Standard Operating Procedures: Extensive Variables
Wetland/Catchment Characteristics and Vegetation Survey
Wetland basins will be characterized by estimating the % of the basin covered by open water, total emergent cover, and land-use. Additionally, wetlands will be assigned to a wetland class (Stewart and Kantrud 1971) and a sketch of the wetland will be made showing the dominant cover types and other prominent features. The wetland catchment will be characterized by estimating the % current land-use and recording dominant vegetation. Wetland vegetation will be sampled along four equally spaced transects that radiate out from the wetland center. In each vegetative community bisected by a transect, a 1-m2 quadrat will be centered in the middle of the community, and cover classes (Daubenmire 1959) will be assigned to each macrophyte taxon in the quadrat. Additional quadrat information collected will include water depth and assigning a vegetative zone and phase (Stewart and Kantrud 1971). Other information collected will include width of vegetative communities bisected by transects and a list of all plant taxa not encountered in the quadrats.
| Equipment check list: | |
| 1-m2 quadrat frame | __________ |
| Plant list | __________ |
| Plant keys | __________ |
| Hand lens | __________ |
| Dissecting forceps & probe | __________ |
| Clip board | __________ |
| Field Form No. 1 | __________ |
| Field Form No. 2 | __________ |
| Field Form No. 3 | __________ |
| Plant press | __________ |
| Note pad | __________ |
| Zip lock bags | __________ |
| Quadrat labels | __________ |
| Voucher labels | __________ |
| Colored pencils | __________ |
| Pens/pencils/sharpies | __________ |
| Meter stick | __________ |
| Measuring tape | __________ |
| Bug spray | __________ |
| PVC pipe | __________ |
| Flags | __________ |
| Duct tape | __________ |
| Waders/hip boots | __________ |
| 4.2 Extensive Variables: |
| Number of Vegetative Zones |
| Wetland Class |
| Percent Open Water |
| Cover Estimates |
| Water Depth |
| Species list (floristic quality) |
| Width of vegetative zones |
| Catchment Cover Type |
4.3 Wetland / Catchment Characteristics, Field Form No. 1 (Appendix A)
4.3.a Card 1: Record wetland identification (boxes 2-8), date (boxes 9-14), and observer (boxes 15-17) information.
4.3.b Card 2: Record % open water (boxes 18-21) and % emergent vegetation (boxes 22-25) of the wetland basin. Assign % estimates in decimal format (e.g., 100%= 1.00, 25%=0.25).
4.3.c. Card 3: Record % area (visual estimate) of the wetland basin land-use. Assign % estimates in decimal format (e.g., 100%= 1.00, 25%=0.25).
- Land-use categories are:
- Grazed (boxes 18-21)
- Hayed (boxes 22-25)
- Idle (boxes 26-29 )
- Small grains (boxes 30-33)
- Row crop (boxes 34-37)
- Other (boxes 38-41)
- If the land-use category is "other", describe in the Card 3 comment section.
4.3.d. Card 4: Record the % area (visual estimates) of catchment basin land-use. Assign % estimates in decimal format (e.g., 100%= 1.00, 25%=0.25).
- Land-use categories are:
- Grazed (boxes 18-21)
- Hayed (boxes 22-25)
- Idle (boxes 26-29 )
- Small grains (boxes 30-33)
- Row crop (boxes 34-37)
- Other (boxes 38-41)
- If the land-use category is "other", describe in the Card 4 comment section.
4.3.e. Card 5: Record dominant upland plant taxa at the toe slope (boxes 18-23, a-e), mid-slope (boxes 24-29, a-e) , and upper slope (boxes 30-35, a-e) of the catchment basin. Plant taxa acronyms are listed in Appendix B. For unknown taxa, collect voucher specimens and fill out the following label (pre-printed adhesive labels) information:
| Label Information | Example |
| Field Form No. | 1 |
| Wetland Identification | GP12-001 |
| Collector | Robert Gleason |
| Date (mo/da/yr) | 06-12-97 |
| Card No. | 5 |
| Transect No. | (N/A to this procedure) |
| Quadrat No. | (N/A to this procedure) |
| Plant acronym | UNKNOW (or other appropriate genus acronym) |
| Column/row ID | 18-A (18-A refers to column and row range where the acronym has been recorded) |
Additionally, collect duplicate voucher specimens for difficult plant taxa. One specimen will be archived in NPWRC's herbarium and the other specimen will be sent to Dr. Gary E. Larson at South Dakota State University , Brookings, SD, for archival and species verification.
4.4. Cover Type Map/Wetland Class, Field Form No. 2 (Appendix A)
4.3.a. Card 1: Record wetland identification (boxes 2-8), date (boxes 9-14), and observer (boxes 15-17) information.
4.3.b. Card 2: Assign a wetland basin class (boxes 18-21) using Stewart and Kantrud's (1971) wetland classification system (Appendix C).
Wetland class categories are:
| Code | Wetland class |
| Ephemeral | |
| Temporary | |
| Seasonal | |
| Semipermanent | |
| Permanent | |
| Alkali | |
| Fen |
4.3.c. Card 3: Circle the figure that represents the wetland cover type. Cover types are described in Stewart and Kantrud (1971; Appendix C).
4.3.d. Card 4: Using colored pencils sketch a cover map of the wetland basin showing dominant community types and open water. Additionally, indicate the location of major features such as dams, rock piles, drains, etc.
4.4. Quadrat Features and Vascular Plants, Field Form No. 3 (Appendix A)
4.4.a. Card 1: Record wetland identification (boxes 2-8), date (boxes 9-14), and observer (boxes 15-17) information.
4.4.b. Establish four equally spaced transects that radiate from the center of the wetland to the wetland/upland boundary. Use a random compass bearing based on 0-360 to establish the initial transect then equally space (360/4) the remaining 3 transects beginning from the initial random transect. The sequential numbering of transects from 1-4 will be in a clockwise direction and determination of which of the 4 transects will be transect 1 will be determined jointly by the vegetation crew leader and soils crew leader (COORDINATION WITH THE SOILS CREW LEADER FOR THIS PROCEDURE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ALLOW TRACKING OF SOIL VARIABLES!!!). On transect 1 delineate the wetland boundary based on hydrophytic vegetation and mark this location with a flag labeled VE. This will be used later by the soils crew to determine the linear difference between the hydric soil and vegetation wetland boundary.
4.4.c. Card 2: Begin vegetative surveys at transect 1 starting with the outer most vegetative zone (i.e., wet-meadow) working toward the wetland center (DIRECTION OF TRAVEL ALONG TRANSECT IS IMPORTANT: DO NOT DEVIATE FROM THIS PROCEDURE!!!). Quadrat information will be collected for each vegetative community that the quadrat bisects. Place the 1m2 quadrat in the center of the vegetative community (as bisected by the transect). Record the transect bearing (boxes 18-20; as sighted from the wetland edge to the wetland center), transect number (box 21), quadrat number of the transect (box 22), vegetational zone (boxes 23-24), vegetational phase of wetland zone (boxes 25-26), water depth (cm) in the center of the quadrat (boxes 27-31), and width (m) of the vegetative community along the transect (boxes 32-36). Classification of vegetational zones and phases follow that described by Stewart and Kantrud (1971; Appendix C). Codes for vegetational zones and vegetational phases are:
Vegetational zones
| Code | Zones |
| WM = | Wet-meadow |
| SM = | Shallow-marsh |
| DM = | Deep-marsh |
| OT = | Other (this category is primarily for drained wetland analogues when vegetative zones cannot be distinguished) |
Phases of vegetational zones
| Code | Zones |
| NE | Normal emergent phase |
| OW | Open-water phase |
| DD | Drawdown bare-soil phase |
| ND | Natural drawdown emergent phase |
| CD | Cropland drawdown phase |
| CT | Cropland tilage phase |
| DR | Drained |
Within each quadrat: Estimate the percent of standing dead vegetation from the prior growing season as a percentage (e.g. 11%=0.11, boxes 37-40). Estimate litter thickness by placing a finger to the ground, marking to the top of the litter on the finger, and measuring that length to the nearest 0.5 cm (boxes 41-44). Estimate the percent of unshaded bare soil, any soil that can be plainly seen and is not obscured by emergent vegetation (boxes 45-48). Estimate the percent of open water, any water not shaded by emergent vegetation (boxes 49-52). Record all macrophyte taxon observed in the quadrat (boxes 53-58, a-m). For each macrophyte taxon, assign a Daubenmire (1959) cover class (box 59). Plant taxa acronyms are listed in Appendix B.
Cover classes are:
| Code | Cover class |
| 1 = | 0 - 1% |
| 2 = | 1 - 5% |
| 3 = | 5 - 25% |
| 4 = | 25 - 50% |
| 5 = | 50 - 75% |
| 6 = | 75 - 95% |
| 7 = | 95 - 100% |
For unknown taxa, collect voucher specimens and fill out the following label (pre-printed adhesive labels) information:
| Label Information | Example |
| Field Form No. | 1 |
| Wetland Identification | GP12-001 |
| Collector | Robert Gleason |
| Date (mo/da/yr) | 06-12-97 |
| Card No. | 5 |
| Transect No. | (N/A to this procedure) |
| Quadrat No. | (N/A to this procedure) |
| Plant acronym | UNKNOW (or other appropriate genus acronym) |
| Column/row ID | 18-A (18-A refers to column and row range where the acronym has been recorded) |
Additionally, collect duplicate voucher specimens for difficult plant taxa. One specimen will be archived in NPWRC's herbarium and the other specimen will be sent to Gary E. Larson at South Dakota State University , Brookings, SD, for archival and species verification.
Mark the center of each quadrat with a piece of PVC-pipe and label the pipe with the transect and quadrat number (BECAUSE THESE QUADRAT LOCATIONS WILL BE USED TO GATHER SOIL SAMPLES, TRY NOT TO DISTURB THE QUADRAT AREA. FURTHER, IF POSSIBLE, COLLECT VOUCHER SPECIMENS OUTSIDE OF THE QUADRAT AREA!!!)
4.4.d. Card 3: Record (boxes 60-65, a-h) all plant taxa not encountered in the quadrats while walking between quadrats and transects.
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