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Ecosystem Assessments on the
Monticello Ranger District
Manti-La Sal National Forest
Matthew Van Scoyoc
Dr. Eugene Schupp
Utah State University
3.14
Presentation Outline
• Abajo Mountain Ecosystem Assessments
– Study Area
– Sampling Design
– Sampling Methods
• Multivariate Analysis
– NMDS
• Future Analyses
Assessment Objectives
• Quantify conditions of upland communities
Assessment Objectives
• Quantify conditions of upland communities
• Relate conditions to land management
• Identify future research
• Establish long-term monitoring sites
Sampling Design
Stratified Sampling Frame
– Soil Map Units
Sampling Design
Stratified Sampling Frame
– Soil Map Units
– Elevation
Sampling Design
Stratified Sampling Frame
– Soil Map Units
– Elevation
– Grazing Allotments
Photo: Canyonlands Research Center
Sampling Methods
Sampling Methods
Sampling Methods
[3 x 50-m transects]
• Plant Community
– Community composition
– Vegetation gaps (basal & canopy)
– Exotic abundance
– Shrub density
– Canopy cover
– Overstory census
– Sapling density
– Fuels density
Sampling Methods
[3 x 50-m transects]
• Soil Parameters
– Soil aggregate stability
– Soil surface roughness
– Soil pit (50-cm)
– Soil samples
• Geomorphic Setting
– Landform
– Slope
– Aspect
– Hydrologic function
Multivariate Analysis
Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling
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Rare species removed
Data log +1 transformed
Random starting configuration
Bray-Curtis dissimilarity
100 iterations
10,000 permutations
Further Analyses
• Clustering
• Indicator Species Analysis
• Spatial Statistics
• Random Forests
• Structural Equation Modeling
• Step-wise Regression
THANKS Y’ALL
Committee
• Dr. Eugene Schupp
• Dr. Barry Baker
• Dr. Kari Veblen
Supporting Faculty
• Dr. Mark Miller, NPS
• Dr. Janis Boettinger, USU
• Mike Diem, USFS
Agency Support
• Canyonlands
Research Center
• US Forest Service
• US Geological Survey
• National Park Service
AND…
April Darger
Corrin Liston
Tony Kusbach
Questions