Aspen Delineation Project

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Management - Monitoring

Overview. Monitoring is the key to knowing whether management objectives are being met and what adaptive management is appropriate if objectives are not being accomplished. This portal introduces databases of (1) monitoring projects being undertaken in aspen communities throughout Western North America, (2) protocols developed for monitoring. Each database has mechanisms for submitting records to the databases. The intent of the data bases is to provide a clearinghouse of projects and documents so that resource managers can communicate with one another, researchers can identify study and monitoring sites, and the public can track public land management.

Questions should be directed to webmaster@aspensite.org

New Featured Aspen Monitoring Information

The USDA Forest Service (Beaver Ranger District, Fishlake National Forest) appellant representatives, permittees, scientists, and other interested partners have entered into an agreement to use a collaborative decision-making process to resolve outstanding disputes related to two of eight cattle grazing allotments on the Tushar Range. This "Tushar Allotments Collaboration" is co-sponsored by two of the participant organizations, the Utah Farm Bureau and Grand Canyon Trust.

The Collaboration participants have committed to work together through April 2009 to develop existing and desired conditions and management practices to be used in developing the overall management plans for the Ten Mile Allotment and the Pinedale/Sulphubeds Allotment. The Collaboration will address natural resource conditions and livestock management on the two allotments, including but not limited to aspen and mountain mahogany recruitment on both allotments, and a plan for reestablishment of suitable habitat for beaver on at least one stream within the Pinedale/Sulphubeds Allotment.

The U.S. Institute of Environmental Conflict Resolution has been requested to assist with convening the collaborative process, and with assuring that the professional facilitation is working for all the participants.

Managing Aspen Habitat for Birds in the Sierra Nevada. PRBO Science reports on bird diversity and in the Eagle Lake Ranger District (ELRD), Lassen National Forest (LNF). Five years after treatment, treated stands had higher species richness and abundance of most key aspen species, including woodpeckers, Mountain Bluebird, and Chipping Sparrow. Treated sites were flush with new aspen growth and a lush understory vegetation community. They expect restored sites to support even greater avian diversity and abundance as more structural complexity and foliage volume develops at treated sites.

More on the protocols can be found in a Quarterly Journal of PRBO Science (Fall 2007)

Utah Rangelands Reference Area Website:
• is a resource where the public and land managers can see the dynamic nature of our rangeland systems
• provides access to repeated photographs over time.
• provides a searchable database to access rangeland reference data.
• provides a list of sites that are considered to be important reference areas in the State of Utah.
• is designed to create public interest in monitoring and protecting Utah's rangeland resources.

Monitoring Study Database. The link below provides access to current aspen monitoring projects. The database can be searched by study title, state, specific area within a state, and descriptors for type/subject of study. Each record can be examined in detail for the project’s abstracts, its lead investigator, and project contact information.

Search Monitoring Database

Monitoring Study Submissions. Add your monitoring project to the database. This will promote collaboration and information sharing. Use the link below to fill in the simple submission form to add your project to the database.

Submit to Monitoring Database

Monitoring Protocol Database. This database found below is intended to help resource managers share protocols relating to the monitoring of aspen communities. If you would like to add a protocol to the database, please submit (1) the protocol title, (2) an abstract about the protocol, (3) where the protocol was developed, (4) when the protocol was developed, (5) a contact person for the protocol (name, email and telephone), (6) your name and contact info, and (7) an attached copy of the protocol or a link to it. Send submissions to webmaster@aspensite.org

Utilization Monitoring	Title: Browsed Plant Method for Young Quaking Aspen (2004) Abstract: The Browsed Plant Method has been developed to assess level of herbivory occurring on young and sprouting aspens. The method is used to gather data on the percentage of young plants browsed in a delineated stand of cohorts and the degree to which the population, as a whole, has interrupted or arrested growth Author: N/A Publisher: Pacific Southwest Region, US Forest Service Contact Person: David Burton, Aspen Delineation Project, peregrines@prodigy.net Link: Aspen Monitoring.pdf (529k)
Effectiveness Monitoring	Title: Effectiveness Monitoring of Aspen Regeneration on Managed Rangelands Abstract: Monitoring is a key part of adaptive management that gives managers an opportunity to change practices, as needed, and at a minimum make more informed decisions. On rangelands, monitoring efforts can be used to detect responses to specific management activities, such as stocking intensity, duration, class of animal, and season of use. Learning is an inherent objective of adaptive management and allows adaptation of management activities for improved success in achieving desired future conditions. The main purpose of effectiveness monitoring is to identify and quantify the direction and intensity of change for a given resource through time in order to evaluate changes in condition and progress towards meeting management objectives. Author: Jones, Bobette E.; Burton, David; Tate, Kenneth W. Publisher: Pacific Southwest Region, US Forest Service Contact Person: David Burton, Aspen Delineation Project, peregrines@prodigy.net Link: USFS R5 Aspen Effectiveness Monitoring.pdf
Regeneration Monitoring	Title: Aspen Regeneration Summary Computer Program Abstract: Standard regeneration survey techniques that are used for conifers are inadequate for aspen. Sucker populations are often too dense to use large plot sizes. The susceptibility of aspen to numerous damaging agents and diseases require accurate assessment of the presence of these factors in the population. The regeneration survey techniques and summary program presented here has been used in numerous aspen research studies at the Rocky Mountain Research Station and has proven to meet these needs with a system of data collection that provides a quantitative assessment of the density, distribution, size and condition of aspen sucker populations. This windows-based summary program was written by Wexielman, based on an earlier DOS executable program written by Shepperd. It offers the flexibility of producing data summary reports and graphics from data entered into Excel spreadsheets and operates in a familiar Windows environment. Author: Wayne D. Shepperd Publisher: Research Silviculturist, Rocky Mountain Research Station Ft. Collins, CO Contact Person: Wayne Shepperd, wshepperd@fs.fed.us Link: http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/landscapes/Solutions/AspenCompute