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Page 4 April 23, 1991 Snyder Tree Planting Corrective Action Plan Dan Hernandez ROAD DISTURBANCE AREA /{3: This site has the deepest soils, the most gradual planting area, and the potential for a tree density on the upper two thirds that exceeds the average in surrounding areas. The lower third is somewhat like area #2, although somewhat less severe. Invasion rates on the lower third will probably be higher than it is on the upper two thirds. Competition for the first two years will be l~~w, but in years three through perhaps eight competition between trees and grass for nutrients, light, and moisture will be intense. During th~it time, the trees should gain functional dominance in the community structure and begin to force out much of the ground cover and/or alter its composition. Thus years three through about eight will largely determine the vegetation character of the site for the next several hundred years. ROAD DISTURBANCE AREA /{4: This site is steeper than J{3, exhibii:s good soil cover, and should produce a tree density that is close to or possibly above the average for this side of the canyon. In many respects it is a smaller version of #1 without the dense grass cover. Invasion should not be significant on this site and should be easily distinguished from the planted vegetation. Like area $3, years three through about eight will largely determine the character of the vegetation on this site for the next few hundred years. MONITORING: It is recommended that monitoring be done twice a year. Replacement of tree markers could be done as needed, except on Road Disturbance #2 where no entry on to the slope should be allowed except for replanting. Spring saseasments (late May or early June) can provide a clear measure of winter kill. Eall assessments (September or Octot~er) can measure survival rates, vegetative condition, and growth rates. Actual counts, condition assessments, and tree height measurements cen be made on road disturbance areas 1, 3, and Q. A scaling monocular in combination with a rangefinder would be useful for examining Area #2 from the roadside until after 1993. Williams Canyon should be examined by standard sampling techniques. It is recommended that a circular or a rectangular quadrat oriented parallel to the contours be used in sampling the vegetation in Williams Canyon. These shapes or orientations will help reduce bias in the data due to linear vegetation patterns parallel to the slope. It is likely that such a pattern will exist for the next several years and could cause severe statistical distortion in the sampling. This pattern, although not extreme, is the result of the type of disturbing agent that caused the damage. Each small tree included in the samples should be examined in an attempt to distinguish between planted trees and invader