This feature class includes monitoring data collected nationally to understand the status, condition, and trend of resources on BLM lands. Data are collected in accordance with the BLM Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) Strategy. The AIM Strategy specifies a probabilistic or targeted sampling design, structured implementation, standard core methods and indicators, electronic data capture and management, and integration with remote sensing.
Each record represents a sample visit during which a suite of the BLM Riparian and Wetland AIM methods were applied, with the geometry marking the center of the plot as taken in the Plot Characterization form. Attributes are the BLM Riparian and Wetland AIM core indicators, which include plot-level measures of vegetation and soil condition such as plant species cover and composition, plant height, and woody structure. In addition, some plots may have some contingent and annual use indicators, including measures of hummock cover and characteristics, water quality, stubble height, soil alteration, and riparian woody use. Data were collected and managed by BLM Field Offices, BLM Districts, and/or affiliated field crews with support from the BLM National Operations Center. Data are stored in a centralized database (BLM AIM Wetland Database) at the BLM National Operations Center. Annual Use data (i.e., annual use indicators) are omitted from the public version of these data but can be made available upon request.
General Definitions
The species list used for data collection was originally developed from a full download of all species in USDA PLANTS shown as occurring in BLM-administered states. The state-level occurrence of species in this list have been adjusted over time as individual species were found to be missing from individual state lists.
Traits used in indicator calculations for all species observed at a given monitoring plot can be found in the I_SpeciesIndicator feature service, where the traits are listed by plant. A full species list can also be provided by request by the National Riparian and Wetland AIM Team. Once finalized, it will be added to the WetlandAIM database, likely in spring of 2024. In general, traits are assigned at the species-level. Genera and family-level records were only given trait values if all species within that taxonomic group were considered to have one trait (e.g., all species of Tamarix are nonnative, so the genus level code is also considered nonnative). To assign Growth Habit and Duration to unknown plants, information recorded in the Unknown Plants form was used to fill in traits. For example, if a plant was identified as a Carex species (unknown code CAREX_01), the growth habit (graminoid) would be taken from the full species list since all Carex species are graminoids, and the duration would be taken from the plot-specific matching entry in Unknown Plants.
Nativity Status: The nativity status of all species was taken from the USDA Plants Database and was ranked at a national scale. All plants identified to species are ‘Native’, ‘Nonnative’, or ‘Cryptogenic’. The term cryptogenic refers to species with both native and nonnative genotypes. Genera and family-level plants were only given a nativity status if all species within that taxonomic group were considered either native or nonnative (e.g. all species of Tamarix are nonnative, so the genus level code is also considered nonnative).
Noxious: Noxious status are designated for each political state (i.e. StateCode) developed using the most recent state noxious list available online.
Wetland Indicator Status: Wetland Indicator Status was taken from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ National Wetland Plant List (NWPL 2020, version 3.5; https://wetland-plants.usace.army.mil/). Plants are ranked by ecoregion into one of the following rating categories based on an estimated frequency with which it is thought to occur in wetlands: obligate (OBL), facultative wetland (FACW), facultative (FAC), facultative upland (FACU), or upland (UPL), The five rating categories were first developed through an exhaustive review of the botanical literature and best professional judgement of national and regional experts, and has since undergone multiple rounds of revision by a national panel. C-Values: Coefficients of Conservatism (C-values) are assigned to species by a panel of experts, typically at a state level.
C-values range from 0 to 10 and represent an estimated probability that a plant is likely to occur in a landscape relatively unaltered from pre-European settlement conditions (see table of C-Value Interpretation below). The Mean C-value is calculated at a plot level by averaging the C-values of all species in a given plot. Mean C-value is a stand-alone indicator of floristic quality, one of several indicators under the Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) approach to assesses the degree of "naturalness" of an area.
C-Value Interpretation
0 = Non-native species. Very prevalent in new ground or non-natural areas
1-3 = Commonly found in non-natural areas
4-6 = Equally found in natural and non-natural areas
7-9 = Obligate to natural areas but can sustain some habitat degradation
10 = Obligate to high-quality natural areas (relatively unaltered from pre-European settlement)
C-values were compiled from several sources, listed below.
CO = Smith, P., G. Doyle, and J. Lemly. 2020. Revision of Colorado’s Floristic Quality Assessment Indices. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
MT = Pipp, Andrea. 2017. Coefficient of Conservatism Rankings for the Flora of Montana: Part III. Report to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Helena, Montana. Prepared by the Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, Montana. 107 pp.
WA = Rocchio, F.J, and R. Crawford. 2013. Floristic Quality Assessment for Washington Vegetation. Washington Natural Heritage Program, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Olympia, WA. (Values for Eastern Washington used).
WY = Washkoviak L, B. Heidel, and G. Jones. 2017. Floristic Quality Assessment for Wyoming Flora: Developing Coefficients of Conservatism. Prepared for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, Wyoming. 13 pp. plus appendices.
AZ, CA, ID, NM, NV, OR, UT = Great Lakes Environmental Center (GLEC), Inc. and M.S. Fennessy. 2019. Project to Assign C-Values to Western State for use in the USEPA National Wetland Condition Assessment. Great Lakes Environmental Center, Traverse City, MI.
Live: The Core Methods measure Live vs. Standing Dead plant cover, i.e., if a pin drop hits a dead plant part (even if it’s on a living plant), that hit is considered a dead hit. If a pin hits both a live and a dead plant part in the same pin drop, that hit is considered live.
Growth Habit: The form of a plant. In this dataset, plants are either Forb, Graminoid, Shrub, Tree, and, in Alaska only, Liverwort, Moss, Hornwort, and Lichen. Growth habitat was derived from USDA PLANTS. If more than one growth habit was designated in USDA PLANTS, the most common growth habit was determined by consulting the USDA plants database and other literature and was applied across all states where it occurs. Graminoids include all grasses, rushes, sedges, arrow grasses, and quillworts (Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Juncaceae, Juncaginaceae, and Isoetes). Forbs include vascular, non-woody plants, but exclude graminoids. Shrubs are defined as perennial multi-stemmed woody plants usually less than 4-5 m in height. Trees are generally perennial woody plants with a single stem, normally greater than 4 to 5 m in height.
Duration: The life length of a plant. In this dataset, plants are either Perennial or Annual. Biennial plants are classified as Annuals. Duration was derived from USDA PLANTS. If more than one duration was designated in USDA PLANTS, the most common duration for each state was determined by consulting the USDA plants database and applied across all administrative states where it occurs.
Nonvasculars: Nonvascular species were not included in LPI data collection in the lower-48 except as generic “non-plant” codes. In Alaska, a full list of nonvascular species from the Alaska Vegetation Plots Database (https://akveg.uaa.alaska.edu/) including mosses, hornworts, liverworts, and lichens was used during data collection. In terms of indicator calculations, nonvasculars were not included in plot-level plant counts and cover (i.e. cover of various plant trait categories like nativity, duration, or growth habit), but were instead transferred into the simplified non-plant codes to be calculated into moss and lichen cover indicators. Cover by species of these nonvasculars can be found in the SpeciesIndicators table.
Preferred Forbs: A set of specific forb species that are preferred by Sage Grouse birds. State preferred forb lists were developed by state botanists in collaboration with wildlife and sage-grouse experts and were based on a combination of peer reviewed literature and local knowledge. These lists were then combined to create one national list.