ECOLOGICAL SAMPLING OVERVIEW

FOR MOR2 PROJECT--2013

June 13, 2013

Outline

Research Questions and Hypotheses

Sampling Design

Specific Indicators

2013 Research Questions and

Hypotheses

ECOLOGICAL Research Questions

1. How resilient or vulnerable are Mongolian pastoral

SESs to climate change?

2. How have ecological conditions changed along a

precipitation gradient since 1994-1995?

ECOLOGICAL HYPOTHESES

Climate change is causing a shift from equilibrium to

non-equilibrium systems

Species composition and production will have

changed more in the steppe and mountain/forest

steppe sites than in the desert-steppe sites in 2013

compared to 1994 and 1995.

Sampling Design 2013

= 2011

= 2012

= 2013

Sampling Design 2013

Re-sampling 45 plots along a precipitation and

ecological zone gradient

Plots sampled in Jinst and Bayan Ovoo Soum,

Bayankhongor Aimag in 1994 and 1995 (Fernandez-Gimenez

and Allen-Diaz 1999, 2001)

15 plots in each of 3 ecological zones: desert-steppe

(Jinst), steppe and mountain/forest steppe (Bayan Ovoo)

Plots originally selected in 3 distance from water

categories: < 500 m, 500-2000 m, > 2000 m

Plot Set-Up 2013

Team leader has the GPS coordinates for the center

point of each plot.

Plot should be set up centered on that point—so that the

25-m mark on transect 3 (the middle transect) runs

through that point.

If the plot is on sloping ground, run the transects

perpendicular (up and down) the slope, not across it.

Plot Layout

Baseline

Tra

nsect

1

Tra

nsect

2

Tra

nsect

3

Tra

nsect

4

Tra

nsect

5

0 m

50 m

50 m

= Biomass sample quadrat

= Soil pit/profile

approximate location

Uphill

Downhill

Specific Indicators

Plot Meta-data and Rationale INDICATOR What does it mean? Why measure it?

GPS

coordinates

Spatial location of the plot (latitude

and longitude) recorded in decimal

degrees

•Documents exact plot location for

resampling or comparison with remotely

sensed imagery or other spatial data

Slope Deviation of the land surface from

level. Recorded in %.

• Important to site potential and plant

community

Aspect Dominant orientation relative to the

sun

• Important to site potential and plant

community

Landform Type of landform (e.g. valley, hills,

fan piedmont)

• Important to site potential and plant

community

Hillslope

position &

slope shape

Location of the plot relative to its

landscape position, and the shape of

the slope (convex, concave)

• Important to site potential and plant

community

Photo points Photograph of plot and landscape •Visual representation of plot location

and plant community

Dung counts Presence/absence of dung (by

species) in a 50 x 50 cm quadrat

(sheep & goats) or 1 x 1 m quadrat

(cattle & yaks, camel, horses)

•An independent measure of relative

grazing intensity at each sampling site

Soil Indicators (sub-set) and Rationale

INDICATOR What does it mean? Why measure it?

Soil Texture The mix of different particle

sizes in the soil (proportion of

sand, silt and clay)

•Soil texture and structure together determine

the capacity of a soil to hold and release air,

moisture and nutrients.

• Texture and structure are important

determinants of site potential (productivity)

Soil

Structure

The way soil particles are

organized—their shape (e.g.

platey, blocky, etc.)

Soil

Compaction

/Bulk

Density

Soil mass/soil volume •Compaction limits water infiltration and

increases runoff

•High soil compaction makes it hard for plants

to grow

•Compacted soils associated with management

(vehicles, trampling)

Soil Color Color of the soil as described

by standard soil color charts

• Indicator of organic matter and mineral

composition

•Darker colors associated with more organic

matter

Soil Surface Indicators and Rationale

INDICATOR What does it mean? Why measure it?

Pedoderm

Class

Describes the type of material

at the soil-air interface (e.g.

mineral soil, weak biological or

physical crust, etc.)

•Affects soil surface ability to absorb or

retain water or nutrients

•Affects which plants can establish and

grow

Resource

Retention Class

Describes spatial pattern of

persistent plant patches

•Affects ability of the site to retain

resources (soil, water, nutrients) and resist

erosion

Resource

Redistribution

Class

Describes extent and severity of

erosion or deposition

•Affects plant distribution and health

•Affects air, soil and water quality

Plant Indicators and Rationale INDICATOR (method) What does it mean? Why measure?

Total Plant Foliar

Cover

(Line Point Intercept)

Total leaf area in relation

to the area of ground (%)

•Vegetation abundance

•Protection from rainfall impact

(increased infiltration, decreased

runoff)

Plant Basal Cover

(Line Point Intercept)

Plant area at base of

plant

• Indicates vegetation ability to hold soil

in place (resistance to erosion)

Plant Cover by Species

(Line Point Intercept)

Area occupied by each

species in relation to total

area of ground (%)

•Species composition (proportion each

species contributes to total cover)

• Forage quality

•Degradation indicators

Basal Gap Intercept

(Gap Intercept)

Number and size of bare

ground patches

•Vulnerability to erosion (soil loss)

Plant Biomass

(5 Clipped sub-plots)

Amount of current year’s

growth

•Site productivity

•Amount of forage

•Nutritional analysis on clipped samples

possible

Plant Species Richness

(50 x 50 m plot search)

Number of species •Crude index of plant species diversity

• Important for adaptation

Vegetation Cover Attributes

Canopy Cover

Basal

Cover

Canopy Cover

Foliar Cover

Line Point Intercept Method

1m 1.5m 2m 2.5m 3m

hit

no hit

hit no hit no hit

Percent total vegetative cover = (Σhits/total # of points) x 100

Percent cover for species X = (ΣX/total # of points) x 100

Line Point Intercept Method

1m 1.5m 2m 2.5m 3m

Pin Stipa

Thymus

Top Layer Code 1 Code 2 Code 3 Soil

Surface

Point 1 Stipa Thymus Thymus

Point 2 Stipa Litter Soil

Point 3 None Litter Rock

Litter Rock

Basal Gap Method

Measure gaps >20cm from base of one plant to

base of the next plant.

0 cm 50 cm 100 cm

Gap 15-45cm

No gap

< 20 cm No gap

< 20 cm

10 cm

Hands-on learning

Soil Description Line Point Intercept

Biomass Sampling

Gap Intercept