Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Saguaro ... - USGS

Analysis
We report relative abundance as the mean number
of observations.
Incidental and Breeding Observations
Field Methods
When we were not conducting formal surveys
and we encountered a rare species, a species in
an unusual location, or an individual engaged
in breeding behavior, we recorded UTM
coordinates, time of detection, and (if known)
the sex and age class of the bird. We recorded
all breeding observations using the standardized
classification system developed by the North
American Ornithological Atlas Committee
(NAOAC 1990), which characterizes breeding
behavior into one of nine categories: nest
building, occupied nest, used nest, adult carrying
nesting material, adult carrying food or fecal sac,
adult feeding young, adult performing distraction
display, or fledged young. We made breeding
observations during standardized surveys and
incidental observations.
Analysis
We report frequency counts of incidental and
breeding observations.
Vegetation Sampling at Non-random VCP Stations
Field Methods
We quantified vegetation characteristics along
random transects (see Chapter 3 for details). In
2002 we sampled vegetation associated with
each of the repeat-visit, non-random transects.
At each station we sampled vegetation at five
subplots located at a modified random direction
and distance. Each plot was located within a
72° range of the compass from the station (e.g.,
Plot 3 was located between 145° and 216°) to
reduce clustering of plots. We randomly placed
plots within 75 m of the stations to correspond
with truncation of data used in estimating relative
abundance.
At each plot we used the point-quarter
method (Krebs 1998) to sample vegetation
by dividing the plot into four quadrants along
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cardinal directions. We applied this method to
plants in one size category: potential cavitybearing
vegetation (> 20 cm diameter at breast
height), and three height categories: sub-shrubs
(0.5–1.0 m), shrubs (> 1.0–2.0 m), trees (>
2.0 m). If there was no vegetation for a given
category within 25 m of the plot center, we
indicated this in the species column. For each
individual plant, we recorded distance from the
plot center, species, height, and maximum canopy
diameter (including errant branches). Association
of a plant to a quadrant was determined by the
location of its trunk, regardless of which quadrant
the majority of the plant was in; no plant was
recorded in more than one quadrant. Standing
dead vegetation was recorded only in the
“potential cavity-bearing tree” category. On rare
occasions when plots overlapped we repeated the
selection process for the second plot.
Within a 5-m radius around the center of
each plot, we visually estimated percent ground
cover by type (bare ground, litter, or rock);
and percent aerial cover of vegetation in each
quadrant using three height categories: 0–0.5 m,
> 0.5–2.0 m, and > 2.0 m. For both estimates we
used one of six categories for percent cover: 0
(0%), 10 (1–20%), 30 (21–40%), 50 (41–60%),
70 (61–80%), and 90 (81–100%).
Analysis
Using point-quarter data, we calculated mean
density (number of stems/ha) for all species
in each of the four height/size categories. We
used the computer program Krebs to calculate
density (Krebs 1998). We collected these data
to characterize gross vegetation characteristics
around survey stations.
Results
We made over 15,000 observations of birds and
found 173 species from 2001 to 2003 (Appendix
C). We found 10 species that had not previously
been found in the district including the sulphurbellied
flycatcher, elegant trogon, and pinyon
jay. Among the 173 species that we observed,
there were a number with special conservation
designations including the northern goshawk,
yellow-billed cuckoo, Mexican spotted owl,