TITLE: White Water Ranch Pollinator Enhancement Study Design
AUTHORS: Lauren  Ponisio

[DESCRIPTION]
Field protocol for Whitewater Ranch wildflower patch enhancement study

[STEPS]
SECTION: Questions
1. Can native, flowering plants succeed (germinate and flower within 1-3 years after seeding) in clearcuts with minimal site prep?
Is there an interaction between plant success and planting inside burn piles or outside burn piles? 
Does intraspecific competition influence success? 
Is there an effect of different site characteristics (slope, elevation, aspect, N:C ratio)?
Is there evidence of dispersal of seeds in subsequent years? 
SECTION: Study area
2. White Water Ranch ~1,700 acres of mid elevation slopes in the Cascades, along the McKenzie River (https://g.page/whitewater-ranch?share)
Area was Doug fir plantations, most burned in the 2020 Holiday farm fire 
~200 burn piles of varying size, easily accessible from roads, no map of locations 
SECTION: Design considerations
3. Mimic possible methods of planting a industrial timber plantation would consider using (i.e., minimal site prep, no extensive weeding of plants that do not complete with saplings, no removal of unburned logs in burn pile, no individual seeding) 
Assume canopy closure in 6 years after sapling planting in year 1, need plants to flower within 1-3 years 
Split plot design in and out of the burnpile to address within/outside burnpile interaction (https://www.statisticshowto.com/split-plot-design/)
ideal: a control + all the seed species in each block, inside and outside the burnpile.
Would closely control for soil/other local conditions 
Model 
Number of germinated seedlings ~ species*treatment + plot characteristics (slope etc.) + Block
Treatment = “within” or “outside of burn pile” 
Block = random effect accounting for variation between plots not accounted for by fixed effects of plot characteristics 
½ m2 plots would be easy to nestle in the burn pile avoiding big bits of charcoal
Most burn piles will fit all 23 plots  
SECTION: Pre-field prep
4. Order seeds for 50 0.5 m2 plots: 20 single species, 3 mixes
Pre-weight seeds and put in coin envelopes, labeled with species 6 letter code.

Put each of the 23 pre-weighted baggies into a large gallon ziplock for each set + 1 control flag (i.e., no seeds) 
 
 
       Speciesseeds/lbtarget seeds/ft2lbs/acreplots in acreslbs/plotoz/plotAchillea millefolium   1,418,947401.230.00010.00020.0024Madia gracilis300,000405.810.00010.00070.0115Potentilla gracilis var. gracilis1,417,460401.230.00010.00020.0024Phacelia heterophylla  	559,172403.120.00010.00040.0062Gilia capitata  	680,000402.560.00010.00030.0051Lupinus latifolius 31,0004056.210.00010.00690.1111Mimulus guttatus45,360,000400.040.00010.00000.0001Iris tenax 46,0004037.880.00010.00470.0749Collinsia grandiflora  	464,487403.750.00010.00050.0074Collomia grandiflora121,7154014.320.00010.00180.0283Eriophyllum lanatum1,169,047401.490.00010.00020.0029Geum macrophyllum760,037402.290.00010.00030.0045Microsteris gracilis416,392404.180.00010.00050.0083Potentilla glandulosa1,135,000401.540.00010.00020.0030 Lupinus rivularis 28,9174060.260.00010.00740.1191Ligusticum apiifolium112,0004015.560.00010.00190.0308Lomatium utriculatum277,765406.270.00010.00080.0124Lomatium dissectum28,4994061.140.00010.00760.1209Sidalcea campestris 100,0004017.420.00010.00220.0344Sidalcea malviflora133,0004013.100.00010.00160.0259Tough and tenacious mix170,9424010.190.00010.00130.0201Burn pile mix217,934408.000.00010.00100.0158Disturbed Ground forbs only mix224,814407.750.00010.00100.0153

 
 
SECTION: Pre-field prep
5. Pre label and number flags with plot numbers and 6 letter codes 
SECTION: Field checklist
6. Field desks with pencils and datasheets on “rite in the rain paper”
Flagging tape
Pre numbered and labeled WHITE pin flags (2 per plot*23 plots) (non-white flags will attract pollinators, which will distort the pollinator visitation observations and hummergbirds can be dangerous) 
Garmin gps *2 (charged)
Extra AA batteries 
Walkie talkies for each car 
6 inch rebar stakes for center markers
Metal tree tags for center markers
Zip ties for adding metal tags to rebar stake
Pre-weighted seeds 
Bags of vermiculite 
Compasses for slope estimation 
Quart Ziplocks (for soil samples) 
Auger (for soil samples) 
 

For each crew member 
Plastic bowls for mixing vermiculite and seeds
Small rakes to level ground 
0.5 m quadrat 
Bright orange field vests or regular vests 
Silver sharpies for writing on flags 
Plastic buckets for carrying planting kit for each crew member 


Check list personal:
Waterproof boots and rain gear (top and bottom)! 
Lunch 
Water 
Cell phone 
Sunscreen! 
Field hat 
Sunglasses (optional)
SECTION: Planting protocol
7. Locate burn pile. We have enough seed so that we can plant in basically any pile we can find. Add a rebar stake, label with block 1:50 metal tag with a zip tie. Mark with more flagging so we can find it again.  

SECTION: Planting protocol
8. Randomly distribute the seeds and their corresponding pre-labeled flags + 1 control flag among the crew, each person preps their seed planting kit (flags, seeds, rake, vermiculite) 
SECTION: Planting protocol
9. Add GPS point, label it with 1:50 (gps will take elevation estimate) 
SECTION: Planting protocol
10. Measure the slope with the compass, record on the data sheet 
SECTION: Planting protocol
11. Take auger sample, put into a ziplock, label with block number + BP
SECTION: Planting protocol
12. Start with the burn pile, find areas without large pieces (i.e., log size) for charcoal (see photo below), place 0.5 m quadrat. 
SECTION: Planting protocol
13. Give the plot a gentle rake (including for the control)
SECTION: Planting protocol
14. Put pin flags in opposite corners (i.e., top left and bottom right)   

SECTION: Planting protocol
15. Select one of the sets of pre-labeled flags from our kit 
SECTION: Planting protocol
16. Find a bag of seed of the correct species, mix it with vermiculite in our bowl, spread evenly within the quadrat 
SECTION: Planting protocol
17. Reserve one seed and plant it above the plot all by itself (at least 6 inches from the plot). Mark with a flag  (which has its 6 letter code already).  (this is to measure intraspecific competition, we will see if it works). 
SECTION: Planting protocol
18. Repeat for all the plant species
SECTION: Planting protocol
19. After you finish the burnpile:
Pace out 5 big steps, repeat outside the burn pile. Do not plant within 3 ft saplings, they will be herbicided.  

SECTION: Planting protocol
20. Repeat the plating steps above, vigorous raking may be needed because it is the second season since the fire.
SECTION: Planting protocol
21. No not plant the single seed outside the plot (too many completing species to measure intraspecific competition without significant weeding)