The Long-Term Vegetation (LTV) Transects and associated
permanent vegetation plots (Figure 9-7) were established at the
Arco Reactor Test Site, now the INL Site, in 1950 for the
purpose of assessing the impacts of nuclear energy research and
production on surrounding ecosystems (Singlevich et al. 1951).
Vegetation abundance data were first collected in 1950 for
inclusion in an ecological characterization of the Site. Samples
of plant and animal tissues were also collected from these plots
and analyzed for radionuclide concentrations on an annual basis
for several years. The effort to collect tissue samples was
eventually discontinued because the effects of fallout from
nuclear reactors were determined to be negligible (Harniss
1968), at least in terms of radionuclide concentrations in the
environment. However, collection of vegetation abundance data
has continued on a regular basis for nearly sixty years.
The data generated from the LTV Transects comprises one of
the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive vegetation data sets
for sagebrush steppe ecosystems in North America. Since their
establishment, the LTV Transects have been used extensively for
various tasks to support the INL Site mission and have been the
basis for major milestones in understanding practical and
theoretical ecology of sagebrush steppe vegetation dynamics.
Applications of the LTV data include;
Plant community classification and mapping,
Assessing the effects of drought and livestock grazing,
Understanding fire history and recovery,
Characterizing species invasion patterns,
Testing theories of vegetation succession and change,
As a basis for habitat suitability modeling for
sensitive species,
Supporting NEPA processes,
Making appropriate land management recommendations, and
Developing specific revegetation recommendations.
In addition to the functions listed above, the LTV data set
is still used to assess the impacts of energy development on the
environment, as was intended in 1950. However, impacts beyond
radioactive fallout, such as exotic species invasion, habitat
fragmentation, and global climate change are of current
interest.
Objectives
The eleventh LTV data set was collected during the summer of
2006. Two tasks were undertaken in association with the 2006
data collection. The first task involves a major effort in
updating and describing the data archives. The second includes
summarization and analysis of the 2006 and all previously
collected abundance data.
The last attempt at organizing and archiving the LTV data was
completed in the early 1980s. Although care has been taken to
format and store data collected since 1983 in a manner
consistent with the protocol established at that time, the data
archives have become outdated. The software available for
archiving and processing data has improved substantially over
the past 25 years, necessitating an update of the LTV data files.
A considerable amount of the work associated with entry and
summary of the 2006 data includes designing and populating a
relational database for all of the LTV data from 1950-2006.
Additionally, a specific sampling protocol will be developed and
a thorough history included for the LTV as part of the reporting
effort.
Analyses on the 2006 and previous data can be summarized
under two focus areas. The first includes characterizing general
plant abundance and community composition trends, similar to
analyses described in previous LTV reports. The second group of
analyses will concentrate on characterizing patterns of exotic
species invasion and determining the effects of invasion on
vegetation cover and composition of native plant communities
subsequent to invasion.
Accomplishments Through
2007
Accomplishments through 2007 include
collection of the 2006 data and completion of QA/QC
procedures on that data set. The 2006 data were also
summarized and formatted for inclusion in a comprehensive
database. A specific protocol for use in collecting LTV data
was designed and outlined in association with the 2006 data
collection effort. A Microsoft Access database was designed
to house historical LTV data and to facilitate future data
collection, including straightforward processes for updating
data tables. The database will also expedite current and
future analyses on the complete LTV data set. Incorporation
of historical and 2006 LTV data into the database was mostly
completed in 2007. Data verification and validation efforts
were also completed primarily in 2007. Verification and
validation processes were used to ensure the integrity and
completeness, as well as to resolve issues associated with
taxonomic classifications and scaling, of the historical data
set as it was integrated into the new database.
Results
The database includes seven raw data and
metadata tables. The general structure of the database is
depicted in Figure 9-8. The metadata tables include
information about plant species on the INL Site and
information about each of the permanent plots on the LTV
Transects. The species information data table can, and
should be used for all future vegetation data collection on
the INL Site. It contains standardized information for each
vascular plant species documented to occur within or
adjacent to the Site boundary. Information contained in the
species information table will facilitate summarizing data
into functional groups, and allows the definitions of
functional groups to be easily changed. The species
information table reconciles species codes traditionally
used for data collection on the INL Site with a national
standard (USDA, NRCS 2008). This data table can be readily
updated in response to changes in taxonomy and contains
unique numeric codes for each species so that a species is
always identified correctly for summarization in current and
historical data sets even though taxonomy and species codes
have changed through time.
The plot information data table contains
metadata about each permanent plot along the LTV
macro-transects and several additional plots sampled in 1957
and 1965, referred to as the century series.
The plot information table contains data
about the location and history of each plot including;
coordinates, elevation, grazing allotment, plant community
classification, soils information, fires, etc. An additional
metadata table, the sample frequency table, contains
information about the types of data collected and sample
periods for collection of each type of data on each plot.
The data contained in the sample frequency table is not
entirely unique. For example, determining whether all three
types of abundance data were collected on a specific plot in
a certain year can be accomplished by querying all three
abundance data tables. However, running one query against
the sample frequency table streamlines the process. The
sample frequency table also houses information about
sampling details (i.e. only 40 point frames were sampled on
plot 36 in 1995 instead of the usual 50 frames). These
details are critical for obtaining accurate summary
statistics.
The database contains four data tables;
three tables are comprised of vegetation abundance data and
one includes information about plot photos. The abundance
data tables contain density/ frequency data, cover data
estimated using line interception, and cover data estimated
using point interception. The abundance data incorporated
into the data tables were left in as raw a form as possible;
however, most of the historical data archives were
summarized to some extent, which dictated the level of data
summarization used in the actual database. The photograph
specifications data table was designed to consolidate data
associated with photos taken during LTV data collection
efforts including, photo dates, exposure, aperture, camera
angle, etc. The photo data was designed such that the record
of each photo can include a hyperlink to a digital copy of
that photo. Accordingly, all of the historical photos were
digitized as part of the update to the LTV archive.
Plans for Continuation
Analyses and reporting will be completed for
the 2006 LTV data during 2008. Two peer-reviewed
publications containing results from the current LTV data
set will also be prepared and submitted as time and funding
allow.
Investigators and Affiliations
Roger D. Blew, Ecologist,
Environmental Surveillance, Education and Research Program, S.M.
Stoller Corp, Idaho Falls, Idaho
Amy D. Forman, Plant
Ecologist, Environmental Surveillance, Education and Research
Program,
S.M. Stoller Corp, Idaho Falls, Idaho
Jackie R. Hafla, Natural Resource Specialist,
Environmental Surveillance, Education, and Research Program, S.M.
Stoller Corporation, Idaho Falls, Idaho
Funding Sources
U.S.
Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office.
References
Harniss, R. O. 1968. Vegetation
changes following livestock exclusion on the National Reactor
Testing Station, Southeastern Idaho. Utah State University,
Logan, UT.
Singlevich, W., J. W. Healy, H. J.
Paas, and Z. E. Carey. 1951. Natural radioactive materials at
the Arco Reactor Test Site. Radiological Sciences Department,
Atomic Energy Commission, Richland, WA.
USDA, NRCS.
2008. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 14 March
2008). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490
USA.
