Habitat Monitoring Protocol

Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei)

Bear Canyon Consulting has developed a detailed monitoring protocol that tracks four components of Preble's habitat: vegetation community, cover, and richness; anthropogenic impacts; riparian function; and landscape-scale information. We designed the protocol to be flexible in its application and to be applicable at several intensities.

At all levels of intensity this protocol tracks two critical large-scale trends: the succession of riparian habitat from a shrub dominated community to a gallery forest or to dryland habitat; and the succession or change of upland vegetation from a mosaic of grasslands and shrubs interspersed with some trees to a forested ecosystem, or to an area changed from a wild-like state. At the more intense levels of monitoring the protocol will allow the monitoring entity to track changes in species richness, canopy cover, impervious surface cover, and changes in hydrologic function.

Contents of Protocol

1. Introduction and Background

2. Vegetation Component

• Directions
• Table of Community Types
• Data Sheet Template
• Summary Table Template

2a. Alternate Vegetation Component (Clippinger Method)

• Directions
• Data Sheet Template
• Summary Table Template

3. Anthropogenic Impacts Component

• Directions
• Attribute Descriptions
• Excel Worksheet for Transect Data Sheets
• Excel Worksheet for Summary Statistics
• Field Data Form Templates

4. Riparian Function Component

• Directions
• Data Sheet Template
• Vegetation Stream-type Table
• Geomorphic Characterization Table
• Summary Table Template

5. Comparison of Occupied vs. Unoccupied Sites; a Landscape Analysis

Download Final Protocol (PDF Format)

If you are having difficulties downloading the protocol, Contact: Anne Ruggles
email: and we will send you a CD with the protocol.