United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Environmental Monitoring
Systems Laboratory
Las Vegas. NV 89193-3478
Research and Development
EPA/620/SR-93/001 July 1993
Project Summary
Environmental Monitoring and
Assessment Program: EMAP-
Arid Colorado Plateau Pilot
Study-1992: Implementation
Plan
Susan E. Franson
The 1992 Colorado Plateau Indicator
Pilot Study, the first field activity for
the EMAP-Arid group, is designed to
evaluate several indicators of arid eco-
system condition for continued devel-
opment and implementation for moni-
toring. This Implementation Plan de-
scribes the conceptual approach for
the pilot study; questions that will be
addressed in the study; the rationale
and process that led to the choice of a
portion of the Colorado Plateau for the
study site; and the rationale and pro-
cess for selection of the indicators to
be tested. The overall EMAP-Arid de-
sign Is presented along with the spe-
cifics for the pilot study and the sam-
pling plot designs. Logistics, quality
assurance, information management
and geographic information system
(CIS), and analysis and reporting of the
pilot study results also are addressed.
The bulk of the implementation plan
describes the indicator categories that
are to be evaluated in the pilot study:
vegetation composition, structure, and
abundance; soil properties including
erosion potential; and spectral proper-
ties of vegetation and soils from both
on-ground and remote sensors. These
indicator categories were chosen for
their potential to relate to the issues of
sustainability and desertification which
are of critical importance to arid eco-
systems. An appendix describes retro-
spective and landscape Indicators that
will be further developed by EMAP-Arid
in the future.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Environmental Monitoring
Systems Laboratory, Las Vegas, NV, to
announce key findings of the research
project that Is fully documented in a
separate report of the same title (see
Project Report ordering Information at
back).
Introduction
In response to the growing awareness
of regional and global-scale environmen-
tal degradation brought about by the com-
bined actions of all peoples on Earth, na-
tions throughout the world are acknowl-
edging the need to obtain critical scientific
information and are establishing environ-
mental monitoring networks to assess the
condition of their important ecological re-
sources. The U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency (EPA), in collaboration with
other federal agencies, research institutes,
and university systems, has initiated the
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Program (EMAP) to develop a long-term
approach to assess and periodically docu-
ment the condition of ecological resources
at regional and national scales and to
create innovative methods for anticipating
emerging problems before they reach cri-
sis proportions. Desertification, livestock
grazing, biodiversity, water quality and
quantity, air quality, and global climatic
change have all been identified as region-
ally important issues in arid ecosystems.
EMAP-Arid will monitor and report on the
condition of arid and semi-arid ecosys-
tems.
Arid and semi-arid ecosystems occupy
nearly all of the land surface area (exclud-
ing high-elevation forests) west of 95° West
longitude in the conterminous United
States. Much of this land is publicly owned
and managed by various state and fed-
Printed on Recycled Paper
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oral agencies. Because of the widespread
Interest in arid ecosystems, and to take
greatest advantage of all available exper-
tise, the EMAP-Arid team is composed of
scientists from various universities, re-
search institutes, public interest groups,
and federal agencies. The success of the
pilot study is dependent upon this mixture
of affiliations that includes EPA, the Bu-
reau of Land Management (BLM), Na-
tional Park Service (NPS), Forest Service
(FS), Soil Conservation Service (SCS),
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the
Navajo and Ute Nations.
The Implementation Plan provides the
mechanism for coordination of indicator
development and evaluation with mem-
bers from participating agencies and the
external scientific community. The Imple-
mentation Plan gives an overview of the
pilot study from a technical perspective. A
companion document, the Field Opera-
tions and Training Manual, presents the
operational aspects of the study, including
(1) detailed protocols for each step of the
field work; (2) a Safety Plan; and (3) a
Quality Assurance Project Plan.
Conceptual Approach
EMAP-Arid is following a strategic plan
based in part on the National Research
Council (NRC) and EMAP guidelines for
designing and implementing environmen-
tal monitoring programs (Figure 1). The
Colorado Plateau Pilot Study - 1992 rep-
resents the step in which exploratory stud-
ies are conducted. The pilot study is one
type of exploratory study, generally in-
tended to answer specific questions about
indicator performance, including sensitiv-
ity, components of variance, data collec-
tion protocols, and logistical requirements.
Pilot studies are not intended to provide
estimates of ecological condition.
The Colorado Plateau Pilot Study will
evaluate and field test a number of issues
related to design, ecological indicators,
quality assurance, logistics, information
management, and analysis and reporting
before full scale implementation. Results
will be used to plan future pilot studies
and to develop regional demonstration
projects leading to full scale implementa-
tion.
The specific objectives of the pilot study
are:
1) To gather and evaluate information
to move selected ecological indica-
tors from the "research" category to
the "development" stage in the in-
dicator implementation process.
2) Evaluate the utility of using classi-
fied Thematic Mapper imagery and
other data acquired from the FWS
GAP Program to select frame ma-
terials for the pilot study and to
provide data for extent estimation
of arid ecosystems.
3) Evaluate the sampling plot designs
appropriate to the selected indica-
tors.
4) Evaluate the logistical, quality as-
surance, information management,
data analysis, and reporting require-
ments and constraints based on the
pilot study data.
For each of these objectives, specific
questions have been formulated that the
pilot is designed to answer.
Site Selection and Description
of the Study Area
In selecting an area for the pilot study,
regions were first considered based on
the availability of ecological data relevant
to addressing questions of sustainability
and desertification. A decision analysis pro-
cess developed by Kepner and Tregoe
(K-T Analysis) was used to select the pilot
study area from the list of candidates.
Criteria that the study site should meet so
that the study objectives could be achieved
were defined. These criteria included the
relationship of the study area to the is-
sues of desertification and global climate
change; the availability, quality, and quan-
tity of data relevant to sustainability, retro-
spective data, and remote sensing imag-
ery; and the opportunity for collaboration
with other EMAP groups. Each site was
scored based on how well it met each of
the criteria. This process resulted in the
selection of the Colorado Plateau for the
location of the study area.
Figure 2 shows the Colorado Plateau
region with the 1992 pilot study area in
Southeastern Utah shaded. The Colorado
Plateau is an arid and semi-arid tableland
in the southwestern United States. The
Plateau supports a great diversity of eco-
systems including cold deserts; alpine tun-
dra; hanging gardens; woodlands; shrublands;
and cryptogamic communities of mosses, li-
chens, fungi, and cyanobacteria comprising
most of the biomass on otherwise sterile soils.
Design
The EMAP design specifies a
probablistic sample based on a random
systematic triangular grid with 27.1 km
between nearest neighbor grid points. The
EMAP-Arid design conforms to the overall
EMAP design. The design of the pilot
specifies sampling at points offset from
the EMAP grid points. This offset allows
testing of the EMAP design in arid sys-
tems while avoiding any possible interfer-
ence with the site that will be sampled in
implementation.
The population of interest to EMAP-Arid
is composed of those terrestrial systems
where potential evapotranspiration ex-
ceeds precipitation; annual precipitation
ranges from < 5 to 60 cm; air tempera-
tures range from -40 to 50°C; and vegeta-
tion is dominated by woody perennials,
graminoides, succulents, and drought-re-
sistant trees in low-form, open canopies.
Arid lands include associated riparian com-
munities and exclude intensively managed
agriculture. Subpopulations of interest to
EMAP-Arid include the following formation
types: desertscrub, grasslands, scrubland,
woodland, tundra, riparian forrest, riparian
scrub, and strandland. For the pilot study,
sampling will be restricted to those sites
that fall within the Great Basin Desertscrub
or Great Basin Conifer Woodland forma-
tion types. Great Basin Desertscrub is
characterized by low, widely spaced hemi-
spherical shrubs with the major dominants
being sagebrushes, saltbushes, and
winterfat. Great Basin Conifer Woodland
is characterized by the unequal dominance
of openly spaced juniper and pinyon trees
that rarely exceed 12 m in height.
The sample plot design (Figure 3) is a
unified whole that encompasses the par-
ticular sampling design components for
each of the individual indicator category
measurements discussed below. The four
circular subplots (MD, A1, B1, C1) upon
which trees and shrubs > 1.5 m in height
will be measured were designed to be
compatible with the plot design employed
by EMAP-Forest.
Indicators
Introduction
Indicators are associated with assess-
ment endpoints and societal values
through a conceptual model. This provides
the framework for indicator development
that was employed during a series of work-
shops to identify candidate indicators that
relate to the issues of sustainability,
biodiversity, and aesthetics. These candi-
date indicators were then evaluated in a
K-T analysis to select those that would be
tested in the pilot study. Those selected
include spectral properties; vegetation
composition, structure, and abundance;
and soil properties including erosion indi-
ces.
Spectral Properties Indicators
Vegetation and soils reflect light in spe-
cific and characteristic patterns that de-
pend on a variety of factors including their
composition, moisture content, shadow-
ing, presence of other materials, etc. These
-------
Step 1
Define
Expectations and Goals
Stop 2
Define
Study Strategy »^
Refine
Questions
Step 4
Develop
Sampling Design
Rethink
Monitoring
Approach
J
Can
Changes Be
Detected
StepS
Implement Study
Step6
Produce Information
No
Is Information
Adequate?
Yes
(Source: NRC 1990)
Figure 1. Elements of designing and implementing a monitoring program.
Steps
Conduct Exploratory
Studies if Needed
Make Decisions
j
Step 7
Disseminate
Information
characteristic patterns of the reflected light
can be determined from the spectra re-
corded by either ground-based spectrom-
eters or by various sensors on remote
platforms including satellites.
The pilot study will examine spectra from
remote platforms including the Advanced
Very High Resolution Radiometer
(AVHRR), Multispectral Scanner (MSS)
and Thematic Mapper (TM). A personal
spectrometer will be used on the sites to
collect ground-based spectra from the six
vegetation transects (radial and external)
and seven circular subplots (Figure 3).
During the field season a catalogue of
spectra from plant species and soil types
encountered will also be developed.
The spectral properties category of indi-
cators is designed to examine the rela-
tionships between remote sensing mea-
surements and ecological variables deter-
mined from ground-based measurements.
Vegetation Composition,
Structure, and Abundance
The composition, structure, and abun-
dance of vegetation have been recognized
as useful indicators of environmentally in-
duced changes in arid ecosystems. Data
for trees and shrubs <1.5 m in height will
be recorded for twelve quadrats located
along each of the radial and exterior
transects (Figure 3). Within these quad-
rats are 20 x 50 cm subquadrats where
species composition and vegetation cover
and height will be recorded for grasses
and forbs. In conjunction with the vegeta-
tion measurements in these subquadrats,
data will be collected on the surface fea-
tures of the site (rock fragment size and
distribution, percentage bare soil, litter
cover, etc.). These surface features data
will be used with soil properties indicators
in determining soil erosion estimates. The
species identification, height, trunk diam-
eter and crown diameters (longest and
the perpendicular) will be recorded for trees
and shrubs >1.5 m in height in the four
circular subplots (A1, B1, C1, and MD,
Figure 3).
Soil Properties
Soil properties influence the amount of
moisture and nutrients available for plant
growth, the vertical and horizontal move-
ment of moisture and nutrients through
ecosystems, and transportation of sus-
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Colorado Plateau, FY92
N
120km
Figure 2. Map of the Colorado Plateau.
pended and dissolved solids into neigh-
boring water bodies. Thus, soil properties
are important in interpreting results of veg-
etation measurements and are themselves
subject to change. At half of the sites, a
complete soil profile will be described from
a pit dug to 1.5 rn or bedrock. Each hori-
zon present in these soil pits will be
sampled. In addition, surface soils will be
described from two pits dug to 50 cm, with
samples collected from the top two hori-
zons. At the other half of the sites, three
surface soil pits will be dug and sampled.
All soil samples will be sent to the SCS
Lincoln Soil Laboratory for complete analy-
sis of physical and chemical properties.
Logistics
Logistics include all the activities nec-
essary to plan and implement the pilot
study including obtaining site access per-
mission, scheduling, training, shipping
samples, data and sample tracking, com-
munications, and providing support to the
field sampling crews. Each field sampling
crew consists of a field supervisor, soil
scientist, botanist, spectrometer technician,
and field technician, each with specific
responsibilities during the sampling activi-
ties. A flow chart briefly describing the
daily activities involved in the approxi-
mately eight-week field component of the
pilot is given in Figure 4. Access to sites
where permission of the owner has been
granted will be by four wheel drive ve-
hicle, hiking, helicopter, or a combination
of these. The pilot will determine the logis-
tic requirements for the upcoming demon-
stration study, including the special re-
quirements of sampling with interagency
teams. The logistical details of the pilot
study are fully described in the Field Op-
erations and Training Manual.
Quality Assurance
Quality assurance (QA) for EMAP-Arid
is based on a philosophy of guidance and
assistance rather than enforcement. The
goal of QA is to ensure that the type,
amount, and quality of the field data col-
lected are adequate to meet the objec-
tives of the study. The Quality Assurance
Project Plan is a part of the Field Opera-
tions and Training Manual, but the Imple-
mentation Plan gives an overview of the
QA activities for the pilot. Key activities
include crew comparability and resampling
repeatability studies, field audits to ensure
protocols are being followed, and dupli-
cate soil sampling as a quality assurance
check on the laboratory analyses. After
the pilot, the activities will include working
with the indicator leads to develop data
quality objectives for the demonstration
study.
Information Management and
GIS
Information management for the pilot
study involves five main functions: pre-
fjeld planning and preparation; field activi-
ties; central office activities; external data
set acquisition; and data assimilation, re-
view, and assessment. Thus, data are
managed from development of data entry
forms through collection and use in analy-
sis and reporting. Programs will be devel-
oped and tested for personal data record-
ers to allow electronic data entry in the
field for the vegetation measurements.
Analysis and Reporting
The focus of EMAP-Arid Colorado Pla-
teau Pilot Study is to evaluate selected
indicators and the logistical, QA, and in-
formation management requirements of
implementing them. This evaluation will
rely heavily on statistical analysis of the
variance components of each measure-
ment and indicator but will also include
other statistical analyses and subjective
considerations. The approach will be to
answer each specific question formulated
to address the objectives of the pilot study.
The results will be incorporated ijito a
report on the pilot study and used to plan
future demonstration and pilot studies.
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N
R • Radial Transect
~E - External Transect
P - Soil Pit Clockwise from Radial Transect
Figure 3. EMAP-Arid sample plot design.
Candidate Indicators
During the discussions and workshops,
several categories of indicators in addition
to those being tested in the 1992 pilot
were proposed that have great promise
for monitoring arid ecosystem condition.
Two of these indicator categories, land-
scape and retrospective history, have pa-
rameters that can be determined in part
from existing data or data already being
collected in the pilot study as part of other
10 m
indicator measurements, and could be de-
veloped for the pilot study after the field
season, should funding allow. Landscape
indicators being considered include habi-
tat/cover type proportions, spatial distri-
bution of agriculture and riparian vegeta-
tion per stream reach, fractal dimension,
abundance/density of key physical fea-
tures, spatial distribution of grazing inten-
sity, and riparian condition. Retrospective
indicators being considered include tree-
ring series, meteorological data, pollen
records, packrat middens, and fossil char-
coal records.
Conclusions
The EMAP-Arid Colorado Pilot Study -
1992 Implementation Plan presents a de-
scription of the activities of the EMAP-Arid
group during the summer of 1992. Details
of the objectives of the pilot study, ratio-
nale for study site and indicator selection,
sampling design, logistics, quality assur-
ance, information management, analysis
and reporting, and the individual indica-
tors to be measured are presented in the
Implementation Plan. A companion docu-
ment, the Field Operations and Training
Manual, has been prepared to augment
the information provided in the Implemen-
tation Plan and provides greater detail on
field sampling methods, safety, and qual-
ity assurance.
The pilot study will apply the EMAP
design to arid ecosystems in an effort to
evaluate candidate indicators of arid eco-
system condition. The pilot is an
interagency effort involving EPA, BLM,
NPS, FS, SCS, FWS, and the Navajo and
Ute Nations. Special logistical requirements
resulting from this interagency effort will
be evaluated along with the indicators.
The results of this pilot study will provide
information for future development of the
EMAP-Arid program.
The information in this document has
been funded in part by the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency through Con-
tract #68-CO-0049 to Lockheed Engineer-
ing and Sciences Company, Cooperative
Agreement #CR-816385-02 to the Desert
Research Institute of the University and
Community College System of Nevada,
Interagency Agreement #DW 89934398 to
the Department of Energy (Idaho National
Engineering Laboratory), Interagency
Agreement #DW 14935509-01-0 to the
Bureau of Land Management, Interagency
Agreement #DW 12935623-01-0 to the Soil
Conservation Service, and Purchase Or-
der #2V-0489-NAEX to the University of
Arizona. It has been subject to the
Agency's peer and administrative review,
and it has been approved for publication
as an EPA document.
Mention of trade names or commercial
products does not constitute endorsement
or recommendation for use.
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Check Batteries for GPS PS-//, and Motorola ftacfb
Assemble Gear and Pack Vehicle Using Daily Check Lists
File Itinerary
Depart for Site
Arrive at Site
Verify Site Location
Establish Plot
Begin Site Characterization
Photograph Site
Soy Sampling Activities
Hole Excavation, Site Photography,
Soil Profiling, Soil Sampling, Complete
Pedon Coding Form, and Plot Restoration
Vegetation Sampling Activities
Surface Characterization, Herbaceous
Cover Measurements, Trees and Shrub
Measurements
Spectral Measurements
Begin at 10:30 Sampling Plots in the
Same Order as Vegetation Sampling
Check Field Forms for Completeness
Field Supervisor Initials
Depart Site and Relocate to
Nightly Lodging
Field Forms and Sample Labels
Checked for Completeness and
Accuracy
Download Electronic Data
Equipment Maintenance
Charge Batteries
Figure 4. Flow chart of daily activities.
. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1993 - 5SO-W7/JWIM
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The EPA Editor, Susan E. Franson, is with the Environmental Monitoring Systems
Laboratory, Las Vegas, NV 89193-3478.
William G. Kepner is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
The complete report, entitled "Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program:
E MAP-Arid Colorado Plateau Pilot Study - 1992: Implementation Plan," (Order
No. PB93-181 618/AS; Cost: $27.00, subject to change) will be available only
from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Las Vegas, NV 89193-3478
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Center for Environmental Research Information
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
BULK RATE
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
EPA
PERMIT No. G-35
EPA/600/SR-93/001
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