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 ------- 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- ------- 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. ------- 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. ------- 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 ------- ------- 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 ------- |