Abstract

The United States Forest Service (USFS) has contracted the Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute (OEWRI) to perform the USFS Forest Soil Disturbance Monitoring Protocol (FSDMP) within the Mark Twain National Forest (MTNF) in southern Missouri. The FSDMP is a national monitoring program designed to assess the extent of ground disturbance during timber harvest activity and to quantify changes to the landscape that may affect long-term sustainability of the site (Page-Dumroese et al. 20091). This is the first time this type of monitoring has been performed within the MTNF and results of this study will be used to refine the FSDMP to adequately access the impact of timber harvest on variable Ozarks landscapes. The overall goal of this project is to use the FSDMP to monitor different areas within the MTNF and assess the effectiveness of the FSDMP as a monitoring tool. Specific objectives of this project are:

1. Implement FSDMP on MTNF lands based on forest management units selected by MTNF soils program manager.

2. Complete pre-activity data collection at six timber sale sites between 2017 and 2018.

3. Enter pre-activity data into provided database and provide a quality control review.

4. Provide a photo location representative for each transect line and spatial data associated with transects and points along transects.

5. Summarize findings, results, and analysis.

6. Provide a review of the protocol and recommendations or modifications (if any) to maximize effectiveness of the protocol for use in forest types and management systems in southern Missouri, following the first year of the agreement.

Document Type

Report

Comments

Completed for Kyle Steele, Forest Ecologist U.S. Forest Service Mark Twain National Forest, Rolla Missouri

Publication Date

12-17-2018

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