On-site Data Collection

NRI Grazing Land

Protocol Changes

2009

General

Study name changed to Grazing Land Survey

The name of the study has changed to Grazing Land Survey.

2010

General

Web-based CASI now available

CASI installation protocols have been modified and the desktop version of the CASI is now web-based. Refer to the Start-up Guide and Appendix A for additional information.

CASI now accommodates GeoXT and Pro XYZ navigation

The CASI has been modified to accommodate the Trimble Geo XT and the Pro XYZ hand held field data collection devices. In particular, the navigation protocol has been modified to accommodate the new GPS resources available in these devices. Refer to Chapter 3 of the instructions for additional information.

2011

General

BLM sample added

NRI on-site data collection will be conducted on Federal BLM-managed rangelands beginning this year. A sample of segments for the Federal BLM-managed rangelands will be selected. Regardless of the sample (non-Federal range, non-Federal pasture, or Federal BLM), data collectors will collect data on the first two eligible points:

  1. Non-Federal ownership [Ownership code 1-4, 6-7] and land cover/use is pastureland [LCU code is 211-213], or
  2. Non-Federal ownership [Ownership code 1-4, 6-7] and land cover/use is rangeland [LCU code is 250], or
  3. Federal, BLM-managed ownership [Ownership code 9] and land cover/use is rangeland [LCU code is 250]

2012

Landscape and Soils

SSAID and MUSYM now in CASI

SSAID and MUSYM associated with the NRI point will be displayed in the CASI. Soil components associated with the SSAID and MUSYM will be presented in a CASI drop-down list.

For cases where the correct soil component is not listed, the data collector will dig a 20-inch pit and record for each mineral soil horizon (maximum of 5 horizons):

  • Depth in inches
  • Texture, as determined by hand
  • Soil texture modifier name or percent rock fragment
  • Effervescence class (using 1 N or 1 M HCl)
  • Any unusual features

General

Grazing Land Images application now available

An NRI Grazing Land Images website will be used to upload/archive digital photos taken on site (See Chapter 3 in the instructions).

Gap Intercept

Canopy gap data now includes perennial foliar canopy

Canopy gap data will be collected for perennial foliar canopy in addition to all-foliar canopy.

Location

BLM data collected on first two eligible points

For the BLM sample, data collectors will collect data for the first two BLM-managed [Ownership code 9] points with land cover/use of rangeland [LCU code is 250].

Data collected on Fed and NF rangelands, no pastureland

NRI Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection will be conducted on Federal BLM-managed rangelands and non-Federal rangelands this year. No NRI grazing land on-site data will be collected on pastureland in 2012.

General

NF Range data collected only where previously collected in 2004 or 2007

The 2012 non-Federal range sample was selected from sites where NRI on-site rangeland data were collected in 2004 and 2007. Data will be collected only for non-Federal rangeland points [Ownership code 1-4, 6-7, LCU code is 250] where data were collected in 2004 or 2007.

2013

Location

Pasture data collected on first two eligible points

Data will be collected for the 2013 pasture sample on the first two eligible points [Ownership code 1-4, 6-7, LCU codes 211-213, 250].

NF Range data collected only where previously collected in 2005 or 2008

The 2013 non-Federal range sample was selected from sites where NRI on-site rangeland data were collected in 2005 and 2008. Data will be collected only for non-Federal rangeland or pastureland points [Ownership code 1-4, 6-7, LCU code is 250, 211-213] where data were collected in 2005 or 2008.

General

Data collection to resume for BLM

Data collection for the 2012 BLM sample was postponed in 2012 and will be conducted in 2013. Data collectors will collect data for the first two BLM-managed [Ownership code 9] points with land cover/use of rangeland [LCU code is 250].

2014

Location

Disposition data entered for all points

Disposition data are collected for all points in the sample segment. Disposition data track outcomes of data collection for three points:

Three new fields have been included in the CASI Point Location screen:

  • Land cover/use of third point
  • Reason for not collecting data for eligible points
  1. Field visit - This field is used to record whether a field visit was made to sample points or if not, the reason why no field visit was made.
  2. Field position - This field is used to activate the NMEA or Garmin GPS for navigation and capture of field position. It is also used to record outcomes when a site was reached, but the GPS failed to capture the field coordinates. Field position is also used to document reasons that an attempt to get to the sample point failed or why data was not collected if the data collector reached the sample site.
  3. LCU source - This field is used to record the source of the land cover/use determination for all points in the sample segment.

Gap Intercept

Changed protocol name to Gap Intercept

The protocol formerly named Line Intercept has been changed to Gap Intercept.

Point Intercept

DS added to litter options

Deposited soil (DS) has been added to litter options (canopy hits 2-6); valid only if basal hit is an herbaceous species.

Rangeland Health

Overall attribute ratings added

Overall attribute ratings for departures from reference conditions based on preponderance of evidence has been added.

Landscape and Soils

Bedrock added to soil texture drop-down list

Bedrock has been added to the soil texture drop-down list

General

Plant list updated

An updated plant list is available in the 2014 NRI Grazing Land survey instrument.

New BLM sample design introduced

A new sample design is now constructed for the BLM survey with sites independent of historical NRI segments and points.

2015

Resource Concerns

Removed Contaminants - Animal Wastes, Organics

Removed Contaminants-Animal Wastes, Organics as a resource concern.

Removed Contaminants - Salts

Removed Contaminants - Salts as a resource concern.

Condition Score

Added score indicators and summary

Three condition score indicators have been added:

A condition score summary has been added to the CASI

  1. Plant cover
  2. Plant diversity
  3. Plant residue

Conservation Practices

Removed 381, 648, updated 512

Removed:

Updated name for 512 to:

  • 381 (Silvopasture Establishment)
  • 648 (Wildlife Watering Facility) It was combined with practice 614 (Watering Facility)
  • 512 (Forage and Biomass Planting)

Plant Census

Plant Census no longer measures density

Plant density estimates are no longer recorded for this protocol.

Plant Height

Plant Height measurement changes

The Plant Height protocol is changed to record plant heights:

  1. To the nearest inch for the first 6 feet,
  2. To the nearest foot for 7-60 feet, and
  3. As greater than 60 feet for trees taller than 60 feet.

 

Soil Stability

 

Canopy cover excludes annual plants

Canopy cover for soil aggregate stability to exclude annual plants and include only biennial plants, perennial plants, shrubs and trees.

Gap Intercept

Can now set all-foliar canopy gaps same as perennial

The CASI has been modified to allow data collectors to record perennial canopy gaps first and select N-no if the all-foliar canopy gaps are the same as the perennial canopy gaps.

Point Intercept

Deposited soil no longer recorded as litter

Deposited soil is no longer recorded as litter.

Landscape and Soils

Additional descriptions for all collection points

Beginning in 2015, data collectors will describe the depth, soil texture, texture modifier, effervescence class, and unusual features (Set II) for each soil horizon in minimum 20-inch hole for all data collection points. This information is needed for soil erosion modeling efforts for rangeland and pastureland such as the Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM) and the Wind Erosion Model (WEMO).

2016

Standing Biomass

Frame size for production and biomass instructions revised

The instructions are revised to stipulate that:

  1. States will specify the frame size for herbaceous production or standing biomass subplots.
  2. All frames will be centered on the mark.

Woody biomass methods changed

The alternate woody method will be used to record woody biomass and the harvest methods for woody biomass will no longer be collected.

General

Plant database updated

Additional special status plant subspecies/varietals are added to the plant database in the CASI.

Substitute segments added to survey

Substitute segments are available for field data collection when no field data can be collected for any point within the non-Federal NRI Grazing Land sample segments. The order in which the substitute segments are applied is controlled through the NRI Grazing Land Survey Instrument.

Landscape and Soils

CASI now includes criteria describing soil texture modifiers

The CASI will be modified to include the criteria describing the soil texture modifiers as in the third column of NRI Grazing Land Instructions Chapter 7, Table 2.

Eco Site FSG

Not Grazed category wording changed

The words in the NRI Grazing Land instructions (Chapter 8, Table 1) for the not grazed category are changed from "Not grazed within past year" to "No evidence of current growing season grazing" and that change is also made in the CASI.

Plant Census

Plant tally estimates now recorded

Starting in 2016, plant tally estimates will be recorded for the Plant Census protocol.

2017

Plant Census

Timed search for plants may be extended past 15 minutes

Chapter 16 of previous Grazing Land On-site Collection Instructions called for a 15-minute timed search for plants within the macroplot. Starting in 2017 the data collector will:

  1. Search for 15 minutes, and
  2. If encounters at least 1 new species in last 2 minutes of search, continue searching in 2 minute intervals until no new species are encountered within the ultimate 2 minute interval.

2018

General

Substitute sample segments are no longer part of the survey

Substitute segments were a part of the survey from 2016-2017. As of 2018, they are no longer in use.

2019

Sagebrush Shape

Additional species added to Sagebrush Shape

Additional sagebrush species plus synonyms were added to the list of species for which shape data is collected.  The species picker in Sagebrush Shape now works like the recent plants and plants database search dialogs but limited to a subset of sagebrush plants.

Location

Land cover/use codes changed to match primary NRI

Land cover/use codes altered to be consistent with the 2005 and later codes used in the primary NRI and to eliminate confusion over varying definitions of pasture.  A slight variation of the 200 Grassland and 220 Scrub Shrub codes used in the primary NRI will be implemented to facilitate data entry on the instrument as follows: 2000 Grassland not managed as range, 2001 Grassland managed as range, 2200 Scrub Shrub not managed as range, and 2201 Scrub Shrub managed as range.

2021

Eco Site FSG

Add Type field to Eco Site/FSG screen to differentiate R vs F sites

With the new paradigm that rangeland and pastureland could be states of either R or F ecological sites, a new item had to be added to the Eco Site/FSG screen to differentiate between R and F sites that would otherwise have the same code.

For data collected prior to 2021 an R code was assigned to all rangeland points and a G code was assigned to pasture/grassland points. G will still be selectable when editing points prior to 2021.

A new list of Ecological Sites now with the Type-F sites included is available in the CASI. The list of sites offered in neighboring states will be restricted to the MLRA that are in or within 30 miles of the point’s state.

General

RANGE and PASTURE samples combined into one NRI sample

The non-Federal NRI samples are no longer broken up into RANGE and PASTURE samples. Since the start of the PASTURE samples in 2009 the procedure has been to collect pasture/grassland protocols on RANGE sample points and range protocols on PASTURE sample points depending on the conditions (land cover/use) observed at the point. It is expected that the ratio of range and pasture/grassland points observed by the states that have both kinds of points should remain about the same as in the past.