FIA’s Down Woody Materials Field Sampling Protocols2nd of 3 Part Training Series

Christopher Woodall

DWM National Indicator Advisor

Outline

• Transect Segmenting

• Coarse Woody Debris

• Fine Woody Debris

• Duff, Litter and Fuelbed

• Shrubs and Herbs

• Slash Piles

4

2

3

1

150

270

30

24 feet (h.d.)Three / subplot

CWD

20 ft (s.d.)

FWD (small & medium)

Subplot

14 ft (s.d.)

24ft(s.d.)

6 ft (s.d.)

10 ft (s.d.)

FWD (large)

One per subplot

Annular plot

6.8 ft. radius microplot

Duff, Litter, Fuelbed depths 24 ft. location, every transect

Transect Segmenting

1) Only sample DWM components on accessible forest land

2) Must map changes in forest condition classes along transects

Transect Segmenting

Non-ForestCC #2

10 ft

Transect length must equal 24 ft, Horizontal Dist.

Subplot

T CC BEGIN

SDIST

SLOPE

%

END SDIST

2 030 1 0.0 10 10.0

2 030 2 10.0 50 25.7

ForestCC #1

Coarse Woody Debris

Sampling Procedures Depend on Decay of Individual Pieces

Freshly Fallen

Moderate Decay Mostly Decayed

CWD Decay Classes

Decay Class Structural Integrity Texture of Rotten Portions

1Sound, intact, freshly fallen, bark

onIntact, no rot

2 SoundMostly intact, sapwood rotting and soft,

can’t pull off easily

3Heartwood sound, supports own

weight

Heartwood hard, rot beginning, large cubical rot pieces, sapwood easily

pulled off or missing

4Heartwood rotten, does not

support its own weight, but holds shape

Heartwood soft, small cubical decay pieces, metal pin easily pushed into

heartwood

5None! Spreads out on ground,

losing shape of logWood is soft, crumbly, heavily

decomposed, powdery when dry

CWD Tally Rules

Point of Intersection

Transect

Transect Diameter

CWD Piece Axis

Decay Classes 1 - 4

Piece >= 3” Transect Diameter

Piece >= 3’ Long

Decay Class 5

Piece >= 5” Transect Diameter

Piece >= 3’ Long

Piece >= 5” Above ground-level

CWD Tally Rules Cont’d

Only tally portion of log above ground and or above water

Standing dead trees are CWD if they lean >= 45 from vertical

Must have a diameter >= 3 inches along entire length

Tally a piece each time it intersects any transect, regardless of the

number of times

If log split down center, treat as two separate pieces

CWD Forks and Branches

Forked PiecesEach fork must meet minimum specsFork with largest diameter at the crotch is the ‘main bole’2nd fork ends at the crotch

Large branchBranch must meet minimum specsLength measured from small end to the point where it connects to main bole

CWD Measurements

Sub plot TRAN

CWD DIST SPP

TRAN DIAM

SML DIAM

LRG DIAM

TOT LENG

DECAY CLASS HOL?

CWD HIST

Decay Class

1-4

5

Length

Transect Diameter

CWD distance

Large End Diameter

Small End Diameter

Decay ClassSpeciesHollow?

CWD History

CWD Lengths and Diameters

Measure here

Measure here

Length is measured between diameter measurements

When the ends of the log are splintered or crumbling from decay…measure the diameter at the point where it best represents the overall volume of the log.

CWD LengthsSeparates if Pulled

CWD Length CWD Length

CWD Diameter

CWD Diameter

If CWD piece is fractured, either across diameter or length, and crew determines it would separate if pulled by either end… Then… Tally as two separate CWD pieces

Fine Woody Debris

SubplotCond. Class

Small FWD

Med. FWD

Large FWD

Reason High

RP Transect

1 1 003 002 007 0 0

Count FWD pieces, by size class, intersecting subplot transects

FWD Sample Design

150

270

30

Tallied on 150 degree transect on each subplot

20 ft (s.d.)

14 ft (s.d.)

24ft (s.d.)

6 ft (s.d.)

10 ft (s.d.)

Large FWD: Tally pieces 1” – 2.9”

Small FWD: Tally pieces < ¼ ”

Medium FWD: Tally pieces >= ¼ ” – .9”

Size-Class Tally Counts

FWD Tally Rules

• Estimate FWD tally after count > 50 for diameter < 1 inch

• Estimate FWD tally after count > 20 for diameter >= 1 inch

• Make attempt to tally FWD first due to trampling

• If count exceeds 100 in any size class indicate reason why (i.e. rat’s nest or fallen tree)

• If a pile intersects the FWD transect (14 – 24’) do not measure FWD (code ‘Yes’ for ‘RP_on_transect’)

Duff, Litter, and Fuelbed

Subplot Transect DL_SampDuff

DepthLitter Depth

Fuelbed Depth

1 150 1 inches inches feet

Depth of 3 fuel layers above mineral soil

Duff, Litter, and Fuelbed

Mineral Soil

Duff

Litter

CWD & FWDFuelbed Depth

Subplot

Measure depths at 24 ft (slope distance) on every transect.

Obstructions:If a rock or other significant obstruction is found at sample point, do not measure any depths.

If a log is found at sample point, measure fuelbed depth but NOT duff and litter.

Duff, Litter, Fuelbed

0

1

2

Duff and litter depth not sample, fuelbed sampled

All sampled

Nothing sampled

Use coding options to take quality measurements, since we measure these variables at twelve points on each plot, don’t collect data if measurement obstructed or compromised

Microplot Fuels

SubplotLive

Shrub %

Live Shrub

HT

Dead Shrub

%

Dead Shrub

HT

Live Herb

%

Live Herb HT

Dead Herb

%

Dead Herb HT

Litter %

1 30 4.0 10 2.2 90 1.9 0 0.0 40

10% Cover Classes

Microplot Sampling

Estimate coverage (%) and tallest height (ft) of live/dead shrubs/herbs on microplot

Estimate coverage (%) of litter on microplot

Microplot Sampling

Herbs

Herbs and Shrubs

Shrubs

Live and Dead

Shrubs: plants (non-trees), woody stems

Herbs: non-woody herbaceous plants including ferns, moss, lichens, sedges, and grasses (< 6 ft in height)

Live: Still attached

Dead: Still attached or dislodged, but not down and decaying

Slash/Residue Piles

Every slash pile, whose center coincides with a subplot, is assigned to a shape category, dimensions measured,

and density estimated

Subplot CCPile AZ

Shape LNG1 LNG2 WID1 WID2 HT1 HT2Pile Den.

1 1 28 1 10 12 4 3 4 2 20

Slash/Residue Tally Rules

• Tally CWD piles where efficiency of sampling is improved using pile protocol instead of transects

• Pile’s center must be in accessible forest land

• Pile’s center must be < 24 ft h.d. from subplot center

• Pile must contain pieces of CWD >= 3” diameter

• Estimate % of pile that contains CWD >= 3” (packing ratio)

Pile Shape Codes

Pile Density Estimation

=Stacked cord approaches 80% density

= =01% 20%

End of Part 2 of 3

http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/4801/national-programs/indicators/dwm/