National Academies Press: OpenBook

Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies (2020)

Chapter: Appendix C - Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs: Field Protocol and Datasheet

« Previous: Appendix B - User Guide for the Landscape Prioritization Model for Roadside Habitat for Monarchs
Page 113
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs: Field Protocol and Datasheet." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25693.
×
Page 113
Page 114
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs: Field Protocol and Datasheet." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25693.
×
Page 114
Page 115
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs: Field Protocol and Datasheet." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25693.
×
Page 115
Page 116
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs: Field Protocol and Datasheet." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25693.
×
Page 116
Page 117
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs: Field Protocol and Datasheet." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25693.
×
Page 117
Page 118
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs: Field Protocol and Datasheet." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25693.
×
Page 118
Page 119
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs: Field Protocol and Datasheet." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25693.
×
Page 119
Page 120
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs: Field Protocol and Datasheet." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25693.
×
Page 120
Page 121
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs: Field Protocol and Datasheet." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25693.
×
Page 121
Page 122
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs: Field Protocol and Datasheet." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25693.
×
Page 122

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

C-1 A P P E N D I X C Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs: Field Protocol and Datasheet Rapid Assessment Field Protocol and Datasheet Roadside Habitat for Monarchs Introduction The Field Protocol for Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs (Rapid Assessment) is a quick and simple way for roadside vegetation managers or other transportation professionals to determine if a roadway is currently providing monarch habitat. The Rapid Assessment focuses on plants that provide monarch habitat, including nectar plants (wildflowers and flowering shrubs) that provide nutrition for adult monarchs throughout their breeding and migration periods, and milkweed plants, which are required by monarchs to reproduce, the only type of plant on which their eggs and larvae can develop. Managers may use either a paper data form or a tablet or smart phone using Esri Survey123 to collect data where they wish to know about current monarch habitat conditions. They may use GIS tools to choose sites for assessment or they may have areas of interest, such as where they are planning road development projects. Data gathered by this Rapid Assessment feed into a Monarch Habitat Calculator for Roadsides, which creates a score for each location, considering surrounding context (road and adjacent land) and current vegetation to rank its potential for providing monarch habitat. This protocol was developed as part of the project “Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies,” led by the Monarch Joint Venture and funded by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program of the Transportation Research Board (Project 20-119). Other components of the project were a GIS Monarch Habitat Landscape Prioritization Model and a Monarch Habitat Calculator for Roadsides (both of which may be used with the Rapid Assessment) and best management practice decision support information (see website1). 1 https://monarchjointventure.org/our-work/projects/roadsides-as-habitat-for-monarch-butter�lies

C-2 Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies the back of the ROW (which will be estimated or measured). During or before the first assessment, observers should stretch out a measuring tape to find out how many steps it takes to go 150 ft; once calibrated, observers can pace this distance for future assessments. Observers will then walk perpendicular to the road to the back of the right-of-way to estimate the width of the vegetation and the width that is mowed (if any). (Managers or observers will choose whether their assessments will encompass the entire right-of- way or if they will focus their assessment on the unmowed area (e.g. beyond the safety strip).) Next, observers walk back through the ROW back to the starting point, zig-zagging back and forth through the width of the roadside habitat, recording the blooming nectar plants, milkweed, and noxious weed species that they find. Alternatively, if the ROW is wider than 30 ft (9.1 m), or if the habitat is very dense with nectar plant types or milkweed, observers may choose to walk back and forth across the ROW in smaller sections. For instance, an observer could walk parallel to the road in one direction (moving back and forth within a 10-30 ft swath), then move over and walk back in the opposite direction surveying the next 10-30 ft of width (adding a pass for each 10-30 ft of ROW width). The goal is to see the plants throughout the width of the vegetated right of way; depending on the width of the site and the type of vegetation present, observers may choose the best way to move through the area. 1. Permit/permission for use of the roadside right-of-way from proper authority 2. Safety clothing (Type 3 vest in some states), helmet (in some states or if desired) 3. Revolving or flashing light for top of car 4. Datasheets, clipboard, pen/pencil -OR- mobile device for data collection 5. GPS unit, GPS enabled tablet, or smartphone 6. Measuring tape (for ROW width)* 7. Clicker counter* (for tallying milkweed) 8. Milkweed identification sheets or plant guidebook* 9. Monarch identification sheets* 10. Hand lens or magnifying glass* (for looking for monarch eggs) *Optional items List of Items to Bring to Field The Rapid Assessment is a quick way to assess monarch habitat. If more detailed habitat assessment is desired, such as to track the quality of a restoration area through time, the national Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program2 (IMMP) protocol may be more appropriate. The IMMP assesses habitat along approximately 0.3 mile length of road with ten diagonal 164 ft (50 m) transects sampled with 1 m2 quadrats. The IMMP includes options for monitoring adult, egg, and larval monarch stages. In addition to roadsides, data are collected from several other key land use types and contribute to a national database. How to do a Rapid Assessment A Rapid Assessment usually takes less than 20 minutes. Once arriving at a desired sampling location in the roadside right-of-way (ROW), observers mark their starting location and then walk a 150 ft (45.7 m) length parallel to the road, toward traffic, making a rectangular study area that extends from the road to 2 https://monarchjointventure.org/IMMP

Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs: Field Protocol and Datasheet C-3 Site Description Information Road/Site Name: such as county road or highway number, or experimental plot #, to facilitate recognizing the site for future reference or management discussions. This name or code should be unique to the site. Latitude and Longitude: record your starting location (latitude and longitude). This will be automatically filled using Survey123 (but make sure the location error is less than 50 m). When using a paper form, observers can drop a pin into a mapping application on their smartphone, and then record the location onto the data sheet. Road type: 2 lane, 4 lane, or > 4 lane (count lanes for both directions) Full ROW width: Measure or estimate the average width (in feet, perpendicular to road) of the vegetated ROW, from barren shoulder edge to the backside of the ROW (sometimes this is signed or fenced, usually where the land use changes) along the 150 ft length and including mowed areas. If highly variable, estimate a few times and enter the average. If there is no apparent ROW edge, use 100 or 150 ft width. Mowed width: measure or estimate average width of mowed area perpendicular to road along the 150 ft length. This may correspond to the ‘safety strip’ area or it may be the full width or it may be absent (be sure to record “0” if none of the area appears to be mowed). If highly variable, estimate a few times and provide the average. Area you are assessing: designate the area to be assessed –the full width of the ROW or only the unmowed area. Alternatively, choose to separately record data for the unmowed and mowed areas (using an optional reverse side of the paper sheet). It is best to stay consistent across multiple Rapid Assessments. Optional: Mowed height: measure or estimate height of mowed vegetation above ground level in inches. Site notes. Note landmarks, known management practices, conditions, etc. On smaller roads where the GPS location may be ambiguous, note which side of road is sampled. Where to do Rapid Assessments Rapid Assessments are best repeated at consistent intervals throughout a ROW of interest. One recommendation would be to sample every 3/10th of a mile, such that 3 to 4 assessments are done for each mile of roadway, and the assessments would be combined to characterize the stretch as a whole. For much larger areas, assessments would be further spaced apart. Depending on the type of habitat encountered, greater or fewer stops may be needed to characterize a ROW. After several assessments have been done, a manager may determine if the stretch of road should be treated all as one or if there are features within the site, such as a patch of noxious weeds, that require the site be assessed in smaller units. Data Collection On each Rapid Assessment, record the Observer, Date, Time Start, Time End. Date and time will be auto-filled if using Survey123.

C-4 Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies area, etc.) NDI= open space/non-diverse grasslands (e.g., heavily grazed land, hayfields, recreational fields). Please note that conservation (e.g. CRP) fields could be either DIV or NDI; if bunchgrasses and forbs are present, use DIV; if one grass dominates, use NDI. WOOD= Woody or brush-dominated habitat WET= Wetland OTH = Other, write in another land type of interest Management Information Management practices influence habitat quality. When setting up the survey in Esri, managers will list the noxious weeds or invasive species that they wish to be included in assessments. In addition, for herbicide and mowing questions, managers may pre-set default answers, which may be overwritten in the field if conditions deviate. Observers choose from the following: Type of Herbicide Application none spot treat noxious weeds spot treat woody species treat grass to stimulate forbs broadleaf applied in clear zone 1x/year broadleaf applied in clear zone >1x/year broadleaf applied throughout the ROW don’t know Frequency the Full ROW Width is Mowed never (or only very rarely if needed) every few years (typically, or as needed) once a year twice a year more than twice a year don’t know Adjacent Land Use Record the land use type directly adjacent to the ROW that borders the majority of the length of the 150 ft survey length. We distinguish adjacent land types with or without a vegetated or other barrier that could disrupt drift of chemical applications from adjacent lands, such as hedgerows, trees, or solid fences (rather than wire or crosspost) as follows: CROP= Cropland with no barrier (see barrier definition above) HCR= Cropland with barrier DEV=Developed (e.g., pavement, buildings, lawn, landscaping) with no barrier HDE=Developed (e.g., pavement, buildings, lawn, landscaping, etc.) with barrier DIV= Diverse grassland/natural habitat (such as a native grassland or prairie remnant, wildlife

Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs: Field Protocol and Datasheet C-5 Percent aerial cover, estimate for the weeds as a group, from the following categories: None Less than 5% 5-9% 10-25% 26-50% 51-75% Greater than 75% Potential Blooming Nectar Plants Many roadside managers wish to characterize sites in a single visit per year, but what is needed is information regarding the availability of nectar for monarchs throughout the year. Therefore, we collect information for all “Potentially Blooming Nectar Plants,” wildflowers (forbs) and flowering shrubs (i.e., excluding grasses) that could provide nectar to pollinators, regardless of whether or not those plants are blooming on the date of assessment (and regardless of their nativity or the quality or quantity of nectar they provide). Surveyors also record which species are blooming and not blooming, so that if a manager wishes to focus solely on blooming plants that option is available. The number of species may be important because a greater number of species may represent a greater number of bloom times and thereby provide nectar for a greater proportion of a season of monarch use. The amount of cover by blooming plants as opposed to grasses or weeds is an index to the amount of nectar that may be provided for an assessment area. List: Identify and record as many different Potentially Blooming Nectar Plant species as you can, marking ‘blooming’ for each species if the plant is blooming anywhere in the plot. In Survey123, you can begin typing either a common or Latin name and then you can select a species from the list. There are also options for some plant genera, such as “Solidago sp; unknown goldenrod.” Unknowns: Then tally the number of additional types that you cannot identify, (also noting which are blooming). Alternatively, for surveyors who have not been trained in plant identification, just list the number of different types, blooming and not, without identifying them. Weeds: Noxious Weeds and Other Invasives of Management Concern Noxious weeds or other invasive species may threaten monarch habitat quality by requiring treatment or if they outcompete nectar plants and milkweed. First, when setting up the survey, managers will list the species of noxious weeds or other invasive plant species of management concern to their roadside authority and which they would like their field surveyors to note. These are the weed species to be recorded during the Rapid Assessment. List the noxious weeds or invasive plants (from the list of weeds species for your roadside agency) that are present in the assessment area.

C-6 Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies Milkweed Because milkweed is required for monarch reproduction, the species and number of milkweed plants is important. Estimating the number of milkweed plants in the assessment area makes it possible to estimate the milkweed density, an important metric in monarch habitat descriptions. In addition to Asclepias species, include also honeyvine, Cynanchum laeve. When tallying or estimating, count a plant as a single stem (e.g., common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, ignoring possible below ground connections); or a plant may be multiple stems originating from the same central location in the soil (e.g., green antelope horn, A. asperula, or butterfly weed, A. tuberosa, see photo). For honeyvine, it will likely be necessary to estimate number of plants. Note that it is important to mark “none” for any survey for which no milkweed are found. Species: Identify milkweeds by species, using reference sheets for your area as needed. Plant Tally: Tally the number of plants per species within the assessment area. -OR- Estimate Categorical Abundance: Estimate number of milkweed plants, by species, in the following categories: none, 1-5, 6-10, 11-25, 26-50, 51-250, >250 plants. Monarchs (Optional): If interested in whether sites are being used by monarchs, observers may record adults seen and look on milkweed plants for eggs and larvae (caterpillars). These activities are optional, as it is important to learn how to recognize monarchs from other species and differentiate eggs from other insect eggs and milkweed latex bubbles (see photos below). If managers are interested in comparing the number of eggs and larvae across sites, it is important to check each plant thoroughly and carefully track the number of plants that are examined. If a site has too many milkweed to check individually, observers may search every several plants. Example of multi-stemmed milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa, butterfly weed. Count 1 plant. (Photo: University of Maryland) Percent cover: Estimate the percent of area covered by nectar plants, including forbs and shrubs that have already or not yet bloomed, in the following categories: None Less than 5% 5-9% 10-25% 26-50% 51-75% Greater than 75%

Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs: Field Protocol and Datasheet C-7 Monarch egg on a milkweed leaf, little more than 1 mm tall. Note upright, oblong, slightly pointed shape (Photo: Lynda Andrews) Close-up of monarch egg — Note pointed shape, glossy off- white color and vertical ridges (Photo: Michelle Solensky) Monarch egg (left; off-white) and latex drop (right; bright white, spherical) (Photo: Anurag Agrawal) Monarch caterpillars, 1st (smallest) through 5th (largest) instars (Photo: Monarch Lab) Beware of mimics that may be in your area. Monarch (top left), Viceroy (bottom left), Queen (right) (Courtesy of Journey North)

C-8 Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs Date: End Time: Full ROW width (ft): Mow width (ft): (0 if unmowed) Mow Ht (in): optional # Adult monarchs: CROP=Cropland, no barrier DEV=Developed, lawn, paved WOOD=Woody habitat HCR=Crop with wood barrier/hedgerow HDE=Developed, woody /hedgerow WET=Wetland habitat DIV=Diverse grassland/natural habitat NDI= Not diverse grassland, few forbs OTHER= Weeds Species none 1-5 6-10 11-25 26-50 51-250 >250 none 1-5 6-10 11-25 26-50 51-250 >250 none 1-5 6-10 11-25 26-50 51-250 >250 # caterpillars: # caterpillars: Adjacent Land Use within 100 ft of ROW (choose one): Management Herbicide: never spot treat noxious weeds spot treat woody spp treat grass to stimulate forbs broadleaf in clear zone 1x/yr broadleaf in clear zone >1x/yr broadleaf throughout ROW don't know Full Width Mowing Frequency: never every few years 1x/yr 2x/yr >2x/yr don't know Site/Road Name: Start Time: Latitude (digital, 8 digits) Road Type: 2 lane 4 lane > 4 lane Longitude (digital, 8 digits) Area you are assessing: full-width (regardless of mow) unmowed area unmowed & mowed areas separately (use back ) Observer(s) Site Notes (e.g. side of road, management, landmark): Monarchs (optional) Milkweed (Tally preferred or Categorize ) Plant Tally Categorical Abundance Potential Nectar Plants: none < 5% 5-9% 10-25% 26-50% 51-75% > 75% List Species:Blooming: Not Blooming: Tally unknowns: Unknown Notes: Potential Blooming Nectar Plants (forbs + flowering shrubs ) Other Pollinator or Habitat notes: Weeds: none < 5% 5-9% 10-25% 26-50% 51-75% > 75% Percent Cover Milkweed Sp.: # Searched: # eggs: Milkweed Sp.: # Searched: # eggs: Monarch Joint Venture 11/09/2018

Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs: Field Protocol and Datasheet C-9 Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs Weeds Species none 1-5 6-10 11-25 26-50 51-250 >250 none 1-5 6-10 11-25 26-50 51-250 >250 none 1-5 6-10 11-25 26-50 51-250 >250 # caterpillars: # caterpillars:Milkweed Sp.: # Searched: # eggs: If assessing the MOWED area for comparison, enter data here: Monarchs (optional) Milkweed Sp.: # Searched: # eggs: Unknown Notes: Percent Cover Potential Nectar Plants: none < 5% 5-9% 10-25% 26-50% 51-75% > 75% Weeds: none < 5% 5-9% 10-25% 26-50% 51-75% > 75% Milkweed (Tally preferred or Categorize ) Site/Road Name: Plant Tally Categorical Abundance Potential Nectar Plants (forbs + flowering shrubs ) Blooming: Not Blooming: List Species: Tally unknowns:

Next: Appendix D - User Guide for Rapid Assessment of Roadside Habitat for Monarchs and Habitat Calculator: Monarch Habitat Evaluator Tool »
Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies Get This Book
×
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

Roadsides provide promising monarch habitat as they frequently contain nectar and host plants; however, they also present a range of risks, including pesticide spillover, vehicle collisions, contaminant runoff, and non-native vegetation.

The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's NCHRP Research Report 942: Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies provides guidance for roadside managers to determine the potential of their roadway corridors as habitat for monarch butterflies.

The report also includes several tools and decision-support mechanisms to optimize habitat potential in a manner that is compatible with the continued operation and maintenance of the roadside.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!