OVERVIEW

This quarterly report discusses tasks undertaken and progress made on the USU REMAP project during the period July 1 to September 30, 1999. The primary task on the project during this period continued to be the collection of field data to be used in developing the monitoring protocol. Additionally, we began data reduction and initial analysis.

This report is divided into the following subsections that delineate the major task accomplishments this quarter:

• Field data collection
• Data reduction and analysis
• Preparation for upcoming presentations
• Web site updates

FIELD DATA COLLECTION

Field data collection continued to be the primary project effort this quarter. (Field data collection methods have been described in the previous quarterly report.) Beginning in July, we initiated field data collection in the watersheds located in the Chalk Creek and Little Bear River basins in northern Utah (Figure 1). In addition, later in the season the data collection team returned to southern Utah to acquire some remaining data. At this time, about 95 percent of the data planned for collection from the protocol development watersheds have been collected.

DATA REDUCTION AND ANALYSIS

At this time, the project has amassed a tremendous amount of raw data and samples, which are being analyzed. Three general types of information have been collected for the project:

• Existing data. These consist of data that have been collected/compiled by others. Examples of this type of information include NRCS soil mapping, aerial imagery, climate data.
• Field observation data. These data sets consist of various survey data collected in the field. These data are collected onto forms (as discussed in the previous quarterly report) and are currently being entered into computer format.
• Field sample data. To determine certain soil/sediment parameters, sample were obtained in the field and brought back for laboratory analysis. We are in the process of analyzing these data and entering them into computer format.

Most of the existing data have been collected and compiled at this time. Field observation data are being converted from paper format to computer format for statistical and modeling analysis. Figure 2 illustrates a typical graphical summarization of plant cover data, for the Otter Creek Watershed No. 1. We anticipate that data reduction of field observation data will be completed by the end of the year.

Soil and stream sediment samples were collected from a number of sites in each of the study watersheds. Generally, upland soil samples were collected at two of the five sample points within each of the sampled overland flow elements (OFEs). Three 2-kg soil samples were collected at each sample point – at 10 m, 20 m, and 30 m along the sample point transect. Stream sediment samples consisted of material collected from approximately the top 2-3 cm at 1 m intervals along the length of the thalweg transect. On average, 54 upland soil samples and 12 stream sediment samples were collected per watershed. (Note: This amounted to over 1,000 kg or approximately 2 ½ tons of soil/sediment collected during the summer field season.) Sample analysis began this quarter, and includes the determination of parameters such as particle size distribution, cation exchange capacity, and organic content. We anticipate sample analysis and data consolidation will continue for another 6 months.

PREPARATION FOR UPCOMING TALKS
 
In order to begin distributing the initial protocol ideas and findings, we will be making three presentations at upcoming professional meetings.

• Geological Society of America – October 25-28, 1999 – Denver, Colorado
Talk: Monitoring Anthropogenic Change at the Intermediate-Sized Watershed Scale
• Society for Rangeland Management – February 12-18, 2000 – Boise, Idaho
Poster 1: Integrating Upland, Riparian, and Stream Monitoring at an Intermediate Sized Watershed Scale
Poster 2: Foliar and Ground Cover Relationships on Selected Communities in the Great Basin
Poster 3: Statistical Power Analysis: A Necessary Component of Rangeland Resources Monitoring Analysis
Poster 4: Using Monitoring to Understand Trend with Life Form Transects

We are and will continue to be in the processes of preparing for these various presentations during the next several months. Presentations will be posted to the web site when they are completed (see below).

USU REMAP WEB PAGE

We are making some changes and updates to the USU REMAP web site, in what we expect to be an active – not a static – web site:

• Project data. Graphical summaries of raw field data will be posted for the various watersheds as we get these data reduced. (Actual data values will not be posted.) A prototype interface for displaying these data is being tested.
• Presentations. Project investigators will be making oral and poster presentations discussing the USU REMAP project at several future national meetings. We will be developing a page for accessing these presentations/posters at the web site.
• Quarterly reports. We have been placing our quarterly progress reports on the web site for several months. In the future, web publishing will be the primary means for dispersing these reports. We will provide paper copies of quarterly reports when specifically requested (make requests to Craig Goodwin at goodwin@cc.usu.edu).

 (The following images have been constrained to fit a screen with 800x600 resolution. To view them at higher resolution and better quality, use the 'view image' feature of your browser.)

Figure 1. Location map of the Little Bear River and Chalk Creek basins. Two project watersheds are located in each of these basins.

 
 

Figure 2. Vegetation cover data for Otter Creek Watershed No. 1. A total of 60 sites were sampled in this watershed, with 100 foliar vegetation cover points sampled at each site. The top graph represents the watershed total, whereas each of the bottom four graphs each represent one of the four OFE cluster types of this watershed.