Chino Winds Demonstration Project

Appendix E. Participants, Participant Comments, Field Notes, and Sampling Methods for Demonstration Cell, Commerical Fuelwood Sale, and Historical Exclosure Monitoring Plots, Spring Monitoring

Bob Adams, Mike Hill, Tom Jackson, Buck Light, Phil Ogden, Jim Powers, Chris Stevenson, Jeff Whitney, Ken Williams, and Deborah Young

The purpose of the Chino Winds Demonstration project is to demonstrate the effectiveness of applying best management practices on rangelands in order to minimize off-site movement of sediment as a non-point source of water pollution resulting from domestic livestock grazing operations. The monitoring component of this project is designed to document current vegetation and changes over time, in response to the management inputs. Monitoring sites were chosen on the basis of soil, vegetation types, and present condition. Site condition was determined using Soil Conservation Service inventory maps of the area. The Coordinated Resource Management team included representatives from the United States Forest Service, Soil Conservation Service, Yavapai Ranch, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, and other interested parties who participated in selection of the monitoring locations.

The vegetation on the limy upland range site in poor range condition (Plots Y-1 and Y-2) is characterized by an overstory of juniper and algerita. The understory plants include snakeweed, buckwheat, blue grama, sideoats grama, black grama, hairy grama, threeawns, ring muhly, squirreltail, and needle and thread grass. The soil probably is either a Pastura or Wineg sandy loam series. The loamy upland range site in fair range condition (Plots Y-3, Y-4, Y-5) is an open grassland dominated by blue grama with ring muhly, mat muhly, western wheatgrass, sideoats grama, and other minor species. The soil probably is a Tours loam series.

The loamy bottom range site in poor range condition (Y-5, Y-6) is dominated by annual mustard weeds and a sparse stand of blue grama, vine mesquite, and tobosa grass. The soil probably is a Lynx series.

Point sampling was selected as the technique for monitoring vegetation cover change on these grassland sites. Since we anticipated a diversity of personnel participating in the collection of cover data, a 10-point frame technique was utilized to reduce individual bias in recording the point data.

Each plot consists of a 200-ft centerline with perpendicular transects selected at 10-ft intervals to the left and the right of the centerline. From this potential of 40 transects, 10 transects (samples) were randomly selected for sampling at each date. Five 10-point frames (subsamples) are systematically placed at one pace intervals along each transect.

Each plot consists of a 200-ft centerline with perpendicular transects selected at 10-ft intervals to the left and the right of the centerline. From this potential of 40 transects, 10 transects (samples) were randomly selected for sampling at each date. Five 10-point frames (subsamples) are systematically placed at one pace intervals along each transect.

Each sample plot is located as a permanent 200-foot centerline. At each sampling date, 10 randomly selected locations (selected from all possible 10-foot intervals along the centerline and left or right directions) designate beginning points for transects perpendicular to the centerline. Five 10-poìnt frame placements are made as subsamples along each transect, the first being 1 pace (2 steps) from centerline and the 4 additional frames each placed 1 pace apart, centered on transect, and placed perpendicular to the transect. Data for the 5 frames per transect are summed as the sample unit for statistical analyses.

Canopy cover of juniper trees and large shrubs such as algerita and skunk- bush are not included in the 10-point frame cover data. If a sample transect intercepts a large shrub or tree for frame placement, offset to left or right (shortest distance to avoid) to continue transect. This sampling restriction was not used in 1992. Data for Plots Y-l and Y-2 that included data under juniper or large shrubs are omitted from the 1992 summary data for these plots.

A pin point hit on green plant canopy is recorded as a tally for shrub, cacti, annual or perennial grass, or annual or perennial forb. A hit on dried brown to gray plant material is recorded as standing dead canopy. If there is no canopy, a tally is made in the no canopy (NC) box on the data form. The sum of the tallies for canopy (C) and no canopy should equal 10 in each of the canopy and soil surface sections of the field form for each frame placement.

Pin point hits at the soil surface are tallied by attribute and recorded as under canopy or with no canopy. Point hits on green (live) perennial plant bases are recorded by species. Annual plants are tallied as annuals without need to identify species. Green leaves laying on soil surface are tallied as litter. The tallies in the field form columns provide an easy check on accuracy of recording. For each 10-point frame, tallies for the canopy column (C) should be the same for canopy in the upper portion of the form and for soil surface in the lower portion of the form. The same relationship is true for the no canopy (NC) column.

At each frame placement, the distance to the base of the nearest perennial plant, rounded to the nearest inch, is measured from the number 1 or 10 pin (be consistent with the pin selected). If the nearest perennial plant is > 72 inches, a > 72 inches is recorded.

When all pins have been recorded for hits at the soil surface for the first frame of each transect, the height of the 10 pins above the top frame bar are recorded on the data form. Measure to the nearest 1/2 inch. The standard error among pin heights provides an index of soil surface microtopography.

• Capped soil - A soil on which a smooth crust has formed
• Not capped - The condition of the bare soil surface when a soil crust has not formed or has been disturbed
• Rock - Any mineral fragment > 2 mm diameter
• Litter - Any dead plant material on the soil surface that is large enough (> 2 mm) to be identified as a pin point hit

Bob Adams, Jeff Boyden, Steve Carmichael, Mike Hill, Tom Jackson, Buck Light, Karl Meyer, Andrew Mitchell, Zinab Nasar, Phil Ogden, Jim Powers, Fred Ruskin, Brent Usrey, Dwayne Warrick, Jeff Whitney, Ken Williams, and Deborah Young

Plots Y-l, Y-2, Y-3, Y-4, and Y-5 were sampled on April 29th, and plots Y-6 and Y-7 were sampled on April 30th. No written notes on participant comments were made for this date except there were some good suggestions for revision of the field form. Mustard weed growth on plots Y-6 and Y-7 was very dense and vigorous. Perennial grasses had vigorous, green tiller growth.

Photo taken from point 5 paces west and in line with south boundary of exclosure. Photo and comments from this point looking to north. The photo is identified as Y-8 on this date but was changed to the Y-ll number in 1995.

Participant comments:
Mostly covered with blue grama sod; scattered snakeweed associated with patches of rodent activity; young snakeweed plants visible; cattle trails in foreground; annual fescue present in blue grama sod areas; blue grama seed heads occasional; scattered small squirreltail plants. Dried tumbleweed and one pink phlox plant evident.

Yearlong livestock grazing prior to 1992. Exclosure area now in Pasture 13 of Demonstration Cell. Cattle activity evident, but soil surface now recapped. Last grazing treatment ended March 3, 1993.

Photo and observations taken from center of south fence line of exclosure looking to north. Photo identified as Y-9 on this date. Changed plot to number Y-12 in 1995.

Participant comments:
Abundant rodent activity; abundant mature snakeweed present, and a few young snakeweed; blue grama in irregular patches rather than a continuous sod; blue grama plants with abundant seedheads and more standing leaves than outside exclosure. More bare soil inside exclosure than outside; abundant standing dead Russian thistle and sunflowers; also abundant litter. Soil capped except for recent rodent activity; abundant, large squirreltail plants. Abundant annual stickleaf in exclosure. Pin phlox also in exclosure. One patch of sideoats grama and one large juniper in NE corner and one in SW corner of exclosure.
Date and purpose of exclosure is unknown to participants.

Photo point 5 paces east of southeast corner of exclosure. Photo and comments from this point looking to north. Photo identified as Y-10 on this date, but changed to Y-13 in 1995.

Photo taken from point 5 paces west and in line with south bou ndary of exclosure. Photo and comments from this point looking to north. The photo is identified as Y-8 on this date but was changed to the Y-ll number in 1995.

Participant comments:
Mostly covered with blue grama sod; scattered snakeweed associated with patches of rodent activity; young snakeweed plants visible; cattle trails in foreground; annual fescue present in blue grama sod areas; blue grama seed heads occasional; scattered small squirreltaii plants. Dried tumbleweed and one pink phlox plant evident.
Yearlong livestock grazing prior to 1992. Exclosure area now in Pasture 13 of Demonstration Cell. Cattle activity evident, but soil surface now recapped. Last grazing treatment ended March 3, 1993.

Photo and observations taken from center of south fence line of exclosure looking south to north. Photo identified as Y-9 on this date. Changed plot to number Y-12 in·1995. Participant comments:

Abundant rodent activity; abundant mature snakeweed present, and a few young snakeweed; blue grama in irregular patches rather than a continuous sod; blue grama plants with abundant seedheads and more standing leaves than outside exclosure. More bare soil inside exclosure than outside; abundant standing dead Russian thistle and sunflowers; also abundant litter. Soil capped except for recent rodent activity; abundant, large squirreltail plants. Abundant annual stickleaf in exclosure. Pin phlox also in exclosure. One patch of sideoats grama and one large juniper in NE corner and one in SW corner of exclosure.

Date and purpose of exclosure is unknown to participants.

Photo point 5 paces east of southeast corner of exclosure. Photo and comments from this point looking to north. Photo identified as Y-10 on this date, but changed to Y-13 in 1995.

Solid sod of blue grama without rodent activity patches; less standing dead biomass than inside exclosure; mature and immature capping of soil; mostly only small snakeweed; small squirreltail plants; western wheatgrass is present; less annual fescue than on west side or in exclosure. Some three awn plants present and a few thistle (Cirsium) and pink phlox.

Bob Adams, Sarah Carmichael, Steve Carmichael, Bill Folish, Gary Fullmer, Leslie Glustrom, Tim Goldsmith, Mike Hill, Tom Jackson, Phil Ogden, Harley Shaw, Diann Smith, Dwayne Warrick, Jeff Whitney, and Deborah Young

Plot Y-2 currently was being grazed. Comments: More hoof prints, more green, less dry, more bare ground, more forbs, and less buckwheat on Y-2 than on plot Y-l.

There is some bias in perennial grass canopy for plots Y-l and Y-2, as some sampling crews did not record hits on dead standing grass canopy.

Participants suggested that one transect per page be on field forms and make bold lines between data spaces for each frame placement. Plots Y-3, Y-4, and Y-5: Only first canopy cover hit was recorded. For instance, if tumbleweed were over blue grama, only the tumbleweed hit was recorded. Visually there was more standing dead on plot Y-4. Gophers were present on all plots. More dead tumbleweed on plot Y-3 than on other plots. No snakeweed on plot Y-3. Abundant 6-weeks fescue under dry tumbleweeds.

Plots Y-6 and Y-7: Young squirreltail plants on both Y:6 and Y-7. Cheatgr- ass and foxtail present in exclosure, Y-6, none observed on plot Y-7. Vine mesquite stolons (last year's growth) more abundant on Y-7 than on Y-6.
Tom Jackson commented that there was more filaree outside the exclosure than inside exclosure.

No data, notes or photo taken on this date.

No photo this date.

Plant species frequency and composition data by the dry-weight rank method were collected by sampling 50, 40-cm x 40-cm quadrats within the exclosure. The data summary sheet for these data is attached. Frequency of blue grama, squirreltail, and snakeweed were 38, 70, and 30%, respectively.

No photo this date.
Plant species frequency and composition data by the dry-weight rank method were coilected by sampling 50, 40-cm x 40-cm quadrats. The data summary sheet for these data is attached. Frequency of blue grama, squirreltail, and snakeweed were 100, 2, and 18%, respectively.

Mike Creach, Romey Haberle, Mike Hili, Tom Jackson, Doug Nolen, Phil Ogden, Jim Powers, N. Trushell, Ken Williams, D. Wilson, Deborah Young, Mark , and Ron

10-point frame data were collected for plots Y-l, Y-2, Y-6 and Y-7. Only pictures were taken of plots Y-3, Y-4, Y-5. No group comment notes were made for this date.

Mike Creach, Mike Hill, Tom Jackson, Phil Ogden, Jim Powers, Dwayne Warrick, Ken Williams, Dana Wilson, Deborah Young, Doug , Karen , and Mark

The Y-8, Y-9, and Y-10 monitoring plots were established on this date. Plot Y-9 was located within Unit 3 of Block A within a cut treatment proposed to be brush crushed (see attached Cienega Commercial Fuelwood Sale maps).

Plots Y-8 and Y-9 wete located and marked at each end of a 100-foot centerline with stakes. Twenty 40-cm x 40-cm quadrats were placed at 5-ft (one pace) intervals along each of 5 parallel transects. The transects were the center line and 2 transects each side of the center line. Transects are 10 ft (2 paces) apart. The total plot area is 40 ft. x 100 ft.

The number of pinyon and juniper trees in the total plot for Y-8 and Y-9 were-counted and recorded as large trees and small trees (< l-foot tall). Canopy intercept of juniper and pinyon trees were measured along the plot center line, and pinyon and juniper canopy was recorded if over the point in the quadrat which also estimates percentage canopy cover. The point canopy cover data were recorded in the frequency column on the data form. Cover hits at point in quadrat at ground level and distance to nearest plant in 360 degree radius from quadrat point was to nearest perennial understory plant (not pinyon or juniper).

Juniper density
> 12" tail = 27/4,000 sq. ft. plot
< 12" tall =O

Pinyon
> 12" tall =6
< 12"tall =9

Pinyon and juniper intercept as feet/l 00 ft along centerline = 27 feet and canopy cover over quadrat point = 31%.
Cover, distance to nearest perennial plant, frequency, and composition shown on attached summary.

Juniper density
> 12" tall = 42/4,000 sq. ft. plot
< 12" tall =2

Pinyon density
> 12" tall =3
< 12" tall = 11

Pinyon and juniper intercept as feet/100 ft along centerline = 28 feet and as canopy cover over quadrat point = 28%. Cover, distance to nearest perennial plant, frequency, and composition shown on attached summary.

Photo plot of gully in uncut pinyon-juniper area.

Mike Creach, Romey Haberle, Mike Hill, Tom Jackson, Doug Noen, Phil Ogden, Jim Powers, N. Trushell, Ken Williams, D. Wilson, Deborah Young, Mark , and Ron

General Extremely dry, very little green growth on any species, blue grama and western wheatgrass are green at base only.

Plot Y-3 Abundant rodent activity and trap door spiders on plot area.

Plot Y-4 Lots of litter, abundant rodent activity, especially at east end. Lots of dead plants and litter, more snakeweed and western wheatgrass than on Y-3 and Y-5.

Plot Y-5 Not down to dirt

Plot Y-6 Annual mustard (Chorispora) present as very small plônts (less than 2 inches tail). Abundant litter from previous year annual vegetation, abundant rodent activity on plot area. Plot Y-7 Heavily grazed, abundant cattle dropping. Abundant rodent activity. Annual mustard plants generally smaller than those inside exclosure. Many small sand dropseed plants with some green growth but many look very weak. Many small grasshoppers, perhaps more outside than inside exclosure.

Chino Winds Demonstration Project, Yavapai Ranch
10-Point Frame Cover Monitoring
Participants and Field Notes
April 21-22, 1997

Duane Coleman, Mike Hill, Phil Ogden, Jim Powers, Fred Ruskin, Mary Ruskin, Dwayne Warrick, Ken Williams, and Deborah Young

Abundant annual forbs, mostly a yellow-flowered mustard (Erysimum)
Abundant annual fescue on all plots
Annual brome present
Gopher activity fresher on Y-3 than on Y-4
Fewer pedestalled plants than on Y-4 and Y-5
Dead blue grama bases less obvious than on Y-4 and Y-5

Abundant annual fescue and some annual brome present
Gopher activity evident
Obvious big difference is more canopy than present on Y-3 and Y-5 plots
Western wheatgrass appears more abundant than on Y-3 and Y-5 plots

Blue grama grazed heavily in summer of 1996, but no cattle grazing since August of 1996
Fewer annual forbs than on Y-3 and Y-4 plots
Abundant annual fescue but no annual brome
Dead blue grama bases more obvious than on Y-3 and Y-4 plots
Less gopher activity than an Y-3 and Y-4 plots

Purple mustard (Chorisoota) dominates the vegetation composition
Filaree is present but not abundant; More annual brome than on Y-7
A few small sand dropseed plants evident
Last year's growth of vine mesquite and mature sand dropseed plants still standing, both species have green leaves at base.
Active rodent activity evident

Purple mustard dominates
Filaree present but not abundant
Small sand dropseed plants abundant
No standing dry leaves on vine mesquite, green leaves at base
A small amount of rodent activity
Rain gauge: Measured 11.25 inches, 9-24-96 start up was 7.00 inches
Precipitation from 9-24-96 to 4-22-97 = 4.25 inches
Oil recharge measured 0.75 inches

Many dead plants evident, especially pinque and snakeweed
Many hits on rock
Most plants on site appear dry, except sideoats grama and needle and threadgrass have green leaves
Capped soil is immature capping
Few annuals

Many hits on rock
Cryptgams present
Capped soil is immature capping
Last used by cattle in summer of 1996
Rain gauge: Measured 13.0 inches, 9-24-96 start up depth was 7.5 inches
Precipitation from 9-24-96 to 4-22-97 = 5.5 inches
Oil depth on 4-22-97 = 0.6 inches
Dug pits and collected soil samples at Y-2, Y-5, and Y-7

Bob Adams, Janice Beck, Duane Coleman, Mike Creach, Mike Hill, Phil Ogden, George Ross, Fred Ruskin, Jeff Schalau, Dwayne Warrick, and Deborah Young

Wooly worms common on both locations
More litter on Y-2? (Mike)
Plots look very similar (Deborah)
Obvious frost heaving on both locations
More grass diversity on Y-l
Dry birdbeak not as abundant as in previous years
Rain gauge: Measured 9.5 inches, 9-29-97 recharge depth was 2.6 inches
Precipitation from 9-29-97 to 4-27-98 = 6.9 inches
Oil recharge on 4-27-98 = 1.0 inches

Abundant, fresh gopher activity in Y-4
A few squirrel plants found in Y-3, one found in Y-4, and none on Y-5
Insect activity (caterpiliars and beetles) most active on Y-3
Some gopher activity on Y-3
Russian thistle is abundant on Y-3 and Y-4 plots
Tracks and fecal droppings of elk and a few stray cows evident on Y-5
Y-5 not grazed last summer, spring, or winter
No clipping inside cages east of Y-5
Cages put out during summer of 1996 (?)

West end of Y-7 and SW corner of Y-6 have received some overland water flow and this areas are where most of the vine mesquite occurs.
Filaree seems more abundant this year than in previous years
Vine mesquite with green leaves on Y-7 but no green leaves on Y-6
More horehound and more robust on Y-6 than on Y-7
Rodent activity on both Y-6 and Y-7, perhaps more on Y-6 (?)
Rain gauge: Measured 10.75 inches, recharge depth on 9-29-97 was 3.50 inches
Precipitation from 9-29-97 to 4-28-98 = 7.25 inches
Oil recharge depth = 1.50 inches

Chino Winds Demontration Project, Yavapai Ranch
Cienega Commercial Fuelwood Sale
April 28, 1998

Duane Coleman, Mike Creach, Mike Hill, Phil Ogden, George Ross, Fred Ruskin, Jeff Schalau, Dwayne Warrick, Deborah Young.

The Y-8, Y-9, and Y-10 monitoring plots were photographed on this date. Plot Y-9 was located within Unit 3 of Block A within a cut treatment proposed to be brush crushed (see attached Cienega Commercial Fuelwood Sale maps). The Unit 3 area surrounding the Y-9 transect had not yet been cut on 4-28-98.
The photographs of Y-8, Y-9, and Y-l O show that there is very little understory vegetation on any of these plots.