The Partnership of Regional Institutions for Sage Scrub Monitoring (PRISSM) Plant Diversity Data 2015-2017

The PRISSM plant diversity protocol was designed to annually record percent cover, species composition and species richness at sampling sites within CSS fragments. Sampling is conducted in spring when most annual plants are flowering. To standardize our data across CSS fragments, surveys will be conducted in April during peaks in annual diversity, particularly in inland CSS sites/fragment. At each CSS fragment, sampling occurs at three permanent transects which are 40 m long. Current bio-mointoring efforts for plant diversity are being conducted at the Voorhis Ecological Reserve, Robert J. Bernard Field Station, and the North Etiwanda Preserve. Plant surveys combine multiple approaches. First, researchers will mark the species present, the number of times each species touches, and the maximum height of each species at every meter along the transect using the point intercept method to provide an estimate of both basal and canopy cover. To standardize data, point intercept data should be collected using a pole that is ¾ inches (~1.9 cm) in diameter. A PVC pole with 10 cm heights marked on the pole to 2 m is most often used. Previous work suggests that point intercept data are more precise than those taken via visual cover estimates, and are especially appropriate for studies in chaparral. Also, point-intercept methods are easy to teach, and more objective and repeatable than visual cover estimates when carried out by multiple observers. Following the point intercept method data collection, 1 m2 quadrats will be placed every 2 m along each transect. In each quadrat, all species are identified to better record species richness of annuals. Starting in 2017, all quadrats were placed on the right side of the transect, e.g., the side that is on the researher’s right looking from the beginning of the transect to the end of the transect to standardize the area surveyed each year. Following quadrat measurements, researchers will record all additional species not recorded using previous methods within 5 m on either side of the transect line. This last step will allow us to make comparisons to surveys conducted by the CNPS (https://www.cnps.org/cnps/vegetation/pdf/rapid_assessment_protocol.pdf) using the rapid protocol. Identifications of all plants should be to species. When individuals cannot be identified to species, individuals should be identified to lowest taxonomic level, photographed and flagged for expert identification. Since species identification may require flower morphology, individual plants may need to be tracked and collaboration with experts within the network will be utilized.