Procedures for ecological site inventory with special reference to riparian-wetland sites

148 Pages·1992·21.8 MB·English

by  Leonard, Steve (Stephen G.)

HM
8804953
RIPARIAN AREA MANAGEMENT
TR 1737-7 1992
Procedures for Ecological Site Inventory —
with Special Reference to Riparian- Wetland Sites
~ =Sp/ U.S. Department of the Interior
541.5 Bureau of Land Management
.- R52
P762
1992
Copies available from:
Bureau of Land Management
Service Center
SC-657B
P.O. Box 25047
Denver, Colorado 80225-0047
BLM/SC/PT-92/004+ 1737
tt 14447600
= |
>A em= e~r <e s —_ rf
RIPARIAN AREA MANAGEMENT rl
Procedures for Ecological Site Inventory —
With Special Reference to Riparian- Wetland Sites
by
Steve Leonard
Range Scientist
Bureau of Land Management
National Soil-Range Team, Nevada
George Staid]
Soil Scientist
Soil Conservation Service
National Soil-Range Team, Nevada
Jim Fogg
Hydrologist
Bureau of Land Management e & cE
Service Center, Colorado er O° Ds
Karl Gebhardt | OMS, Ow
Hydrologist GS we oO
Bureau of Land Management ce O Vo.
Idaho State Office, Idaho SS Wee: We
Warren Hagenbuck
Regional Wetland Coordinator
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Don Prichard
Fishery Biologist/Riparian- Wetland Coordinator
Bureau of Land Management
Service Center, Colorado
Technical Reference 1737-7
1992
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Service Center
P.O. Box 25047
Denver, CO 80225-0047
ee pki
I Aiba rat
ge i es
a a
fa ollie lI 7
—- a nt [y a 7
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the following individuals for the time they offered in review,
comment, and development of this document: Mark Gorges, Ned Habich, Roy Masinton,
Allan Strobel, Bob Wagner, Glenn Wallace, and Dennis Zachman.
A special thanks to Linda Hill (Writer/Editor - Service Center) and the Technology Transfer
Staff for making this a quality document.
oo
7
ives Pe past
i ‘atas deo FRY
cat _
(Pi i He,
v , a ® . P ? 7 7
tie Pk he Anise °
Table of Contents
Page
RE TCE OLOG TAT reer re ete ee emer ee feee EN dog. WS ee sss:k aesh pouneodesevsveuedonese 1
RUM EL SS Cer eat case o ten Oren tOe neURe Renee oer ae Eh art nd Reka ees co hansc adnostakrce iit inlgnyo n wana gions g
(WAL eveFalfie) la a ie CosP EELEGT n? rs. eo cobsd eep tact RR ge Oe ae 5
PUP LIVETIUOLV (ttC TIDCIN Sareea satosnee e rset cn cts acc ae sigs TVS uchdy UY Y es ibe sdledsc hvansdickéaa: 5
1. Coordinated Resource Inventory and the Interdisciplinary Team ............... 5
Peer OMMSULVC Yay aly 1 t CeONCED Lt ergaere-is,., ofcbycctpa vs sasesesis¥es sersdcaacdceumrsaceoseess 10
| MeD OlANG COLO Reals S1LCrks OFTC LALLOM is 08a cos adasintvedncis-saachveicaicaceeesnvacnuatbecss 15
mete SCURVY COCUALIOI Memer Le teeter tat oI bl ctsevascn yf ysidveash cacsabab ten) idee stbawtn'siedseedeck 17
NOTA VCC 1G) LL OLIN ACO DNs es oa neta g- 8 noe Ah aeiniedu cxsy Me bidacn ns ioun sabes esosvasona dancer vase 19
GPEC OMeTC AL Sten ese! Ot OULCM be ese acter oan ot, peace escent assennnecsees |
Meee IDOCUMe malonate) alarP CTIMANCMCErs, m ¢icc ces eisovisdsssiaistasaniadbcedioscsssceserse 24
BSB LIVENIGEyeirt C[ lal All) cememenesete he gost seer sek: tests ahd. Vadis cp cscatsasSthG oelelavsasher esos 24
Dees VMICTAMNOG LUM D ME OU CLSLAMGIN© h arvest cexecss sects ccseo~sexerc<odensedceleaio cwudoianaeei as a 25
ee VCTNLOL VSL AN etree eet Me nek ee cBet ogc wake coyb a cits uncseteloet vod endeeds sedacheeve 2)
Smee xestitioal dataeanc elicits Li TOLMALiON ace, cose ued. sane serevs laced «Sede Sieseextyec>stseoavsi s 29
abies GSENCTA N INC SOUTCE MELCLCIICE INLAND Ga 5....0N 1 eeydavacs cance odsseeticenecscblavegencenbeahs 31
yee LOO Sal TRL) VETILOL Vater eer coat eee eels eres ite tucs Satay aida eismaasdeacasavaieascss Be.
Cy MPL EA SCCLS emer e gee ota, eer Bicol SetCy s ece ree Ms in 7 <CvpcgaseeeSoizcass telSeacehiakesis a7
prem Uk AL TDAT2 B em erece ee Stee ee 200 V0 tc Poca aa ce snsyancotivantetusatsdertasvatatnbiestk e3 8
Comm ICI Siet OCCCUIGES ween eee retested, 8a Pee es ee Sorc cana causern a ctayeinaedaeeacanuen teense ene twnes 39
1. Review of Memorandum of Understanding ..............:.ccssccceesseceeesseeeeeeneees 39
BE ARACANTVINEET NR U ROTP o}N eB echa be AIAc ee iapern re onary et POR re PRA Agee een yea ae eee 40
SSLV C VoL CSIN ave ten corer. heen weedeat Ney schete, beea Yacev a Aven anh Adee cSaceakiaaadewssase> 4l
A Sears sani tormnl DeSten ie eesc e. 3k os sea. dae aehes caearce ead Castuash e dtueddssSeatagetiocesawna> 43
SLC SIRID eS AIIDICHATENS we carte 6s. 2 tds hanes ce atleaensreaeats sabe nnes sueaoes 43
fy Ma OVE SHO GAMING ADIa L)I NILS Fo. ep tece ae ote (ak Cy< Yettala Ds acai Canwv EPwEE Mckeosaanes 60
Wem eSCTIDULV CsL CCC Meets 4 Sir Ri es coh oe a Sa ie Bho dc deat 60
8. Provisional General Soil and Vegetation Map .......... eee eeeeeesseeeeseeeeneeeeees 61
OMe LiCl Wapping ELOCESS ALICIA PDUCAUION Scicccy.cicsvsscotesscssece-scaesseceuavavecsvseene s6 2
IV. Relationships and Use of ESI with BLM Planning and
AiitMeo braLctON tE LOCCSSCG ccretak, feet 8 ot AM ie, fa oecisge Soy sneupbiedvccdekdeqny eb iaed 65
A. Data Analysis for Planning and Management Applications (from draft
Vegetation Management Handbook H-1621-1) 0... eee ee eeeeeteeeeeeneneeeeees 65
ee ESOUrC e Mala cemiciic b1AT me ertce Ae cet oP Beco cte ely. te lesie sistciceresssedsens sbaca ce 66
CD ID EMCI Ss COTS ph tei sae ite eect ac cers win van aeendad folie yanveae 69
DIVA GUANGONN D OMe eet ats eta eee genre teak fer ics So snesdatea teas sonasemnsed osckoase 71
E. Interpreting ESI Information for Identifying and Delineating Jurisdictional
ONCE inl Ore a parte Pct ita oe yds sg pach drs raced aansiieseyacavssstaagentndenninds le
ESA VENL SA Elen ete ce en rte 2 ANC Gade nian Seninch a DUR vf SetNn deddepriais Gdpkwadncopncoan kbaeus at
eat Rte) ir Te a ee ed eK chs sabato an eushaceaduvocadiavsisiwente 79
List of ACromyims isc egacsetecc tee shecae cet cate oes Pa crea canteens ea eee Oe ee 83
Appendix I--Taxonomue' Class Piases sccnccesceccec eoeec teeee ee esoeccyesp e 85
Appendix Il Ripanan-Wetland Delineation :....,.1-:0eeecet- ceec roee reerenecs 87
Appendix TU —'Plant ASsociation sl ables (0.02. ccscatec eecyt ect meeet ener eceee ee o1
Appendix LY —Site Cormelation Procedures ©..e.e ee e 93
Appendix’ V Standard site Descripuoit cere. or. crete ii. -tever cies ee em ere eee re 103
Appendix VI - Example Riparian-Wetland Site Description .....i.c e.eee.eee.eee.eee.eee.nee.eee s ley,
Appendix) VII = Other Suggested Tcchnical:Retercnccs. me ee ee eee 135
Procedures for Ecological Site Inventory —
With Special Reference to
Riparian-Wetland Sites
I. Introduction
Soil, water, and vegetation are the operating capital in the business of land management.
Sustainable production of goods, values, and services from renewable resources is possible
without depreciation of initial operating capital under proper management — an enviable
situation in most businesses. As in any business, however, an inventory of resources is
essential. Changing social and economic values require the capability to evaluate potential
resource availability as well as the present situation. Resource inventories establish a
baseline to evaluate levels of use that do not depreciate or degrade the operating capital.
Inventory and management of riparian-wetland resources are a priority in the Director’s
“Riparian- Wetland Initiative for the 1990’s.” The Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
defines wetlands as areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a
frequency and duration sufficient to support and which, under normal circumstances, do
support a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions.
Wetlands include marshes, shallows, swamps, lake bogs, muskegs, wet meadows, estuaries,
and riparian areas. Riparian areas are a form of wetland transition between permanently
saturated wetlands and upland areas. These areas exhibit vegetation or physical characteris-
tics reflective of permanent surface or subsurface water influence. Lands along, adjacent to,
or contiguous with perennially and intermittently flowing rivers and streams, glacial potholes,
and the shores of lakes and reservoirs with stable water levels are typical riparian areas.
Inventory and management of rangeland resources are also crucial to BLM’s “Range of Our
Vision” plan and other national strategies. Independent inventories of specific natural
resources often overlook relationships that may apply to the overall land management strat-
egy. In particular, soil and vegetation inventories are often conducted on uplands that are
independent of, and indicate little relationship to water resource and habitat inventories of
riparian-wetland areas in the same watershed. Ecological site inventories provide an interdis-
ciplinary approach to resource inventory and analysis that applies equally to upland and
riparian-wetland areas.
The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) requires BLM to inventory
lands and resources on a continuing basis. In 1982, BLM adopted the Range Site Inventory
procedure described in the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) National Range Handbook
(NRH) (USDA, 1976) as its principal rangeland inventory method. The term “ecological
site” has been adopted by BLM in place of the term “range site.” While the term ecological
site as defined by BLM is synonymous with range site as defined by SCS on rangelands, the
concept also applies to grazeable woodlands, forests, and riparian-wetland sites (USDI,
1990).
Sections 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 of the NRH, and additional guidance provided in
BLM Manual Handbook H-4410-1, Release 4-101, established the basic procedural guidance
on Ecological Site Inventory (ESI). The BLM Riparian Area Management Technical Refer-
ence TR 1737-3 (Meyers, 1989) addresses general ecological site concepts in relationship to
overall riparian-wetland inventory and monitoring requirements. Vegetation, hydrology, and
wildlife information is best obtained in conjunction with ongoing soil surveys or soil survey
updates to provide an ecological site inventory.
Past soil and vegetation inventory efforts to classify upland areas have often overlooked
riparian-wetland areas in the Western States. Cooperative soil survey area Memorandums of
Understanding (MOUs) for public lands emphasized broad objectives appropriate for up-
lands. The resulting soil surveys and associated vegetation inventories relegated many
riparian-wetland areas to minor components within a soil map unit. Increased attention to
riparian-wetland values and management will require inventory updates to establish perma-
nence of baseline information for reference and evaluation. Map unit design in new soil
survey area inventory starts must consider specific requirements to include riparian-wetland
areas. These requirements are to be incorporated as part of any cooperative soil survey area
MOU.
The process of documenting and describing range sites has traditionally resided with the SCS.
However, BLM has equal responsibility for the process where public lands administered by
BLM are involved (USDA, 1985). The increased emphasis on riparian-wetland area manage-
ment, along with a rapidly expanding information base, has dictated the need for many
updated or new ecological site descriptions. There are additional information requirements,
particularly for hydrologic information, necessary to effectively describe the environmental
factors characterizing riparian-wetland sites. Processes affecting physical changes and
subsequent vegetation responses must also be interpreted to understand and evaluate site
dynamics.