PACFISH/INFISH

Implementation Monitoring (IM)

Grazing Management Support Documents

MIM - MONITORING STREAM CHANNELS AND RIPARIAN VEGETATION- Multiple Indicators. This document is a monitoring protocol for assessing livestock grazing effects on streambanks and riparian vegetation. Draft 2010.
(Appendices and More)

Other helpful links and publications:

How to properly select the Designated Monitoring Area.  The document provides guidance for selecting DMAs.

Riparian Vegetation Monitoring Protocol Meeting - Logan, Utah - September 21-24, 2004.  This document is a summary of a field review meeting which described steps intended to provide coordination and structure to the ongoing process of developing, using, and refining monitoring protocols by providing an opportunity for sharing information and ideas, and for constructive critiques. (76 KB)

Repeatability of Riparian Vegetation Sampling Methods: How useful are these techniques for Broad-Scale, Long-term Monitoring. This document examines variability among observers for riparian vegetation collection methods and data reduction techniques. (461 KB) December 2004.

Annotated Bibliography

Undaunted Stewardship, through Montana State University, created an annotated
bibliography to serve as a resource for research on the effects of grazing on riparian habitat, soil, vegetation, wildlife and weeds. The searchable database bibliography contains abstracts of research & scientific papers published between 1985 and 2007.

Findings of University of Idaho Stubble Height Study Team.  The document below provides details on how to correctly monitor and apply herbaceous stubble height to management of livestock grazing in riparian areas.  The accompanying POWERPOINT presentation provides stubble height guidance and a summary of the findings. (980 Kb)  July 2004    Presentation (6.6 Mb) 

Stubble Height as a Tool for Management of Riparian Areas.  The classic literature summary for stubble height as a monitoring tool in riparian areas – authored by Warren P. Clary and Wayne C. Leiniger.  (4.3 Mb) November 2000

Using Stubble Height as a Surrogate for “utilization”.  This paper provides stubble heights developed from height-weight curves for nine Key Riparian graminoids.  (375 Kb) March 1999

National Riparian Service Team Report, including:  implementation monitoring in the Morgan Creek Allotment.  The document below summarizes interpretations of monitoring data and trend, of Morgan Creek and tributaries, within the Morgan Creek cattle allotment.  (780 Kb) March 2003

The Beaverhead Riparian Guidelines (or livestock move triggers) – Methods and supporting data.   In the first document (June 2003), data is provided that shows streambank alteration is the trigger that causes pasture moves, stubble height rarely is the trigger that initiates a move.  In the second document, livestock use levels are arrived at by setting a desired future condition (DFC), and assessing the potential, sensitivity, and inherent stability of the riparian area.  (139 Kb)   (120 Kb) 

Idaho BLM’s method for determining allowable grazing use levels, from Streambank Alteration.   Allowable livestock use levels, reflecting streambank alteration or disturbance, are based on general hydrologic principles, since there is little specific research listed in the literature.   (163 Kb) March 2002

Riparian Processes – Guidelines from the Caribou/Targhee National Forest.  An excellent summary of riparian processes and riparian monitoring parameters and management systems: (1.1 Mb) April 2002

The basic riparian monitoring guide:  “Monitoring the Vegetation Resources in Riparian Areas” (2000). By:  Alma H. Winward.   The document below summarizes Winward’s methods for monitoring riparian vegetation, including greenline composition and woody species regeneration.  2000

Consistency in effectiveness monitoring attributes.  The report below summarizes efforts to achieve common effectiveness monitoring protocols for the Northwest Forest Plan and the PACFISH/INFISH area. (2.1 Mb) 2004 

Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable Report.  This Roundtable is a collaborative which has distilled a set of five criteria and 64 indicators for rangeland inventory and monitoring at multiple scales – Refer to Chapter 3. 

PIBO Links

Note that PIBO Effectiveness Monitoring protocols are not be applicable to the IM database since they are limited to EM. These links are provided for information purposes.

PACFISH/INFISH Biological Opinion (PIBO) Effectiveness Monitoring (EM) program. (Reports, Protocols, Documents)

The PACFISH/INFISH Effectiveness Monitoring (EM) program.  Outlines the basic PIBO monitoring approach.   (3.7 Mb) March 2004

Testing variability among samples and observers using the PIBO sampling protocols.  Observer variability was lowest for stream habitat methods describing reach, streambank, and cross-section variables. (270 Kb) March 2004

Compiled by Tim Burton, Idaho BLM State Office;  Kerry Overton, Angelica Vicente, & Emily Leavitt RMRS Boise Aquatic Sciences Lab

For updates, please contact Sharon Parkes.