted stems
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Level 2: Inventory of planted and natural stems
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Level 3: Cover of dominants and
optional stem inventory
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Level 4: Full floristics
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Level 5: Full floristics, by module, across scales.
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For restoration areas with planted stems.
The primary purpose is to document
installation and to monitor survival and
growth of installed plants.
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For restoration areas.
Plots allow accurate and rapid assessment
of the overall status and trajectory of
woody-plant restoration on a site.
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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
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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.
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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
Demonstration on Wednesday
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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.
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Flags possible errors for resolution
Reports summarize final data
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
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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.
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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
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
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Contractors receive hands-on training in data
collection and management at annual workshops
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Annual “Pulse” events provide intensive training
in sampling protocols and North Carolina’s plant
species and vegetation.