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ALBERTA LENTIC WETLAND INVENTORY USER MANUAL

1. Human infrastructure roads railroads and or earth moving for other construction purposes often is located near wetlands causing structural disruption or requiring rip rap protection Manual current as of 5 20 2010 18 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals Recreation Trails at popular sites often cause soil compaction and erosion especially where mechanical devices i e off road vehicles and ATVs are used The banks of popular fishing sites are often susceptible to foot damage Water Management The withdrawal of water for human purposes can alter the potential of a site to perform natural function However other water level manipulations i e storage addition or changes in timing may also have profound effect on the capacity of a site to support natural function Look for erosion flooded area and dead stands of wetland species killed by either too much or too little water as possible indications such alteration Other List any other causes of physical alteration not listed above and describe them in the space provided F9c A polygon will typically have only a few kinds of alteration For example There may not be a bank present Break down the total amount of physical alteration among these kinds Soil Compaction This kind of alteration includes livestock caused hummocking and pugging recreational trails that obviously have compacted the soil vehicle and machine tracks and ruts in soft soil etc Human Im
2. Stewart R E and H A Kantrud 1972 Classification of natural ponds and lakes in the glaciated prairie region USDI Fish and Wildlife Service Research Publication 92 57 p Manual current as of 5 20 2010 24 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals Thompson William H and Paul L Hansen 2001 Classification and management of riparian and wetland sites of the Saskatchewan prairie ecozone and parts of adjacent subregions Saskatchewan Wetland Conservation Corporation Regina Saskatchewan Canada 298 p Thompson William H and Paul L Hansen 2002 Classification and management of riparian and wetland sites of the Alberta Grassland Natural Region and adjacent subregions Bitterroot Restoration Inc Prepared for the Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Program Cows and Fish Lethbridge Alberta Canada 416 p Thompson William H and Paul L Hansen 2003 Classification and management of riparian and wetland sites of Alberta s Parkland Natural Region and Dry Mixedwood Natural Subregion Bitterroot Restoration Inc Prepared for the Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Program Cows and Fish Lethbridge Alberta Canada 340 p USDA Forest Service 1989 Ecosystem classification handbook ECODATA USDA Forest Service Northern Region Missoula Montana USA Valastin Pat and others 1999 Caring for Shoreline Properties Alberta Conservation Association Edmonton Alberta Canada T5L2W4 29 p Manual current as of 5 2
3. i Polygon Outer Edge Figure 1 Schematic drawing of a lentic still water wetland showing 1 delineation of polygons on larger systems i e those too big to inventory as a single polygon more than about 1 6 km 0 5 mi in length or those with managerial breaks crossing them 2 a typical relationship between deep water habitat lacking emergent vegetation and surrounding lentic wetland which includes all areas of persistent emergent vegetation in standing water INVENTORY FORM CODES AND INSTRUCTIONS Class Codes Field observers will use class codes to represent ranges of percent wherever percent data is recorded The class codes are defined below These codes and range classes are from the USDA Forest Service Northern Regions ECODATA 1989 program T 0 1 lt 1 2 15 lt 25 5 45 lt 55 8 75 lt 85 P 1 lt 5 3 25 lt 35 6 55 lt 65 9 85 lt 95 1 5 lt 15 4 35 lt 45 7 65 lt 75 F 95 100 Manual current as of 5 20 2010 3 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals The class codes are converted to class midpoints in the office The class midpoints are T 0 5 P 3 0 1 10 0 2 20 0 3 30 0 4 40 0 5 50 0 6 60 0 7 70 0 8 80 0 9 90 0 F 97 5 These class midpoints are used in data reporting and in all calculations throughout the data analysis process Polygon Data The following are the codes and instructions for the individual data items on the form All
4. J Cook John Joy and Dan K Hinckley 1995 Classification and management of Montana s riparian and wetland sites Miscellaneous Publication No 54 Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station School of Forestry University of Montana Missoula Montana USA 646 p Kovalchik Bernard L 1987 Riparian zone associations Deschutes Ochoco Fremont and Winema National Forests USDA Forest Service Region 6 Ecology Technical Paper 279 87 Pacific Northwest Region Portland Oregon USA 171 p Mitsch William J and James G Gosselink 1993 Wetlands Second Edition Van Nostrand Reinhold Publishers New York New York USA 722 p Platts W S C Armour G D Booth M Bryant J L Bufford P Cuplin S Jensen G W Lienkaemper G W Minshall S B Monsen R L Nelson J R Sedell and J S Tuhy 1987 Methods for evaluating riparian habitats with applications to management USDA Forest Service General Technical Report INT 221 Intermountain Research Station Ogden Utah USA 187 p Reed Porter B Jr 1988 National list of plant species that occur in wetlands Northwest Region 9 US Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Report 88 26 9 USDI Fish and Wildlife Service Research and Development Washington DC USA 89 p Shaw S P and C G Fredine 1956 Wetlands of the United States Their extent and their value for waterfowl and other wildlife USDI Fish and Wildlife Service Circular 39 Washington DC USA 67 p
5. collecting a body of water covering at least 8 ha 20 ac with surface water Pothole Slough or Small Mountain Lake A natural topographic depression collecting a body of water covering less than 8 ha 20 ac with surface water Other Describe any other wetland type encountered which is not associated with a surface water channel Non wetland Upland This designation is for those areas which are included in the inventoried polygon but which do not support functional wetland vegetation communities Such areas may be undisturbed inclusions of naturally occurring high ground or such disturbed high ground as roadways and other elevated sites of human activity C2 The size acres hectares of polygons large enough to be drawn as enclosed units on topographic maps is determined in the office using a planimeter dot grid or GIS For polygons too small to be accurately drawn as enclosed units on the maps polygon size is calculated using polygon length item C7 and average polygon width item C8a C3a d Evaluators may be asked to survey some areas that have not been determined to be wetlands for the purpose of making such a determination Other polygons include areas supporting non wetland vegetation types A Yes answer here indicates that no part of the polygon keys to a riparian habitat type or community type HT CT Areas classified in item C8 as any vegetation type described in a riparian and or wetland classification document for the r
6. does not need to have a minimum canopy cover 2Sparsely vegetated refers to polygons in which the minimum canopy cover by the various lifeforms is not met D2a b If present record the 7 letter species code and the canopy cover in the two left most columns for ALL tree species observed Canopy cover is evaluated using ocular estimation following the Daubenmire 1959 method Within the total canopy cover of each species estimate the proportion of each of five groups seedling sapling pole mature and dead trees The canopy covers of the five groups of each species must total approximately 100 If some individuals in an age group have at least 30 of the upper canopy dead are decadent record the decadence as a percentage of that group Record the total group cover to the left of the slash and the decadent portion to the right Example Species Cover Sdlg Dec Splg Dec__ Pole Dec_ __ Mat Dec Dead POPUBAL 3 T 0 P 0 1 P 8 1 P Note 1 The most common usage of the term decadent may be for over mature trees past their prime and which may be dying but we use the term in a broader sense We count decadent plants both trees and shrubs as those with 30 or more dead wood in the upper canopy In this item scores are based on the percentage of total woody canopy cover which is decadent or dead not on how much of the total polygon canopy cover consists of dead and decadent woody material Only decadent and dead standing material is included not t
7. end Moderately Stable Overflow structure of durable material but showing some sign of inadequacy in the form of slight erosion at the ends or infrequent inability to contain maximum overflows Marginally Stable Earthen overflow spillway directly over earthen dam or a durable material overflow structure showing sign of frequent inability to contain high overflow events Unstable An overflow structure showing significant erosion at the ends sign of dam erosion due to downcutting by overflows in excess of the capacity of the structure or an earthen overflow showing definite downcutting F5d Describe the location on the water body of any overflow structure even if it is not on the polygon Use GPS coordinates if possible F6a c If the lentic wetland has a distinguishable shoreline and there is mineral shore substrate visibly exposed then estimate the proportional breakdown of this mineral substrate into the listed particle size categories The shoreline is defined as a 1 2 m 3 3 6 6 ft band stretching along the landward side of the water s edge TODAY If the mineral substrate is obscured by vegetation organic matter or otherwise so that the observer cannot be confident of accurate representation then mark No for F6b Category sizes are based on the measurement of the middle length axis of the particle This is the dimension that would limit the screen size the particle could pass through The sum of these values must approxim
8. established population of individuals i e the area infested Manual current as of 5 20 2010 13 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals DISTRIBUTION DESCRIPTION OF ABUNDANCE PATTERN No invasive plants on the polygon Rare occurrence A few sporadically occurring individual plants Asingle patch Asingle patch plus a few sporadically occurring plants Several sporadically occurring plants Asingle patch plus several sporadically occurring plants A few patches A few patches plus several sporadically occurring plants Several well spaced patches Continuous uniform occurrence of well spaced plants Continuous occurrence of plants with a few gaps in the distribution Continuous dense occurrence of plants Continuous occurrence of plants associated with a wetter or drier zone within the polygon Figure 2 Weed density distribution class guidelines D13c Record total presence of all invasive species on the polygon Use the same method described above without consideration of individual species but instead by considering all weed species together as though they were one Enter the total canopy cover of all invasive species and the density distribution class of all invasive species considered together D13d e Does this county or municipal district place elevated weed status on other species that are present on this polygon If so then list the species and give the can
9. forms and user manuals Break the area into separate polygons in cases where large areas are utilized differently such as where the landward area onshore is heavily impacted by human use and the wetted area marsh is unimpacted Draw an arbitrary outer edge of the polygon that does not include all of the area with emergent vegetation in which case the observer must carefully document the delineation and the rationale employed or Include the entire dry and wet area together in a single polygon with careful commentary noting any areas that may be impacted differently due to having such greatly different conditions When using the inventory on artificial or artificially enlarged water bodies e g dugout manmade pond reservoirs use the same criteria but remember that there will be questions that are difficult to apply appropriately Focus on consistently applying the methods including site boundaries as well as recording all decisions made in applying the methodology The goal of this exercise is to assess the ability of the site to perform riparian functions to its potential Fence Polygon Break k Wetland Deep Water Boundary Polygon Inner Edge Polygon 1 Polygon 2 Arbitrary Polygon Break Deep or Open Water Habitat No Emergent Vegetation Not in Polygon Area Rock outcrop Stream or other landmark marking arbitrary polygon break s Fd Polygon 3 Wetland Upland Boundary
10. humans at or near the base of the main stem s D6e Skip this item if the polygon lacks trees and shrubs AND there are no stumps or cut woody plants to indicate that it ever had any Excessive cutting or removing parts of plants or whole plants by agents other than browsing animals e g human clearing cutting beaver activity etc can result in many of the same negative effects to the community that are caused by excessive browsing However other effects from this kind of removal are direct and immediate including reduction of physical community structure and wildlife habitat values Do not include natural phenomena such as natural fire insect infestation etc in this evaluation Removal of woody vegetation may occur at once a logging operation or it may be cumulative over time annual firewood cutting or beaver activity This question is not so much to assess long term incremental harvest as it is to assess the extent that the stand is lacking vegetation that would otherwise be there today Give credit for re growth Consider how much the removal of a tree many years ago may have now been mitigated with young replacements Three nonnative species or genera are excluded from consideration here because these are aggressive invasive exotic plants that should be removed They are Elaeagnus angustifolia Russian olive Rhamnus cathartica European common buckthorn and Tamarix species salt cedar Determine the extent to which wood
11. is light or none Almost all plant biomass at the current development stage remains Vegetative cover is close to that which would occur without use Unvegetated areas such as bedrock are not a result of land uses 26 to 50 Vegetation use is moderate At least half the potential plant biomass remains Average stubble height is more than half its potential at the present stage of development 51 to75 Vegetation use is high Less than half the potential plant biomass remains Plant stubble height is usually more than 5 cm 2 in on many ranges 76 to 100 Vegetation use is very high Only short stubble remains usually less than 5 cm 2 in on many ranges Almost all plant biomass has been removed Only the root systems and parts of the stems remain H2 Record the type s of uplands adjacent to the lentic wetland if other is selected describe H3 Break down the polygon area into percentages of the land uses listed Name any others observed H4 Break down the area adjacent to the polygon into the land uses listed Name any others observed H5 Record the percent of polygon area accessible to large hooved animals livestock and wildlife In general only consider topography steep banks deep water etc and dense vegetation as restricting access Fences unless part of an exclosure with no gate do not necessarily restrict livestock access even though they may appear so at the time of inventory H6a d Note the t
12. its license number associated with it i e GRL Grazing Lease GRP Grazing Permit GRR Grazing Reserve FGL Forest Grazing Licence CUP Cultivation Permit A14d Give any other grazing name e g Community Pasture to identify where the work is being done A15 The several parts of these items identify various ways in which a data record may represent a resampling of a polygon that may have been inventoried again at some other time The data in this record may have been collected on an area that coincides precisely with an area inventoried at another time and recorded as another record in the database It may also represent the resampling of only a part of an area previously sampled This would include the case where this polygon overlaps but does not precisely and entirely coincide with one inventoried at another time One other case is where more than one polygon inventoried one year coincides with a single polygon inventoried another year All of these cases are represented in the database and all have some value for monitoring purposes in that they give some information on how the status on a site changes over time This is done in the office with access to the database field evaluators need not complete these items A15a Has any part of the area within this polygon been inventoried previously or subsequently as represented by another data record in the database Such other records would logically carry different dates as well as Identificatio
13. maintain itself on the site Determine percentage by comparing the number of leaders browsed or utilized with the total number of leaders available those within animal reach on a representative sample at least three plants of each shrub species present Do not count utilization on dead plants unless it is clear that death resulted from over grazing Note If a shrub is entirely mushroom umbrella shaped by long term intense Manual current as of 5 20 2010 11 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals browse or rubbing count utilization of it as heavy Record to the right of the slash the one category that best describes shrub utilization for each age group using the five categories in item D5 above Example Species Cover Sdlg Splg Util Mature Util Dec Dead Util hr rowth Form ALNUTEN 2 P Moderate 7 Light 3 Unavail N D d Record the category best describing the dominant appearance of each shrub species in the polygon Code Description N Normal Growth Form No apparent deviation from the normal appearance of the lifeform F Flat Topped Growth Form Shrubs with the tallest leaders hedged e g hedging from the top down Moose during winter in deep snow browse exposed branches of shorter plants U Umbrella shaped Heavily hedged High lined Shrubs that have most of the branches up to 1 5 m 5 ft in height removed by browsing C Cut Off at or Near the Ground Shrubs that have been cut off by beaver or
14. marsh systems that may or may not be associated with lakes but where polygons may be delineated in areas not adjacent to open water C5 Polygon length is measured in the field or by scaling from the map This data is considered accurate to the nearest 0 16 km 0 1 mi Polygon length may be the same as shoreline length but may not be in cases of much curved shoreline or for polygons that have no shoreline i e wet meadows or marshes The shoreline is defined here as a linear feature extending at the time of observation along the water s edge m 3 ft wide back from the water onto the land C6 In some cases the polygon data is used to characterize or represent a much larger or longer area The length represented by the polygon is given here For example a 0 8 km 0 5 mi polygon may be used to represent 3 2 km 2 m1 of total shoreline length In this case 0 8 km 0 5 mi is the shoreline length in the polygon item C5 and 3 2 km 2 mi is the overall shoreline length entered in item C6 C7a Record average width of the polygon which in smaller wetlands corresponds to the width of the entire wetland area C7b Record the range of width ft m narrowest to widest of the wetland area in the polygon Health Evaluation Summary C8 Polygon Health PFC Score is an ecological function rating derived by computer using data from several items in the polygon inventory For detailed discussion of this process see the companion document Le
15. might severely impact a two acre slough but be negligible to a lake covering a section of land Be sure to document the reason for your estimate here If there is no way to know with any reasonable degree of certainty how much water is being added or removed it may be better to describe the situation and to zero out this item not answer it During periods of drought lakebeds become exposed and often exhibit wide zones of almost barren shore The evaluator must be careful not to attribute this natural phenomenon unfairly to a human cause Categories of Lentic Water Removal Severity Not Subjected The water body or wetland is not subjected to artificial water level change e g drawdown addition stabilization etc This category may include very small amounts of change that cause no detectible fluctuation in water level Minor The water body or wetland is subject to no more than minor artificial water level change The shore area remains vegetated and withdrawal of water is limited or slow enough that vegetation is able to maintain growth and prevent exposed soil A relatively narrow band affected by the water level fluctuation may support only annual plants Moderate The water body or wetland is subject to moderate quantities speed and or frequency of artificial water level change Where water is removed it is done in a way that allows pioneer plants to vegetate at least half of the exposed area resulting from drawdown Where w
16. of the old tree to wildlife and overall habitat values is far greater than that of the seedling saplings It will take a very long time before the seedlings saplings can grow to replace all the lost habitat values that were provided by the tall old tree On the other hand shrubs such as willows grow faster and may replace the volume of removed plants in a much shorter time Answer this question by estimating the percent of woody material that is missing from the site due to having been removed by human action Select a range category from the choices given that best represents the percent of missing woody material D6f Record comments giving evidence for the above call Manual current as of 5 20 2010 12 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals D7 and D8 Record the species code and the percent canopy cover for graminoid and forb species observed in the polygon As a minimum include all species having at least 5 cover on the polygon This inventory is not intended to be comprehensive It is not necessary to search for obscure species just record all species readily seen Observers should especially look however for hydrophytic wetland species that may be reduced to trace representation by site disturbance Herbaceous species other than invasive species see item D13 with minor presence may be overlooked without serious compromise to the inventory value D9 The purpose of this item is to describe the vegetation structure in
17. or popular fishing spots can result in significant areas of bare ground e Other Account for any human caused bare ground here that is not included in the categories named above and describe what caused it in the field provided F11 Record how much of the polygon is covered by the items listed which are not already taken into account as live vegetative cover exposed soil surface or open water under the habitat type community type question Include areas covered only by litter or duff downed woody materials rocks of cobble size or larger gt 6 25 cm 2 5 in or human made impervious surface concrete asphalt roofed structure etc These are ground covers not accounted for by exposed soil Manual current as of 5 20 2010 20 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals surface bare ground open standing water and vascular plant canopy standing trees shrubs or herbaceous of the season which are recorded elsewhere Although they do not support vegetation they are not erodible NOTE Animal dung and dead non rooted plant material that is not considered wood are all considered litter and duff Also NOTE Areas quantified in items D12 F10b F11 and F15 account for the entire polygon If ground covers not named on the form are quantified under the other category describe these in the space provided F12a b If pugging hummocking and or rutting are present in the polygon record the percent of pol
18. polygon is located B2 County or municipal district in which the field work is being done B3a d The name of the city town or village in which the fieldwork is being done If applicable list the subdivision plan number block number and lot number of the area to which the work was being done on B4 Name the water body or area on which the field work is being done B5 Polygon number is a sequential identifier of the actual piece of land being surveyed This is referenced to the water body code list from the Training Manual B6 Identify the side of the polygon that the Assessment is completed for by using North South East or West if assessment includes both sides enter Both B7 The location of the polygon is presented as a legal land description 1 4 1 4 section 1 4 section Township Range and Meridian are read from smallest to largest unit B8a b Identify the Natural Region and Sub Region in which the field work is being done Use the Natural Regions and Subregions of Alberta Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre 1999 B9a Name the major watershed e g North Saskatchewan River of which the site being surveyed is a part List of the seven major Basins by Alberta Environment Hay River Peace Slave River Churchill River North Saskatchewan River South Saskatchewan River and Missouri River Watersheds B9b Name the minor watershed e g Battle River of which the site being surveyed is a part Thi
19. recorded Do not leave this space blank Describe any unique characteristics of the site and other observations relating to the vegetation This space is the place for general commentary to help the reader understand the larger context of the data Such things as landscape setting and local land use history are appropriate here Water Quality Data Note This data will be entered in the office E1 Give the water body number FMIS Hydro code E2a b If water quality data is available on this water body list the reference where the data can be found Physical Site Data F1 Record the primary water source for the polygon from the listed choices If appropriate list more than one in descending order of volume Explain unknown and other entries F2 Indicate whether the water body has an outlet or is an internally draining closed basin Refer to the topographic map to determine this F3 Make the distinction between fresh water and alkaline saline water systems on the basis of the presence or absence of crystallized salts on the soil surface or a predominance of salt tolerant plant species F4a Although water levels naturally fluctuate on a seasonal basis in most systems many wetland systems are affected by human caused artificial additions or withdrawals This artificial changes of water level rarely follow a temporal regime that maintains healthy native wetland plant communities The result is often a barren band of s
20. such as Classification and Management of Riparian and Wetland Sites of the Alberta Grassland Natural Region and Adjacent Subregions Thompson and Hansen 2002 Classification and Management of Riparian and Wetland Sites of Alberta s Parkland Natural Region and Dry Mixedwood Natural Subregion Thompson and Hansen 2003 Classification and Management of Riparian and Wetland Sites of the Saskatchewan Prairie Ecozone and Parts of Adjacent Subregions Thompson and Hansen 2001 or a similar publication written for the region in which you are working If the habitat type cannot be determined for a portion of the polygon then list the appropriate community type s of that portion If neither the habitat type nor community type can be determined for any portion of the polygon or in areas where the habitat and community types have not been named and described list the area in question as unclassified wetland type and give the dominant species present Indicate with the appropriate abbreviation if these are habitat types HT Manual current as of 5 20 2010 14 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals community types CT or dominance types DT for example SALILUT CORNSTO HT Salix lutea Cornus stolonifera yellow willow red osier dogwood Habitat Type For each type listed estimate the percent of the polygon represented If known record the successional stage i e early seral mid seral late seral and climax or give other comm
21. terms of height layers and plant lifeforms on the polygon Think of the layering as though it were a GIS file with 12 layers each one representing one of four lifeforms trees shrubs graminoids and forbs in one of three height layers Include the canopy cover on the polygon that is provided by all standing rooted plants live or dead Do not include fallen wood or other plant litter Record the percent canopy cover of each plant lifeform in each of the three height layers Consider each group in each layer separately For example shrubs in layer 2 will be the canopy cover of all plants of all shrubs in the polygon between gt 0 5 m 1 5 ft and 1 8 m 6 0 ft tall roughly knee high to head high In estimating this value ignore all plants taller and shorter than this range Similarly estimate the cover separately of those taller and those shorter shrubs Proceed in this way through each lifeform and layer As a check refer to your species canopy lists to help remember what all you have seen on the site Leave no field blank enter 0 to indicate absence of a value A blank field means the observer forgot to collect the data a value means the observer looked See further discussion in the note for item D10 D10 Record the total percent of the polygon area occupied by canopy cover of each plant lifeform Include the canopy cover on the polygon that is provided by all standing rooted plants live or dead Do not include fallen wood or ot
22. to 10 ac should be followed The size of the minimum mapping unit should be based on factors such as management capabilities available funds and capabilities of data collection If pre delineated polygons are drawn on the maps and pre assigned numbers are given be sure the inventoried polygons correspond exactly to those drawn Observers are allowed to move polygon boundaries create new polygons or consolidate polygons if the vegetation geography location of fences or width of the wetland zone warrant If polygon boundaries are changed the changes must be clearly marked on the field copies of the maps Observers should draw the complete polygon boundary onto their field maps if possible at the 1 20 000 or 1 50 000 scale In most cases involving small bodies of water or small lentic wetlands the inventoried polygon will be a single unit of area Around larger lakes extensive marshes or other large lentic wetlands it may be necessary to divide the wetland into separate polygons Figure 1 Polygons should be divided at distinct locations such as fences stream entrances or exits or other features easily recognized in the field When selecting representative sites consideration should be given to the differences presented by landform position i e point vs bay or windward vs leeward side of the water body Polygons should not cross fences between areas with different management The outer boundaries of polygons are usually at the
23. total approximately 100 Explain whatever is put in the other category Natural processes are Erosional Natural flows and flood events often result in erosion that removes the soil cover Attribute polygon bare ground to this process when there is no human cause apparent on the site that would cause the erosion Wave action along a lake shore is the most common case of erosional bare ground in lentic systems Depositional The deposition of sediment by water flow is perhaps the greatest source of naturally occurring bare ground This is a significant natural process on certain lotic sites but is less common on lentic sites If the source of sediment is some human activity i e sheet erosion from ploughed field road surface etc then list this bare ground under the most appropriate human caused process e Wildlife Use Trails and digging are common wildlife activities that result in natural bare ground Type Dependent Some vegetation types naturally space out individual plants leaving bare ground between Typically this is a characteristic of arid land vegetation Saline Alkaline The natural accumulation of mineral salts often reaches local concentrations that either support no vegetation or support only sparse populations of adapted species The observer should decide whether the source of such mineral accumulation is natural or caused by human activity If unknown then default to the natural cause Natural Dra
24. with the classes described above This is often the result of the influence of lateral groundwater not associated with the stream flow Lotic and lentic wet meadows may occur in proximity e g when enough groundwater emerges to begin to flow from a mountain meadow the system goes from lentic to lotic Such communities are typically dominated by herbaceous hydrophytic vegetation that requires saturated soils near the surface but tolerates no standing water for most of the year This type of wetland typically occurs as the filled in basin of old beaver ponds lakes and potholes Marsh A frequently or continually inundated wetland characterized by emergent herbaceous vegetation adapted to saturated soil conditions A marsh generally has a mineral soil substrate does not accumulate peat Fen A peat accumulating wetland that receives some drainage from surrounding mineral soil and usually supports marsh like vegetation Bog A peat accumulating wetland that has no significant inflows or outflows and supports acidophilic mosses particularly sphagnum Spring Seep Groundwater discharge areas In general springs have more flow than seeps This wetland type may occur in a riparian lotic or still water lentic system Reservoir An artificial dammed water body with at least 8 ha 20 ac covered by surface water Stock pond An artificial dammed body of water of less than 8 ha 20 ac covered by surface water Lake A natural topographic depression
25. 0 2010 25 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals
26. ALBERTA LENTIC WETLAND INVENTORY USER MANUAL Current as of 5 20 2010 The user manual is intended to accompany the Alberta Lentic Wetland Inventory Form for the inventory of still water lentic wetlands This document serves as a field reference to assist data collectors in answering each item on the form It can also serve as an aid to the database user in the interpretation of data presented in the Alberta Lentic Wetland Inventory format Another form entitled Alberta Lotic Wetland Inventory with a different set of user guidelines is available for lotic flowing water wetlands ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Development of these assessment tools has been a collaborative and reiterative process Many people from many agencies and organizations have contributed greatly their time effort funding and moral support for the creation of these documents as well as to the general idea of devising a way for people to look critically at wetlands and riparian areas in a systematic and consistent way Some individuals and the agencies organizations they represent who have been instrumental in enabling this work are Dan Hinckley Tim Bozorth and Jim Roscoe of the USDI Bureau of Land Management in Montana Karen Rice and Karl Gebhardt of the USDI Bureau of Land Management in Idaho Bill Haglan of the USDI Fish and Wildlife Service in Montana Mike Frisina of the Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks Barry Adams and Gerry Ehlert of Alberta Sustainable Resource D
27. Classification of wetlands and deep water habitats of the United States USDI Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Biological Services Washington DC USA Publication Number FWS OBS 79 31 107 p Cows and Fish 2001 Invasive Weed and Disturbance caused Herbaceous Species List For Use in Riparian Health Assessment and Inventory in Alberta draft Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Program Lethbridge Alberta Canada Daubenmire R D 1959 A canopy coverage method of vegetation analysis Northwest Science 33 43 66 Federal Interagency Committee for Wetland Delineation 1989 Federal manual for identifying and delineating jurisdictional wetlands US Army Corps of Engineers US Environmental Protection Agency USDI Fish and Wildlife Service and USDA Soil Conservation Service Cooperative Technical Publication Washington DC USA 76 p Fitch L B W Adams and G Hale Eds 2001 Riparian Health Assessment for Streams and Small Rivers Field Workbook Lethbridge Alberta Cows and Fish Program adapted from Riparian and Wetland Research Program School of Forestry 2001 Lotic health assessments Riparian Health Assessment for Streams and Small Rivers Survey User Guide University of Montana Missoula Montana USA January 2001 75 p Fitch L and N Ambrose 2003 Riparian areas A user s guide to health Lethbridge Alberta Cows and Fish Program ISBN No 0 7785 2305 5 46 p Hansen Paul L Robert D Pfister Keith Boggs Bradley
28. Identify what organization is paying for the work A3 Date that the field data was collected Use the format month day year A4 Record the year that the field data was collected A5 Observers Name the evaluators recording the data in the field Land ownership may include more than one entity or person but more than one type of landownership eg private and government should only be selected after considering a number of factors Factors to consider are the level of detail that the client is looking to extrapolate the proportion of the area relative to the rest of the polygon and whether it is a typical situation where the multiple types e g crown or non crown land will not be included For example where very minimal Crown bed and shore area exists within the polygon such as just at the waterline as part of a primarily privately owned parcel the private ownership may be listed as the only ownership type A6a b Identify any Indian or M tis Reserve on which work is being done If Yes identify which reserve name is established A7a b Identify any National Provincial or Rural Urban or other Park s on which work is being done If Yes identify which type of park is established More than one type may occur A7c Indicate the full official name of the National Provincial or Rural Urban park on which work is being done If Other kind of park identify the type of park and its established name A8a b Identify any other
29. Lentic wetlands are associated with still water systems These wetlands occur in basins and lack a defined channel and floodplain Included are permanent i e perennial or intermittent bodies of water such as lakes reservoirs potholes marshes ponds and stockponds Other examples include fens bogs wet meadows and seeps not associated with a defined channel Lotic wetlands are associated with rivers streams and drainage ways They contain a defined channel and floodplain The channel is an open conduit which periodically or continuously carries flowing water Beaver ponds seeps springs and wet meadows on the floodplain of or associated with a river or stream are part of the lotic wetland Functional vs Jurisdictional Wetland Criteria Defining wetlands has become more difficult as greater economic stakes have increased the potential for conflict between politics and science A universally accepted wetland definition satisfactory to all users has not yet been developed because the definition depends on the objectives and the field of interest However scientists generally agree that wetlands are characterized by one or more of the following features 1 wetland hydrology the driving force creating all wetlands 2 hydric soils an indicator of the absence of oxygen and 3 hydrophytic vegetation an indicator of wetland site conditions The problem is how to define and obtain consensus on thresholds for these three criteria and various comb
30. NOTE Do not count the same area twice by including it as both a vegetative and a physical alteration unless there clearly are both kinds of alteration Decide into which category a particular effect should go For example A cottage owner may clear vegetation to gain a view of the lake causing vegetation but not physical damage whereas if he she hauls in sand to make a beach then there is also physical alteration F9a Estimate the total part of the polygon area that has been altered physically by human or livestock activity F9b Break the total amount of physical alteration down among the various causes listed e Grazing Long term livestock use often results in such physical alterations as erosion hummocking and pugging in soft soils and bank damage by hoof shear Cultivation This is the mechanical disruption of natural soil structure by farming activities Timber Harvest Although it may be minimized timber harvest usually results in at least some physical damage to the soil surface by the machinery used in the process Mining Mining activities usually cause physical damage to the soil surface but may also include introduction of waste materials to the site including chemical effects to the soil Cottage or Urban Development Such development generally covers the soil surface with impermeable area It often typically includes alteration to the local topography and mechanical disruption of drainage and soil structure Construction
31. On polygons adjacent to water remember that the polygon extends out to deep water habitat or open water if no potential for emergents exist NOTE Do not count the same area twice by including it as both a vegetative and a physical alteration unless there clearly are both kinds of alteration Decide into which category a particular effect should go For example A timber harvest may clear vegetation but not necessarily cause physical damage on one site while on another site it causes both clearing of vegetation and disruption of the soil by heavy equipment F8d Comment here to explain your answers for F8b c Use this space to elaborate on any overlap between the various causes and kinds of alteration noted F9 Is there human caused physical alteration on this polygon Note If No item F9d must still be answered Human alteration of the physical site is meant to include all changes to physical attributes of the site caused by human actions e g logging mining human structures etc or by agents of human management e g livestock The kinds of physical change that diminish or disrupt natural wetland functions include but are not limited to such things as Hummocking pugging and trails by large animals Roads driveways walkways trails etc Buildings and landscaping Boat launches and docks Beach clearing and building Rip rapping of shores and banks Plowing and tilling the land Hydrologic draining ditching berming etc
32. and the name or number designator of the waypoints saved for the northern western and southern eastern ends of the polygon and for other locations Describe any comments worth noting about the waypoints i e monument referenced or general location descriptions Blla c Record the name s scale and publication year of the quadrangle map s or any other map s locating the polygon Use precisely the name listed on the map sheet Provision is made for listing two maps in case the polygon crosses between two maps B12 Record identifying data for any aerial photos used on this polygon Selected Summary Data C1 Wetland water body type is a categorical description of predominant polygon character Select from the following list of categories that may occur within a lentic system the one that best characterizes the majority of the polygon Observers will select only one category as representative of the entire polygon If significant amounts of other categories are present indicate this in Vegetation Comments item D17 or consider dividing the original polygon into two or more polygons Category Description Wet Meadow A grassland with waterlogged soil near the surface but without standing water for most of the year This type of wetland may occur in either riparian lotic or in still water lentic systems A lotic wet meadow has a defined channel or flowing surface water nearby but is typically much wider than the riparian zone associated
33. ate 100 Manual current as of 5 20 2010 16 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals F7 The vegetation covering the soil and along a shoreline performs the primary physical functions of stabilizing the soil against wave erosion with a deep binding root mass and filtering sediments from overland flow Few studies have documented the depth and extent of the root systems of the various plant species that are found in Alberta wetlands Despite this lack of documented evidence some generalizations can be made All tree and shrub species are considered to have deep binding root masses Among wetland herbaceous species annuals do not have deep binding root masses Perennial species offer a wide range of root mass qualities Some rhizomatous species such as the deep rooted Carex species sedges Typha species cattails and Scirpus species bulrushes are excellent shoreline stabilizers Other rhizomatous species such as Poa pratensis Kentucky bluegrass have only shallow root systems and are poor shore stabilizers Still other species such as Juncus balticus wire rush appear to have root systems that are intermediate in their ability to stabilize shores Information is being accumulated on the ability of various wetland species to perform this function This information will be incorporated as available In rating this item consider a band 2 m 6 6 ft wide adjacent to the edge of the current level of surface water If the wet
34. ater is added some flooding may occur at levels or times not typical to the area season Extreme The water body or wetland is subjected to extreme changes in water level due to volume extent speed and or frequency of artificial water addition or removal Frequent or unnatural levels of flooding occur where water is added including extensive flooding into riparian and or upland areas or no natural annual drawdown is allowed to occur In extreme artificial drawdown situations a wide band of exposed bottom remains unvegetated F4b Describe the evidence upon which you made your call F5a c Many lentic wetlands are associated with human constructed water impoundments having dams and overflow control structures For human constructed dams indicate the type of provision made for passage of overflow Indicate the type of structure if any observed its location on the water body and its apparent stability If no protected overflow structure is provided describe any evidence of dam overflow and resultant cutting Describe any other apparent instability erosion cutting through dam leakage etc Categories of stability are described below Note Water need not be at the level of the overflow structure to answer this question regarding stability and condition of the structure Categories of Stability of Lentic System Overflow Structures Highly Stable Overflow channelled through a protected and durable conduit unable to erode at either
35. cessary Answer Yes only for visually apparent cases F17 Record comments that would amplify the meaning of the inventory data on the physical characteristics of the polygon This would include a description of the landform setting context of the site as well as any alteration or other extreme uses of the site F18 Describe the polygon boundaries in terms of landmark features fences or whatever the delineation is based upon This is to help future observers relocate the same polygon area Describe inner and outer boundaries Name physical character of the delineations between wetland and upland or give arbitrary dimensions if that is what was used Photograph Data Note At a minimum take two photos from identifiable points along the upland edge of the polygon viewing toward the water body and along the longitudinal axis of the polygon Identify all photo point locations sufficiently that they could be relocated by another individual G1 At the northern most end of the polygon take one photo with view to the outside of the polygon and one with view into the polygon Identify the photo numbers and the enter a description of each photograph taken at the northern most end of the polygon Manual current as of 5 20 2010 21 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals G2 At the southern most end of the polygon take one photo with view to the outside of the polygon and one with view into the polygon Identify the photo nu
36. d criteria Nevertheless these functional wetlands provide important wetland functions vital to wetland dependent species and may warrant special managerial consideration The current interpretation is that not all functional wetlands are jurisdictional wetlands but that all jurisdictional wetlands are functional wetlands Polygon Delineation The lentic wetland inventory process incorporates data on a wide range of biological and physical categories The basic unit of delineation within which this data is collected is referred to as a polygon A polygon is the area upon which one set of data is collected One inventory form is completed i e one set of data is collected for each polygon One or more usually several polygons constitute a project A lentic still water wetland polygon is a wetland or portion of a wetland which is not associated with a waterway stream or river and which has no defined channel Polygons are delineated on topographic maps before observers go to the field It is important to clearly mark and number the polygons on the map If aerial photos are available polygon delineations can be based on vegetation differences geologic features or other observable characteristics On larger systems with wide wetland areas aerial photos may allow delineation of multiple vegetation based polygons away from the water source In these cases where polygons can be drawn as enclosed units a minimum mapping unit of possibly 2 to 4 ha 5
37. data items are to be recorded in the field unless otherwise noted Numbering corresponds to that of items on the form Also included are comments about the data how it is collected and its meaning When the inventory methodology follows a published source that source is cited However in many instances due to the lack of pre existing guidelines we have developed our own methodologies Fill in all blanks on the field form except those that are completed in the office Enter 0 for any item to indicate the absence of value Do not use and do not leave items blank except for the following 1 items that logically would not be answered because they follow an answer of No in a leading Yes No question and 2 lines in a species list below the last species observed An answer of 0 means the observer looked and saw none whereas a blank line means the observer did not look either by negligence or because the point was moot NA means the item is not applicable to a particular polygon NC means data was not collected for that item in a particular polygon Observers must write legibly and should limit their use of abbreviations throughout to those which allow for no confusion Record ID No This is the unique identifier allocated to each polygon This number will be assigned in the office when the form is entered into the database Administrative Data A1 Identify what organization is doing the evaluation field work A2
38. ded F9d If human caused alteration to the physical site is recorded in F9a above then estimate the severity of that alteration without regard to how large or small a fraction of the polygon it might occupy Categories of alteration degree are described here in terms of change to the site vegetation physical structure and hydrologic function Note This call uses vegetation change to indicate degree of alteration as a signal of physical alteration but the alteration must be physical in nature not just vegetative change alone e g disruption of soil hydrology including infiltration interception of water topography etc Document the call with photos and commentary Categories of severity of human caused physical alteration are described below with conceptual guidelines These guidelines are not comprehensive but are intended as a relative scale by which the observer can judge his her site Every case is different and there is no absolute measuring stick to apply Use the following comparative descriptions to choose a category of alteration on your site None No human caused alteration is observed to the polygon physical site Slight Physical site integrity is near natural Human caused alteration including recovery from any past severe alterations is apparent but it reflects minimal impact to plant communities and or hydrological function in the altered areas e g the plant community is little changed from that on nearby sites lacki
39. dually or in combination these age groups have 25 or more of the species canopy cover D4 The tree age group distribution category is automatically calculated in the office by the computer using age group canopy covers recorded in item D2b In classifying tree age group distribution the seedling and sapling groups are combined Three resulting age groups seedlings saplings pole and mature and the percent of the mature individuals which are decadent determine age group distribution categories Decadence of younger age groups is ignored in this calculation Younger decadent trees are assumed to have the capacity to grow out of any current condition caused by injury disease or other non age related factors A species with decadent mature individuals may fall into one of two classes those having 75 or more of mature individuals decadent and those having less than 75 of mature individuals decadent The age distribution category of a tree species on a polygon is defined by the presence of certain age groups To be present age groups must have minimum canopy covers in the polygon seedlings saplings must have a combined total canopy cover of at least 1 pole and mature are treated separately and must each have at least 5 canopy cover Tree Age Group Distribution Categories An X under an age group indicates presence in that category Category Sdlg Splg Pole Mature Decadent Code CC gt 1 CC gt 5 CC gt 5 Descript
40. ed by The Municipal Government Act Alberta Other types of Protected Area designated nationally provincially or municipally e g Provincial Recreation Areas Wilderness areas Natural Areas Heritage Rangelands National Historic Sites and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries A9 If this polygon has an association with a Watershed Group Community Affiliation name the group A10 Identify the organizations project name This may be a internal name not recognized by the Watershed Group or Community Affiliation but a name used to group a series of polygons A11 Identify if work was done on Private Land Answer Yes or No If applicable give the Landowners Name A12a d Identify if work is being done on Private Land that is rented out Answer Yes or No If applicable give Renters Name their Legal Land Description of residence as well as County name if different than work being in A13a c Public Land is Provincial lands owned by the provincial government and administered under the authority of the Public Lands Act Identify if work was done on Public Land Answer Yes or No If applicable give Managers Name as well as the Provincial office and their department associated with the management of this land to which work is being done Alda Identify if site is a Grazing lease or Grazing reserve on which work is being done If applicable give Lessees Group name A14c Identify which Disposition this land falls under and
41. egion in which you are working are counted as functional wetlands Areas listed as UNCLASSIFIED WETLAND TYPE are also counted as functional wetlands Other areas are counted as non wetlands or uplands The functional wetland fraction of the polygon area is listed in item C3c in acres and as a percentage of the entire polygon area in item C3d Manual current as of 5 20 2010 T Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals C4 Lentic wetlands associated with open water like lakes and ponds typically have a shore The shore is defined here as a variable width area that contains all points reached over time by the water s edge along the water body between its high stage and current water level i e the area that is visibly affected by periods of inundation and drying between seasonal and longer cyclic high and low water levels The time frame is generally taken to mean the recent period of hydrologic record or the extent indicated by physical evidence present The shoreline is defined much more narrowly as a 1 2 m 3 3 6 6 ft band stretching along the landward side of the water s edge TODAY Therefore the actual position of the shoreline shifts over time with water level Some lentic polygons may not contain a shore between wetland and open water In some cases these polygons are in ephemeral depressions which may be infrequently inundated but do support wetland plant communities In other cases these polygons may be part of large
42. ents about the type As a minimum list all types that cover 5 or more of the polygon The total must approximate 100 Slight deviations due to use of class codes or to omission of types covering less than 5 of the polygon are allowed Note For any area designated as an unclassified wetland type it is important to list any species present that can indicate the wetness or dryness of the site NOTE Open water in the polygon that does not have emergent vegetation but that is less than 2 m 6 6 ft deep is counted here as a type called Open Water D16 Select the one category Improving Degrading Static or Trend Unknown that best indicates the current trend of the vegetative community on the polygon to the extent possible Trend refers in the sense used here not specifically to successional pathway change but in a more general sense of apparent community health By definition trend implies change over time Accordingly a trend analysis would require comparison of repeated observations over time However some insights into trend can be observed in a single visit For example the observer may notice healing revegetating of a degraded shore area and recent establishment of woody seedlings and saplings This would indicate changing conditions that suggest an improving trend If such indicators are not apparent select the category status unknown D17 Add any necessary commentary to explain or amplify the vegetation data
43. es Construction Human infrastructure roads railroads and or earth moving for other construction purposes often are located within the riparian wetland zone associated with natural water bodies They inevitably represent disrupted natural vegetation but also impermeable surface area and the introduction of alien or invasive species Recreation The additional traffic of human usage may trample the vegetation introduce trails with compaction of the soil and introduce alien or invasive species Other List any other causes of alteration to the polygon vegetation that are not listed above and describe them in the space provided F8c Also of concern are the kinds of change that diminish the presence or disrupt the natural function of the vegetation and that result from the causes listed above As for the various causes estimate the distribution of kinds of alteration observed on the site Again rough estimation is appropriate Some overlap is likely and great precision is not needed but recorded kinds indicated must add to approximate 100 Among the kinds of change to look for are Physical clearing of vegetation such as removing woody species to create more herbaceous cover for hay production or livestock forage to enhance lake visibility or access timber harvest road construction etc Clearing is Manual current as of 5 20 2010 17 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals purposeful long term removal of
44. etation composition on a lentic wetland site include e Grazing Long term livestock use often results in conversion of certain components of the plant community to dominance by species that are tolerant of such use or that are less utilized by the domestic animals e Cultivation This cause of alteration is either the conversion of wild vegetation to domestic pasture species for grazing or the actual cropping of planted vegetation for hay or other products Timber Harvest The alteration from this cause is not simply the removal of some trees which might be done without any real change to the vegetation community but rather it is the larger scale opening of the canopy and the induced regression of the site to a much earlier seral stage of vegetation succession Also common with this cause of disturbance is introduction of alien plant species or even pro active re planting of more desired species Mining With mining activities comes necessary disturbance of the land surface The minerals introduced to the site may be unnatural to the native vegetation The introduction of alien plant species may also occur Cottage or Urban Development Cottage development commonly occurs around lakeshores causing disruption of the natural vegetation Human development of domestic or commercial enterprise also occurs around water bodies in urban settings Such development necessarily causes the disruption of natural vegetation in many cas
45. evelopment Lorne Fitch of Alberta Environmental Protection and Greg Hale and Norine Ambrose of the Alberta Cows and Fish Program BACKGROUND INFORMATION Flowing Water Lotic Wetlands vs Still Water Lentic Wetlands Cowardin and others 1979 point out that no single correct definition for wetlands exists primarily due to the nearly unlimited variation in hydrology soil and vegetative types Wetlands are lands transitional between aquatic water and terrestrial upland ecosystems Windell and others 1986 state wetlands are part of a continuous landscape that grades from wet to dry In many cases it is not easy to determine precisely where they begin and where they end In the semiarid and arid portions of western North America a useful distinction has been made between wetland types based on association with different aquatic ecosystems Several authors have used Zotic and lentic to separate wetlands associated with running water from those associated with still water The following definitions represent a synthesis and refinement of terminology from Shaw and Fredine 1956 Stewart and Kantrud 1972 Boldt and others 1978 Cowardin and others 1979 American Fisheries Society 1980 Johnson and Carothers 1980 Cooperrider and others 1986 Windell and others 1986 Environmental Laboratory 1987 Kovalchik 1987 Federal Interagency Committee for Wetland Delineation 1989 Mitsch and Gosselink 1993 and Kent 1994
46. hat which is lying on the ground The observer is to ignore not count decadence in poplars or cottonwoods which are decadent due to old age rough and furrowed bark extends substantially up into the crowns of the trees species Populus deltoides plains cottonwood P angustifolia narrow leaf cottonwood and P balsamifera balsam poplar because cottonwoods poplars are early seral species and naturally die off in the absence of disturbance to yield the site to later seral species The observer is to consider count decadence in these species if apparently caused by de watering browse stress climatic influences or parasitic infestation insects disease The observer should comment on conflicting or confounding indicators and or if the cause of decadence is simply unknown but not due to old age Note 2 Do not count the resprouts from cut off stumps as regeneration of a plant that was cut As a general rule count sprouts ONLY that emanate from the soil and NOT from the stem above ground Tree Age Groups Age Group Conifers and Cottonwoods Poplars Other Broadleaf Species 2 Seedling lt 4 5 ft tall OR lt 1 0 inch dbh lt 3 0 ft tall Sapling gt 4 5 ft tall AND 1 0 inch to 4 9 inch dbh gt 3 0 ft tall AND lt 3 0 inch dbh Pole 5 0 inch to 8 9 inch dbh gt 6 0 ft tall AND 3 0 inch to 5 0 inch dbh Mature gt 9 0 inch dbh gt 5 0 inch dbh Dead 100 of canopy is dead 100 of canopy is dead Juniperus scopulorum Rocky Mountai
47. her plant litter Avoid counting overlapping areas more than once for one group For example an area is not counted twice for total tree cover if seedlings cover all ground under mature trees However the same piece of ground may occur under the canopy of more than one group For example areas covered by grass which are also under trees would be counted for both tree and grass lifeforms On the other hand when estimating total cover of all plants item D12 the area covered by both trees and grass would only be counted once trees and grass in this case being part of the same group all four plant groups D11 Record the percent of the polygon area covered by tree and shrub woody species canopy considered as a group in the sense described above Include the canopy cover on the polygon that is provided by all standing rooted plants live or dead Do not include fallen wood D12 Record the percent of the polygon area covered by the canopy of all four plant groups together Include the canopy cover on the polygon that is provided by all standing rooted plants live or dead Do not include fallen wood or other plant litter Do not consider the polygon area covered by water such as between emergent plants D13a b Invasive plants noxious weeds are alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm Without regard to whether the disturbance that allowed their establishment is natural or human ca
48. hore that has been exposed or inundated for much of each growing season This causes shore material to destabilize and often provides sites for weeds to invade Such conditions are extremely detrimental to healthy riparian function Not all lentic wetlands evaluated with this form will have surface water but any wetland may have its water table degraded by draining pumping or diverting its surface or subsurface supply On such lentic wetlands as marshes and wet meadows look for evidence of drainage ditching pumping and the interruption of normal surface drainage inputs by livestock watering dugouts cross slope ditches or dams upslope In this item the evaluator is asked to categorize the degree to which the system is subjected to artificially rapid or unnaturally timed fluctuations in water level Reservoirs intended for storage of water for power generation irrigation and or livestock watering typically exhibit the most severe effects but water may be diverted or pumped from or into natural systems for many other reasons domestic use industrial use livestock watering etc This item requires the evaluator to make a subjective call by choosing as a best fit one of the categories of severity described Note Be careful to consider the size of Manual current as of 5 20 2010 15 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals the water body related to the scale of change Pumping a small dugout full of water for livestock
49. if it is occurring along a natural lake and the erosion is not being caused by livestock or other human activities F14 This question distinguishes between sites contaminated with materials toxic to wetland plants native to the site and sites upon which viable communities of wetland species normal to the locality are present F15 Open standing water may represent a significant area of some polygons In many cases this ground cover is temporary or seasonal but must be quantified to entirely account for the polygon area There may be bare ground or plant cover that is obscured by the temporary water The term open water is used here to mean area on which the only surface visible is water that obscures whatever is beneath However refer again to the discussion of polygon delineation which indicates that deep water habitat such as the main body of a lake is not normally included in the area of the polygon NOTE Areas quantified in items D12 F10b F11 and F15 account for the entire polygon F16 Is there evidence that vegetation productivity or composition is being affected by chemical accumulation on the site such as salts concentrated by evaporation of water from a closed basin phytotoxic minerals derived from mine wastes agricultural chemicals herbicides or pesticides Use caution in making this call Yes answers should have explanation in the comments of item F17 Photo documentation is also advisable Soil chemical analysis is unne
50. inations of them Manual current as of 5 20 2010 1 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals Wetlands are not easily identified and delineated for jurisdictional purposes Functional definitions have generally been difficult to apply to the regulation of wetland dredging or filling Although the intent of regulation is to protect wetland functions the current delineation of jurisdictional wetland still relies upon structural features or attributes The prevailing view among many wetland scientists is that functional wetlands need to meet only one of the three criteria as outlined by Cowardin and others 1979 e g hydric soils hydrophytic plants and wetland hydrology On the other hand jurisdictional wetlands need to meet all three criteria except in limited situations Even though functional wetlands may not meet jurisdictional wetland requirements they certainly perform wetland functions resulting from the greater amount of water that accumulates on or near the soil surface relative to the adjacent uplands Examples include some woody draws occupied by the Acer negundo Prunus virginiana Manitoba maple choke cherry habitat type Thompson and Hansen 2002 and some floodplain sites occupied by the Artemisia cana Agropyron smithii silver sagebrush western wheat grass habitat type or the Populus tremuloides Cornus stolonifera aspen red osier dogwood habitat type Currently many of these sites fail to meet jurisdictional wetlan
51. ion seedling sapling only pole age only seedling sapling and pole seedling sapling and mature lt 75 dec pole and mature lt 75 dec seedling sapling pole and mature lt 75 dec mature only lt 75 dec seedling sapling and mature 75 dec pole and mature 75 dec seedling sapling pole and mature gt 75 dec mature only 75 dec Ke OowMmIAunaRWNne x KM MM xx xx xe x mK x XM mK KX p lt 0 1 Sdlg indicates seedlings Splg indicates saplings Decadent indicates percent of mature trees which are decadent DSa Record the appropriate category which best describes the amount of browse utilization Utl of the combined seedling Sdlg and sapling Splg age groups for each tree species When estimating amount of utilization count browsed second year and older leaders on representative plants of tree species normally browsed by ungulates Do not count current year s use Manual current as of 5 20 2010 10 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals because this would not accurately reflect actual use when more browsing can occur later in the season Browsing of second year or older material affects the overall health of the plant and continual high use will affect the plant s ability to maintain itself on the site Determine percentage by comparing the number of leaders browsed or utilized with the total number of leaders available those within animal reach on a representat
52. ive sample at least three plants of each tree species present Do not count utilization on dead plants unless it is clear that death resulted from over grazing Note If a shrub is entirely mushroom umbrella shaped by long term intense browse or rubbing count utilization of it as heavy Category Description None 0 to 5 of the available second year and older leaders are clipped browsed Light gt 5 to 25 of the available second year and older leaders are clipped browsed Moderate gt 25 to 50 of the available second year and older leaders are clipped browsed Heavy More than 50 of the available second year and older leaders are clipped browsed Unavailable Woody plants provide no browsed or unbrowsed material below 1 5 m 5 ft or are inaccessible due to location or protection by other plants NA Neither seedlings nor saplings of tree species are present D5b Estimate the overall proportion percentage of all cottonwood regeneration on the polygon seedlings and saplings of Populus species other than P tremuloides aspen that are from seed rather than from any form of asexual reproduction such as root sprouts Note Enter NA for this question if you are working north of the Red Deer River valley and some areas farther south in higher precipitation zones such as the foothills west of Highway 2 count any mode of reproduction for this group of trees because in these cooler moister zones cottonwoods and balsam po
53. jor components of structural diversity These terms are used to describe vegetation height tall gt 1 8 m 6 0 ft layer 3 medium gt 0 5 1 8 m 1 5 6 0 ft layer 2 short 0 0 5 m 0 1 5 f layer 1 Graminoids and forbs are combined as the herbaceous lifeform Trees and shrubs in layer 2 are also combined as medium trees shrubs A polygon is assigned the highest structural diversity category it can meet To meet a category each lifeform by height named in the description must have a canopy cover of at least 15 in the polygon Combination groups i e medium trees shrubs and short medium and tall herbaceous must have at least 5 cover of both components or at least 15 cover of one component Note Structural diversity on a site can change as succession proceeds or if management changes Manual current as of 5 20 2010 8 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals Category Description Tall trees tall shrubs medium trees shrubs herbaceous understory present Tall trees tall shrubs herbaceous understory present Tall trees medium trees shrubs herbaceous understory present Tall trees herbaceous understory present Tall shrubs medium trees shrubs herbaceous understory present Tall shrubs herbaceous understory present Medium trees shrubs herbaceous understory present Tall herbaceous Medium herbaceous Short herbaceous Sparsely vegetated The herbaceous understory present
54. land has no surface water at the time of inventory you should have answered No to Item F6a and you should skip this item Answer this question by estimating the percent of the 2 m 6 6 ft wide band that is covered by vegetation species with deep binding root masses appropriate to the location i e larger species with deeper roots are needed to hold banks where large waves may strike and smaller species such as grasses and sedges where less energetic overland flows are likely F8 Is there human caused alteration of the vegetation on this polygon Human alteration of the vegetation is meant to include all changes to the plant community composition or structure on the polygon from human causes It is not meant to include transitory or short term removal of plant material that does not impact plant community composition i e grazing at carefully managed levels In F8a estimate the cumulative total part percentage of the polygon vegetation that has been altered in ways such as described in F8b and F8c below F8b Human causes of alteration to the vegetation may take many forms In F8b break this total down among the causes or agents of cause listed on the form This breakdown attributed to each cause is only for management information Rough estimation is appropriate with some overlap likely among the effects Causes identified need to approximate 100 Great precision is not expected or needed here Common human causes of alteration of veg
55. mbers and the enter a description of each photograph taken at the southern most end of the polygon G3 Take other photos as needed to illustrate key features or problems within the polygon For each Other photo enter the UTM location coordinates and identify each one with its photo number and description G4a b Indicate if there is another polygon adjacent more to the north of this one and identify its polygon name G5a b Indicate if there is another polygon adjacent more to the south of this one and identify its polygon name G6 Identify all additional photos taken outside of polygon i e non polygon photos by giving roll number frame number and description of view G7 Record the type of film digital or film film speed or digital quality dpi camera lens size and lens focal length range or magnification Lens filter used polarizer or none Additional Data Items H1 Record the rating category that best describes the vegetation use by animals Platts and others 1987 This is intended as a measure of herbivore utilization of available forage However it may be extended to include human removal of this same forage by mowing or other means Although Platts and others 1987 state that this available forage is mainly herbaceous the concept here is extended to also include normally utilized and available woody species Record the category not a precise value Code Category Description 0 to 25 Vegetation use
56. n Numbers A15b If Al3a is answered Yes then enter the years of any inventories of this exact polygon A15c Does the area extent of this polygon exactly coincide with that of any other inventory represented in the database In many cases subsequent inventories only partially overlap spatially A15d If Al5Sc is answered Yes identify those database record ID numbers for other polygons that can be compared as representing exactly the same ground area A16a Even though this polygon is not a re inventory of the exact same area as any other polygon does it share at least some common area with one or more polygons inventoried at another time A16b If Al6a is answered Yes enter the record ID number s of any other polygon s sharing common area with this one Manual current as of 5 20 2010 5 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals A17a b Has a management change been implemented on this polygon Simply answer Yes No or Unknown If applicable in what year was the management change implemented and describe the management change implemented A18 The primary contact is the person landowner land manager or renter etc who initiated the contact with the funding organization to have this riparian work conducted Therefore if the renter initiated the contact the land owner would be a secondary contact Location Data B1 Province in which the field work is being done i e where the
57. n juniper is an exception to the specifications given because it lacks typical coniferous size age and growth form relationships Assign age classes to individuals based on relative size reproductive ability and overall appearance Manual current as of 5 20 2010 9 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals Other Broadleaf Species may include Fraxinus pennsylvanica green ash Acer negundo Manitoba maple Populus tremuloides aspen Betula papyrifera white birch and Ulmus americana American elm D3 The tree regeneration category is automatically calculated in the office by the computer using the age group data collected with the species canopy cover as described in item D2b The canopy covers of the seedling and sapling age groups are combined to quantify tree regeneration The categories represent actual not potential tree regeneration Code Description 1 No seedlings or saplings were observed in the polygon 2 Seedlings and or saplings were observed individually or in combination these age groups have less than 5 of the species canopy cover 3 Seedlings and or saplings were observed individually or in combination these age groups have 5 or more of the species canopy cover but less than 15 4 Seedlings and or saplings were observed individually or in combination these age groups have 15 or more of the species canopy cover but less than 25 5 Seedlings and or saplings were observed indivi
58. ng physical alteration any pugging and hummocking or other disruption of the soil profile is relatively shallow and is well vegetated with appropriate species Moderate As compared with nearby unaltered sites human caused physical alteration on the polygon including recovery from any past severe alterations has noticeably altered the physical site integrity to the point that plant communities and or hydrological function on the altered areas show visible impact The plant community differs noticeably by having introduced or missing components from nearby sites that are on similar landscape position lacking physical alterations Pugging and hummocking or other disruption of the soil profile is moderate in depth and height of hammocks Such alteration is either becoming re vegetated with appropriate species or is well covered with a mix of less desirable and appropriate species Severe Human caused physical site alteration on the polygon has compromised the physical integrity of the altered areas even if a only small area is altered Old alterations have not recovered and are still affecting the vegetation and or hydrological functions e g the plant community differs radically from nearby sites in similar position that lack physical alterations reflecting altered hydrologic and or soil conditions Pugging and hummocking or other disruption of the soil profile is severe in depth of disturbance and or height of hummocking Alterations remain mo
59. ntic Wetland Health Assessment derived from the Lentic Wetland Inventory Form The techniques used to obtain the data do not allow the ratings to be interpreted with a fine degree of precision For example two polygons rating 74 and 79 should be interpreted as functionally equivalent to each other but they both are likely to differ functionally from a third polygon that rates 61 although all three fall within the Functional At Risk Healthy but with Problems category When considering the health assessment result for any site one should always look at the individual items as well as the total score Two sites can score overall identical results but have profoundly differing areas of problems The health ratings are presented both as an overall polygon score and in two subsections vegetation and physical site to give a broad indication of what part of the system may be in need of more management attention Vegetation Data D1a The wetland prevalence index is compiled by the computer from the U S National Wetland Inventory NWI wetland status classes for plant species recorded on the site Reed 1988 and weighted by species abundance measured in terms of canopy cover The range of index values is from 1 0 to 5 0 Lower values indicate wetter sites D1b The vegetation structural diversity category is automatically calculated in the office by computer using plant group and height layer data item D9 Trees and shrubs are considered ma
60. opy cover and density distribution D14a b Areas with historically intense grazing often have large canopy cover of undesirable herbaceous species which tend to be less productive and which contribute less to ecological functions A large cover of disturbance increaser undesirable herbaceous species native or exotic indicates displacement from the potential natural community PNC and a reduction in riparian health These species generally are less productive have shallow roots and poorly perform most riparian functions They usually result from some disturbance which removes more desirable species Invasive species considered in the previous item are not reconsidered here Record the percent area covered by this general group which may include the following listed species among others of like character Count overlapping areas only once The following list is intended only to be representative Additional species may be appropriate for specific regions and can be added in the spaces below Antennaria spp pussy toes Hordeum jubatum foxtail barley Potentilla anserina silverweed Brassicaceae mustards Plantago spp plantains Taraxacum spp dandelion Bromus inermis awnless brome Poa pratensis Kentucky bluegrass Trifolium spp clovers Fragaria spp strawberries D15 List the riparian habitat type s and or community type s found in the polygon using a manual for identifying types in the region in which you are working
61. pervious Surface This includes roofs hardened surfaces like walkways and roads boat launches etc Bank Alteration The bank is a noticeable topographic rise located near the land water interface and serving to contain the area normally covered by the water body The bank may not coincide with the shore which is a more variable position This kind of alteration includes livestock hoof shear rip rap to stabilize the bank berms and levees on the bank bridge abutments and effects of machinery or vehicles that change the bank profile shape etc Hydrologic Change Include in this category any area that is physically affected by removal or addition of water for human purpose The physical effects to look for are erosion due to reduced or increased water bared soil surface that had water cover removed or flooded area that normally supports a drier vegetation type Topographic Change This is the deliberate alteration of terrain and or drainage pattern for human purposes It may be for aesthetic landscaping or other reasons including such structures as water diversions ditches and canals Plowing Tilling This is disruption of the soil surface for cultivation purposes It does not include the alteration of drainage or topographic pattern which are included in the Topographic Change category Other List any other kind of physical alteration to the actual bank structure profile or integrity that is not named above and describe it in the space provi
62. plar populations are not dependent on seed deposited on riverine alluvium D6a b Are there shrubs present on the polygon and does the polygon have potential for woody species such as tall shrubs and trees Some riparian and wetland sites are marshes wet meadows or other wetland types that lack potential for woody species Such sites should not be penalized on health assessment rating for this lack of potential Other sites lacking these species do have the potential but lack the plants due to disturbance Observers are to answer D6b on the basis of species noted on similar nearby less disturbed sites or other indications On polygons where the observer cannot find sufficient evidence to make a confident determination enter NC and explain in the comment field at the end of the Vegetation Section D6c Record the species code and canopy cover for every shrub species observed on the polygon Determine the portion of the species cover represented by each of three groups seedling saplings mature or decadent dead Note For shrubs all decadent individuals are included in one group with dead individuals This contrasts with the method of recording tree decadence where the decadence within each age group is recorded As with trees decadent shrubs are individuals having 30 or more dead material in the canopy The canopy covers of the three age size groups for a species must total approximately 100 In general shrub seedling saplings can be dis
63. protected areas on which work is being done If Yes properly identify the type and name of the protected area that is established Exclude National Provincial or Rural Urban or other Park s recorded in A7 This question includes all areas with regulatory or administrative protection other than parks which are covered in A7 There are many types including Ecological Reserves are areas of Crown Land Provincial Government which have the potential to contain representative rare and fragile landscapes plants animals and geological features The intent is for the preservation of natural ecosystems habitats and features associated with biodiversity Public access to ecological reserves is by foot only public roads and other facilities do not normally exist and will not be developed Manual current as of 5 20 2010 4 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals Environmental reserve generally are those lands that are considered un developable and may consist of a swamp gully ravine coulee or natural drainage course flood prone areas steep slopes or land immediately adjacent to lakes rivers stream or other bodies of water Governed by The Municipal Government Act Alberta Municipal reserve may also be known in part as reserve park reserve park or community reserve Municipal reserves are lands that have been given to the municipality by the developer of a subdivision as part of the subdivision approval process Govern
64. s is normally subordinate to the major watershed named above in B10a B9c Name the sub basin in which you are working e g Iron Creek This is the third level down from the largest major watershed e g North Saskatchewan River Battle River Iron Creek or South Saskatchewan River Red Deer River Little Red Deer River although you may be working on an even lower level tributary The sub basin is the local watershed of which the site being surveyed is a part It is subordinate to the minor watershed named above in B10b B10a c Universal Transverse Mercator UTM coordinates are recorded for the northern western and southern eastern ends of the polygon using GPS units in the field Other locations of special interest may be recorded using the GPS unit These coordinates are considered accurate to within approximately 10 m 33 ft Field observers are to use GPS units to obtain these coordinates following standard protocol Record UTM coordinates at each end of the long axis of the polygon Enter the UTM coordinate data including the UTM zone and the identifying waypoint number on the form for each point collected Save the data in the GPS unit for downloading to the computer later When starting work in a new location always check the GPS receiving unit against a known point by using the UTM grid and map Manual current as of 5 20 2010 6 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals B10d e Identify the GPS unit used
65. stly bare of plant cover or are becoming vegetated with invasive or undesirable species Manual current as of 5 20 2010 19 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals F9e Comment on any unusual or odd degree or aspect of the alteration to the polygon physical site Use this space to elaborate on any overlap between the various causes and kinds of alteration noted F10a b Record the portion of the polygon with exposed soil surface bare ground Exposed soil surfaces are those surfaces not protected from erosional forces by plants litter or duff downed woody materials rocks of cobble size or larger gt 6 25 cm 2 5 in or hardened impervious surfaces Hardened impervious surfaces e g asphalt concrete etc are not bare ground i e do not erode nor allow weeds to invade and are counted in item F11 NOTE Areas quantified in items D12 F10b F11 and F15 account for the entire polygon F10c Separate the exposed soil surface from F10b into two categories that resulting from natural and human causes These must total approximately 100 Examples of human causes include livestock wallows and trails hiking trails ATV trails roads timber harvesting skid trails mining and construction activities F10d Within both the natural and human caused categories record the proportions of exposed soil surface bare ground resulting from the listed causes Within each category the portions assigned to the individual causes must
66. tinguished from mature plants on the following basis For normally tall shrubs which have an average mature height of over 1 8 m 6 0 ft seedlings and saplings will be plants reaching only into the first and second vegetation layers shorter than 1 8 m 6 0 ft For shrub species having normal mature height between 0 5 m 1 5 ft and 1 8 m 6 0 ft seedlings and saplings are individuals reaching only into the first vegetation layer below 0 5 m 1 5 ft For short shrub species whose mature height is 0 5 m 1 5 ft or less observers must judge individual plants for height reproductive structures and other characteristics that indicate relative age Refer to reference manuals on the regional flora for information of normal sizes for unfamiliar species Count plants installed by human planting if these are successfully established which means they have survived at least one full year after planting Note Evaluators should take care not to confuse short stature resulting from intense browsing with that due to young plants When estimating degree of utilization count browsed second year and older leaders on representative plants of woody species normally browsed by ungulates Do not count current year s use because this would not accurately reflect actual use when more browsing can occur later in the season Browsing of second year or older material affects the overall health of the plant and continual high use will affect the plant s ability to
67. used weed presence indicates a degrading ecosystem While some of these species may contribute to some riparian functions their negative impacts reduce overall site health This item assesses the degree and extent to which the site is impacted by the presence of noxious weeds The severity of the weed problem on a site is a function of density distribution pattern of occurrence as well as abundance of the weeds A weed list should be used that is standard for the region i e Weeds and Disturbance Species Fact Sheet Cows and Fish 2001 Record the combined percent canopy cover and the overall density distribution class of all invasive plants on the polygon Common invasive species in Alberta are listed on the form and space is allowed for recording others Leave no listed species field blank however enter 0 to indicate absence of a species A blank field means the observer forgot to collect the data a value means the observer looked For each weed species observed record canopy cover as a percentage of the polygon area being evaluated and density distribution class Choose a density distribution class from the chart Figure 2 below that best represents each species pattern of presence on the site NOTE Prior to the 2001 season the health score for weed infestation was assessed from a single numerical value that does not represent weed canopy cover but instead represents the fraction of the polygon area on which weeds had a well
68. vegetation Do not count short term removal of plant parts such as from foraging by well managed livestock or mowing of hay from a herbaceous meadow Replacing tall species with short species e g willows for rose and buckbrush This is a common result of long term intense use by livestock in tall shrub communities Such species as Symphoricarpos occidentalis buckbrush and Rosa woodsii common wild rose are more tolerant of intensive grazing than are most of the willows and tall riparian shrubs Replacing native plants with non native species such as for landscaping or to create pasture for livestock e g Alopecurus pratensis meadow foxtail or Poa pratensis Kentucky bluegrass to replace native riparian graminoids or displacement of native forbs by plantains dandelion and low clovers by long term grazing pressure Replacing woody species with herbaceous species such as shrubs for grasses and forbs e g replacement of a tall shrub layer under a tree canopy by Bromus inermis awnless brome Other kinds of alteration of the vegetation to consider which may overlap with those listed above include such as o Replacing deep rooted species with shallow rooted species o Removal of structural layers and o Allowing invasion by weedy species o Replacing late seral with early seral communities Human changes to the vegetation community do not include beaver activities this activity is included in the utilization section
69. wdown The natural drawdown of water levels normally occurs in either annual or short term climatic cycles This process often leaves temporary areas of exposed soil surface along a shore Take care to distinguish this natural cause from the similar result caused by drawdown for human use In some cases both types of drawdown may be occurring together e Other Account for any naturally occurring bare ground here that is not included in the categories named above and describe what caused it in the field provided Human caused bare ground may result from e Grazing Livestock use often results in bare ground from trailing trampling hoof shear and the removal of vegetation cover by overgrazing e Cultivation Tillage and other mechanical activities in the process of cultivation of crops result in bare ground Timber Harvest Log skidding and other activities in the process of timber harvest may result in bare ground e Mining Extraction and processing of minerals can result in bare ground The deposition of waste rock either cast aside overburden or processed tailings is a common type of mining caused bare ground e Construction Construction activities of all kinds often involve excavation earth moving and other disruptions of the soil surface or natural soil covering Recreation Many modern forms of recreation involve use of mechanical vehicles that damage the vegetation cover and the integrity of soil Even foot traffic along trails
70. wetland ecosystem outer edges These boundaries are sometimes easily determined by abrupt changes in the landform and or vegetation but proper determination often depends on experienced interpretation of more subtle features Do not include deep water habitat within the polygon area The inner polygon boundary is the landward edge of the deep water habitat or where persistent emergent vegetation gives way to open water In concept deep water habitat is the area covered by surface water deeper than 2 m 6 6 ft or where sunlight cannot penetrate to support persistent erect rooted plant life Persistent emergent vegetation consists of species that normally remain standing at least until the beginning of the next growing season e g Typha species cattails or Scirpus species bulrushes In practice include all emergent vegetation i e go out to open water regardless of depth If emergent vegetation has been removed by human activity include out to where it would be expected in the absence of that impact If there is no emergent vegetation and there is no apparent potential for it then stop the polygon where persistent vegetation ends and the open water begins In cases where observer access and visibility on part of the site to be assessed is impeded by deep water that may have extensive areas of emergent vegetation the observer may choose with documented reason to either Manual current as of 5 20 2010 2 Check www cowsandfish org for latest
71. where animals or nests were sighted H14 List incidental sightings of non waterfowl bird species on the polygon Give number of individuals seen and any pertinent location information for each species H15 List rare plant species found on the polygon Give number of individuals seen and location information for each species Note Species listed here must also be listed on the appropriate lifeform listing in the VEGETATION SECTION above Questions D2 D6 D7 or D8 H16 This space is provided for any additional commentary the observers may wish to record concerning any aspect of the site that is not more appropriately entered in the vegetation section item D17 or in the physical site section Manual current as of 5 20 2010 23 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals LITERATURE CITED Adams Barry and Lorne Fitch 1995 Caring for the green zone riparian areas and grazing management Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Project Lethbridge Alberta Canada 37 p Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre 1999 Natural regions and subregions of Alberta Internet website http www gov ab ca env parks anhic abnatreg html Edmonton Alberta Canada T5K 2J6 Cooperrider Allen Y Raymond J Boyd and Hanson R Stuart 1986 Inventory and monitoring of wildlife habitat USDI Bureau of Land Management Denver Service Center Denver Colorado USA 858 p Cowardin L M V Carter F C Golet and E T LaRoe 1979
72. y vegetation trees and shrubs is lacking due to being physically removed i e cut mowed trimmed logged cut by beaver or otherwise removed from their growing position The timeframe is less important than the ecological effect Time to recover from this kind of damage can vary widely with site characteristics The objective is to measure the extent of any damage remaining today to the vegetation structure resulting from woody removal We expect that the woody community will recover over time re grow just as an eroding bank will heal with re growing plant roots This question simply asks How much woody material is still missing from what should be here The amount of time since removal doesn t really matter if re growth has been allowed to progress If 20 years after logging the site has a stand of sapling spruce trees then it should get partial re growth credit but not full credit since the trees still lack much of their potential habitat and ecological value NOTE In general the more recent the removal the more entirely it should be fully counted and conversely the older the removal the more likely it will have been mitigated by re growth This question is really looking at volume three dimensions and not canopy cover two dimensions For example if an old growth spruce tree is removed a number of new seedlings saplings may become established and could soon achieve the same canopy cover as the old tree had However the value
73. ygon area affected NOTE Hummocking and pugging are included as one form of alteration to the polygon physical site in Item F9 Other than as that inclusion this item is not a factor of derived polygon functional health assessment Pugging is tracking depressions left by large animals typically hooved animals but occasionally humans left in fine textured soil Moist clay or silt usually has a consistency to hold tracks Upon drying pugged areas will have a hard irregular surface difficult to walk across Bare soil may or may not be present Hummocking is a form of micro topographic relief characterized by raised pedicels of vegetated soil as much as 0 6 m 2 ft higher than the surrounding ground which results from long term large animal trampling and tracking in soft soil Vegetation on the pedicels usually differs from that on the surrounding lower area due to moisture difference between the two levels F13a c Check for sediment and debris being introduced from side slopes immediately adjacent to the polygon Indicate whether the problem is human caused or of natural causes and list the causes of the sedimentation the kind of human disturbance grazing logging recreation development roads etc or the major soil type in cases of natural causes erodible shale unconsolidated sands and silts etc An example might be a reservoir where the artificial water level is causing slope erosion along its shoreline A similar situation may be natural
74. ypes and locations of any of the listed human caused bank modifications observed within the polygon Use other to note kinds of modification observed but not included on this list The bank is a noticeable topographic rise located near the land water interface and serving to contain the area normally covered by the water body Wildlife Data These wildlife data represent incidental observations only H7a b If waterfowl nests or young broods were observed describe location type and whether the nest was in use of the year or old H8a e Respond to the fishery questions based on observations H9a b Record the number and type of any amphibians observed Manual current as of 5 20 2010 22 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals H10a b Record the number and type of any reptiles observed H11 If possible name the species number of each and sighting locations observed within the polygon e g upper 1 3 of polygon throughout polygon lower 1 4 of polygon H12a f Record evidence of beaver activity in the polygon Record whether the beaver sign appears current active or old inactive Describe the types and amounts of beaver evidence observed H13a d List threatened and endangered animal species observed in the polygon along with any nesting sites Space is provided to list species observed Consult relevant documents to determine appropriate species Record the location in the polygon

ALBERTA LENTIC WETLAND INVENTORY USER MANUAL

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