BLM Juniper Mastication QA/QC
Timothy Littmann
2025-07-15
BLM Mastication QA/QC
File Sources and Organization
Excel File Path:
C:/Users/tlittmann/OneDrive - USDA/Juniper mastication/BLM/data/CedarCreekMastication.xlsxSheets Used:
- CoarseWoodyDebris
- BeltTransects
- Clipping
- PlantComp
- CoarseWoodyDebris
Hardcopies:
All field datasheets have been scanned and archived in the Juniper mastication project folder (see filepath).
Sampling Dates
| Year | Sampling Dates | Locations |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | June 24, 25 / July 1 | 26 |
| 2025 | June 9, 10, 11, 26 | 22 |
Sampling Effort
| Data Type | Protocol/Descriptor | Expected Target |
|---|---|---|
| Brown’s lines | By class size (25 m transect) | 26 transects(’24), 22 transects(’25) |
| Belt Transect | # hits by species (1x25m transect) | 26 transects(’24), 22 transects(’25) |
| Productivity | # of samples per transect | 5/transect |
| Composition | # of quadrats examined per transect | 5/transect |
Data Summary Overview
All data from both 2024 and 2025 sampling events have been compiled into a single Excel file, with individual sheets assigned for each sampling category.
Summary of Recorded Observations (data entry):
Below are descriptors for all observations recorded onto Excel files.
- Coarse Woody Debris:
- 47 total entries
- 7 variables
- Size classes include small, medium, and large debris
- Classed > 8 cm measured to exact dimensions
- 47 total entries
- Tree/Shrub Coverage:
- 589 total entries
- 5 variables
- Measurements taken using the “HeightHits” protocol
- Heights < 1 m measured in cm (Height)
- Heights > 1 m recorded as start-end points (Range)
- Plant Composition:
- 2540 total entries
- 6 variables
- Quadrats assessed with Daubenmire method
- Percentage range midpoints used as recorded values
- Species identified using standardized plant codes
- 2540 total entries
- Productivity:
- 241 total entries
- 5 variables
- Herbaceous biomass clipped to 3 cm from ground
- Woody and non-target debris excluded
- Weights recorded post-tare using averaged bag weight
- Documentation:
- All hardcopies of datasheets have been scanned
- Digital backups stored alongside electronic data
- All hardcopies of datasheets have been scanned
| year | transect | Browns_Lines | BeltTransect | Composition | Clips |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 37 | S: 32, M: 17, L: 4,XL: 1 | Species: 3, Hits: 48 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 38 | S: 51, M: 14, L: 4,XL: 1 | Species: 5, Hits: 161 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 39 | S: 52, M: 10, L: 0,XL: 1 | Species: 5, Hits: 14 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 40 | S: 17, M: 4, L: 0,XL: 1 | Species: 3, Hits: 7 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 41 | S: 90, M: 21, L: 15,XL: 1 | Species: 4, Hits: 14 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 42 | S: 14, M: 36, L: 6,XL: 1 | Species: 4, Hits: 16 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 43 | S: 21, M: 12, L: 3,XL: 1 | Species: 4, Hits: 13 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 44 | S: 70, M: 17, L: 1,XL: 1 | Species: 2, Hits: 8 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 45 | S: 38, M: 17, L: 7,XL: 1 | Species: 6, Hits: 22 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 46 | S: 45, M: 13, L: 9,XL: 1 | Species: 4, Hits: 25 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 47 | S: 30, M: 8, L: 3,XL: 1 | Species: 6, Hits: 19 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 48 | S: 46, M: 11, L: 0,XL: 1 | Species: 3, Hits: 20 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 49 | S: 14, M: 8, L: 0,XL: 1 | Species: 6, Hits: 10 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 50 | S: 16, M: 0, L: 1,XL: 1 | Species: 4, Hits: 8 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 51 | S: 23, M: 9, L: 0,XL: 1 | Species: 5, Hits: 9 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 52 | S: 18, M: 5, L: 1,XL: 1 | Species: 4, Hits: 7 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 53 | S: 7, M: 7, L: 1,XL: 1 | Species: 1, Hits: 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 54 | S: 22, M: 1, L: 0,XL: 1 | Species: 4, Hits: 9 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 55 | S: 27, M: 4, L: 1,XL: 1 | Species: 2, Hits: 4 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 56 | S: 37, M: 11, L: 2,XL: 1 | Species: 4, Hits: 21 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 57 | S: 16, M: 9, L: 5,XL: 1 | Species: 6, Hits: 12 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 58 | S: 10, M: 5, L: 2,XL: 1 | Species: 4, Hits: 15 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 101A | S: 20, M: 15, L: 5,XL: 1 | Species: 8, Hits: 11 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 101B | S: 11, M: 11, L: 0,XL: 1 | Species: 4, Hits: 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 102A | S: 25, M: 17, L: 0,XL: 1 | Species: 3, Hits: 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 102B | S: 3, M: 4, L: 0,XL: 1 | Species: 2, Hits: 4 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 103A | S: 13, M: 14, L: 1,XL: 1 | Species: 7, Hits: 9 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 103B | S: 0, M: 0, L: 0,XL: 1 | Species: 3, Hits: 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 104A | S: 13, M: 8, L: 2,XL: 1 | Species: 5, Hits: 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 104B | S: 0, M: 0, L: 0,XL: 1 | Species: 3, Hits: 4 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 105A | S: 13, M: 5, L: 0,XL: 1 | Species: 5, Hits: 6 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 105B | S: 0, M: 0, L: 0,XL: 1 | Species: 2, Hits: 7 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 106A | S: 7, M: 8, L: 0,XL: 1 | Species: 4, Hits: 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 106B | S: 4, M: 3, L: 0,XL: 1 | Species: 3, Hits: 7 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 107A | S: 21, M: 13, L: 1,XL: 1 | Species: 6, Hits: 11 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 107B | S: 1, M: 2, L: 0,XL: 1 | Species: 3, Hits: 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 41 | S: 10, M: 23, L: 0,XL: 1 | Species: 3, Hits: 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 42 | S: 0, M: 0, L: 0,XL: 1 | Species: 1, Hits: 1 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 43 | S: 19, M: 27, L: 12,XL: 1 | Species: 2, Hits: 2 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 44 | S: 40, M: 30, L: 7,XL: 1 | Species: 2, Hits: 2 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 47 | S: 77, M: 75, L: 3,XL: 1 | Species: 5, Hits: 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 48 | S: 39, M: 8, L: 4,XL: 1 | Species: 3, Hits: 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 49 | S: 47, M: 59, L: 7,XL: 1 | Species: 4, Hits: 4 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 50 | S: 112, M: 76, L: 24,XL: 1 | Species: 2, Hits: 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 51 | S: 59, M: 64, L: 16,XL: 1 | Species: 4, Hits: 4 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 52 | S: NA, M: NA, L: NA,XL: NA | Species: 4, Hits: 4 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 53 | S: 70, M: 111, L: 4,XL: 1 | Species: 3, Hits: 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | 54 | S: 33, M: 50, L: 4,XL: 1 | Species: 3, Hits: 3 | 5 | 5 |
Coarse Woody Debris
Distributions separated by class size.
| Total_small | Total_medium | Total_large | Total_Above8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1581 | 941 | 195 | 52 |
| year | date | transect | small | medium | large | Above8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Duplicates |
|---|
| 0 |
Productivity
Added in variable “Net weight” to inspect any outlying data values after tare applications. Conducted summarization by insuring no data entries were missing. Duplicate counts detected via n()>1 of the spreadsheet.
| Year | Transect | Quadrat | GrossMass | Duplicates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
-Duplicates had been detected on initial run. These entries had been examined (reweighed/GrossMass and cross referenced). Raw data was changed or remove as needed. Rerunning of the script shown no further entries
-47/5 (11.66g) is now 47/4
-101B/4 (30.61g) is now 101B/3
-106B/3 (30.43g) has been removed
| year | Mean | SD | SE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3.084727 | 4.582554 | 0.4369294 |
| 2025 | 7.374525 | 7.185697 | 0.6302274 |
The outliers below (exception 40 from 2024) had the samples reexamined. Data entry, hard data, and physical examination cleared these outliers.
| year | transect | quadrat | GrossMass | BagType | net_weight_g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 40 | 1 | 26.99 | B | 18.106 |
| 2025 | 102B | 3 | 43.02 | L | 21.726 |
| 2025 | 103B | 5 | 39.90 | L | 18.606 |
| 2025 | 105B | 2 | 31.52 | B | 22.636 |
| 2025 | 105B | 3 | 49.36 | L | 28.066 |
| 2025 | 105B | 4 | 35.46 | B | 26.576 |
| 2025 | 105B | 5 | 33.62 | B | 24.736 |
| 2025 | 106B | 3 | 30.26 | B | 21.376 |
| 2025 | 107B | 1 | 34.79 | B | 25.906 |
| 2025 | 107B | 3 | 37.32 | B | 28.436 |
| 2025 | 107B | 4 | 42.58 | L | 21.286 |
| 2025 | 107B | 5 | 29.29 | B | 20.406 |
Plant Composition
| Year | Transect | Quadrat | Code | Cover | Duplicates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Below reflects the frequency (observations) and mean coverage (%) for all code entries.
| code | Frequency | Mean_Cover |
|---|---|---|
| HERBLIT | 206 | 28.233010 |
| SWODE | 182 | 33.670330 |
| BAREG | 144 | 32.750000 |
| CRUST | 140 | 29.400000 |
| SDHERB | 132 | 10.363636 |
| CAREX | 123 | 21.658537 |
| PASM | 116 | 15.491379 |
| POTA | 67 | 18.298507 |
| BRJA | 47 | 5.404255 |
| PSTE | 41 | 5.073171 |
Class Codes
After removing all zero entries, a count of all class values was conducted to insure only values specified to the Daubenmire method were used.
Daubenmire class entries detected (checked) and changed based on hard copy examination
| Year | Transect/code | Daubenmire value change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 45 JUSC | 4 changed to 3 |
| 2024 | 58 CAREX | 68 changed to 86 |
| cover | n |
|---|---|
| 1 | 77 |
| 3 | 773 |
| 16 | 489 |
| 38 | 221 |
| 63 | 102 |
| 86 | 43 |
| 98 | 48 |
| 100 | 15 |
Plant Codes
After removing all non-plant codes: A table display of the dominant plant species.
| code | Frequency | Mean_Cover |
|---|---|---|
| CAREX | 123 | 21.658537 |
| PASM | 116 | 15.491379 |
| POTA | 67 | 18.298507 |
| BRJA | 47 | 5.404255 |
| PSTE | 41 | 5.073171 |
| ACMI | 40 | 6.375000 |
| ASCR | 33 | 4.181818 |
| DEPI | 31 | 7.387097 |
| TAOF | 27 | 4.851852 |
| MEOF | 25 | 16.720000 |
Below shows the distribution of plant coverage (note Daubemire hold specific midpoint values) for 2024 and 2025.
Belt Transects
Range vs HeightHits
Belt transect data was divided into two categorical variables (Range and Height hit ) to apply accountibility on any missing or mistaken entries.
| Missing_year | Missing_transect | Missing_species | Missing_height | Missing_range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Range
Range entries were examined for improper formatting both in validity and logical patterns so that any improper range measurements are avoided.
## No invalid range hits found in the dataset.HeightHits
Below is a visualization of woody plant height distribution for both 2024 and 2025
Upon examining heights of plants <1m no outliers above 100 cm or below 0 cm were detected.
## ✅ No HeightHit outliers found above 100 or below 0.Coverage (canopy)
After separating out the range values and into measurements, outliers
were checked for by setting triggers for below 0 and above 20 cm
| year | transect | species | length_cm |
|---|
Assessment and Recommended Mitigations:
Finalized statment:
The data summarized above have been corrected as needed and prepared for future use. Actions to verify, correct or modify data were conducted by R script manipulations, physical examination of samples, review of excel spreadsheets and inspection of hard copy materials.
Recommended mitigations:
• Improved categorization of data – information put on to a spreadsheet should have uniformity in the sense that all entries are following the conditions of the data desired. (Case: Belt Transect entries should have had two columns for each data type; i.e. “Height measured/≤1m” and “start-end points/≥1m” should be recorded as different types of data being collected.
Ongoing work:
• Data wrangling
• Update/modify/clarify species list to ensure accuracy
• Protocol to methods drafting