BLM Mastication QA/QC

File Sources and Organization

  • Excel File Path:
    C:/Users/tlittmann/OneDrive - USDA/Juniper mastication/BLM/data/CedarCreekMastication.xlsx

  • Sheets Used:

    • CoarseWoodyDebris
    • BeltTransects
    • Clipping
    • PlantComp
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
Transect Summary Table
year transect Browns_Lines BeltTransect Composition Clips
2024 37 S: 32, M: 17, L: 4, XL: 1, Mass: 0 Species: 3, Hits: 48 5 5
2024 38 S: 51, M: 14, L: 4, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 5, Hits: 160 5 5
2024 39 S: 52, M: 10, L: 0, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 5, Hits: 14 5 5
2024 40 S: 17, M: 4, L: 0, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 3, Hits: 7 5 5
2024 41 S: 90, M: 21, L: 15, XL: 2, Mass: 0 Species: 4, Hits: 14 5 5
2024 42 S: 14, M: 36, L: 6, XL: 1, Mass: 0 Species: 4, Hits: 16 5 5
2024 43 S: 21, M: 12, L: 3, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 4, Hits: 13 5 5
2024 44 S: 70, M: 17, L: 1, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 2, Hits: 8 5 5
2024 45 S: 38, M: 17, L: 7, XL: 3, Mass: 0 Species: 6, Hits: 22 5 5
2024 46 S: 45, M: 13, L: 9, XL: 2, Mass: 0 Species: 4, Hits: 25 5 5
2024 47 S: 30, M: 8, L: 3, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 6, Hits: 19 5 5
2024 48 S: 46, M: 11, L: 0, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 3, Hits: 20 5 5
2024 49 S: 14, M: 8, L: 0, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 6, Hits: 10 5 5
2024 50 S: 16, M: 0, L: 1, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 4, Hits: 8 5 5
2024 51 S: 23, M: 9, L: 0, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 5, Hits: 9 5 5
2024 52 S: 18, M: 5, L: 1, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 4, Hits: 7 5 5
2024 53 S: 7, M: 7, L: 1, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 1, Hits: 3 5 5
2024 54 S: 22, M: 1, L: 0, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 4, Hits: 9 5 5
2024 55 S: 27, M: 4, L: 1, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 2, Hits: 4 5 5
2024 56 S: 37, M: 11, L: 2, XL: 2, Mass: 0 Species: 4, Hits: 21 5 5
2024 57 S: 16, M: 9, L: 5, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 6, Hits: 12 5 5
2024 58 S: 10, M: 5, L: 2, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 4, Hits: 15 5 5
2025 101A S: 20, M: 15, L: 5, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 8, Hits: 11 5 5
2025 101B S: 11, M: 11, L: 0, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 4, Hits: 5 5 5
2025 102A S: 25, M: 17, L: 0, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 3, Hits: 3 5 5
2025 102B S: 3, M: 4, L: 0, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 2, Hits: 4 5 5
2025 103A S: 13, M: 14, L: 1, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 7, Hits: 9 5 5
2025 103B S: 0, M: 0, L: 0, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 3, Hits: 5 5 5
2025 104A S: 13, M: 8, L: 2, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 5, Hits: 5 5 5
2025 104B S: 0, M: 0, L: 0, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 3, Hits: 4 5 5
2025 105A S: 13, M: 5, L: 0, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 5, Hits: 6 5 5
2025 105B S: 0, M: 0, L: 0, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 2, Hits: 7 5 5
2025 106A S: 7, M: 8, L: 0, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 4, Hits: 5 5 5
2025 106B S: 4, M: 3, L: 0, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 3, Hits: 7 5 5
2025 107A S: 21, M: 13, L: 1, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 6, Hits: 11 5 5
2025 107B S: 1, M: 2, L: 0, XL: 0, Mass: 0 Species: 3, Hits: 3 5 5
2025 41 S: 20, M: 23, L: 0, XL: 0, Mass: 4 Species: 3, Hits: 3 5 5
2025 42 S: 0, M: 0, L: 0, XL: 0, Mass: 1 Species: 1, Hits: 1 5 5
2025 43 S: 19, M: 27, L: 12, XL: 0, Mass: 3 Species: 2, Hits: 2 5 5
2025 44 S: 40, M: 30, L: 7, XL: 1, Mass: 4 Species: 2, Hits: 2 5 5
2025 47 S: 77, M: 75, L: 3, XL: 0, Mass: 2 Species: 5, Hits: 5 5 5
2025 48 S: 39, M: 8, L: 4, XL: 1, Mass: 2 Species: 3, Hits: 3 5 5
2025 49 S: 47, M: 59, L: 7, XL: 0, Mass: 2 Species: 4, Hits: 4 5 5
2025 50 S: 112, M: 76, L: 24, XL: 0, Mass: 2 Species: 2, Hits: 5 5 5
2025 51 S: 59, M: 64, L: 16, XL: 0, Mass: 2 Species: 4, Hits: 4 5 5
2025 52 S: 69, M: 36, L: 4, XL: 0, Mass: 2 Species: 4, Hits: 4 5 5
2025 53 S: 70, M: 111, L: 4, XL: 1, Mass: 2 Species: 3, Hits: 3 5 5
2025 54 S: 33, M: 50, L: 4, XL: 0, Mass: 2 Species: 3, Hits: 3 5 5

Coarse Woody Debris

Debris/Mass Totals
Total_small Total_medium Total_large Total_Above8 Total_Mass_Ranges
2136 1590 270 14 28
Missing Values in Woody Debris Dataset
year date transect small medium large Above8 mass
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total Number of Duplicate Entries
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.

-Duplicates had been detected on initial run. 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

Missing Values and Duplicates
Year Transect Quadrat Gross NetMass Duplicates
0 0 0 0 0 0

Negative Values
transect quadrat year Year Transect Quadrat Gross_mass Net_Weight

Plant Composition

Missing Values and Duplicate Count
Year Transect Quadrat Code Cover Duplicates
0 0 0 0 0 0
Unmatched Species Instances
year date transect quadrat code cover sheetID binomial common

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

Counts of Daubenmire Cover Classes
Year Transect/code Daubenmire value change
2024 45 JUSC 4 changed to 3
2024 58 CAREX 68 changed to 86
cover n
1 77
3 771
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.

Top 10 Plant Species (Frequency and Mean)
code Frequency Mean_Cover
CAREX 123 21.658537
PASM 116 15.491379
BRJA 70 5.742857
POTA 67 18.298507
ANPA 48 10.541667
PSTE 41 5.073171
ACMI 40 6.375000
ASCR 33 4.181818
DEPI 31 7.387097
JUSC 30 35.000000

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.

Counts of Hits
year transect n
2024 37 48
2024 38 160
2024 39 19
2024 40 11
2024 41 21
2024 42 31
2024 43 18
2024 44 10
2024 45 78
2024 46 114
2024 47 24
2024 48 20
2024 49 25
2024 50 32
2024 51 10
2024 52 10
2024 53 3
2024 54 9
2024 55 5
2024 56 21
2024 57 19
2024 58 129
2025 101A 49
2025 101B 22
2025 102A 12
2025 102B 22
2025 103A 38
2025 103B 21
2025 104A 22
2025 104B 22
2025 105A 33
2025 105B 43
2025 106A 14
2025 106B 44
2025 107A 64
2025 107B 14
2025 41 6
2025 42 8
2025 43 8
2025 44 8
2025 47 17
2025 48 5
2025 49 12
2025 50 44
2025 51 8
2025 52 15
2025 53 12
2025 54 7
Woody Transect Missing Values
year date transect code HeightHit
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

Coverage (Range Length) Outliers
year transect species length_cm

Proper Species Mapping for Belt Transects

Unmatched Species Instances
year date transect code HeightHit sheetID binomial common