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Clark and others 2007 USGS Data Series 231
Spectral Library splib06a Sample Description


TITLE: Rangeland L02-068A S00% G38% DESCRIPT

DOCUMENTATION_FORMAT: PLANT

SAMPLE_ID: L02-068A

PLANT_TYPE: Mixed rangeland shrubs, grasses, and forbs

PLANT:

LATIN_NAME:

COLLECTION_LOCALITY: Left Hand Creek, in the Grass Creek Management area of the Bureau of Land Management, is located in central Wyoming, approximately 20 miles northwest of Thermopolis, Wyoming

COLLECTION_LATITUDE: 43 deg. 55.051 min. N

COLLECTION_LONGITUDE: 108 deg. 50.165 min. W

DATUM: NAD83

ORIGINAL_DONOR: Raymond F. Kokaly, USGS

SAMPLE_DESCRIPTION:

This spectrum is the average reflectance for an area of rangeland covered by mixed shrubs, grasses and forbs as detailed in this description of site number L02-068A.

Collection Date
The reflectance data were collected on 8-Jul-2002.

Site Vegetation Description
The total vegetation cover on this site was 38%. The following table shows the percent cover by cover class:

Cover Category, Sub-Category                Cover (%)
_____________________________      ____________________________
Vegetation, Total Cover                  38
Vegetation, Tree                            0
Vegetation, Shrub                           0
Vegetation, Grass                          38
Vegetation, Forb                            0
Non-vegetation, Total Cover              62
Non-vegetation, Litter                     22
Non-vegetation, Bare                       39
Non-vegetation, Other                       0
_____________________________      ____________________________

The following table shows the cover by shrub species in the site (for shrubs with greater than 2% cover):

Shrub Species                            Cover (%)    Avg. Height (cm)
_____________________________________  ____________  __________________
none
_____________________________________  ____________  __________________

The following table shows the cover by grass species in the site (for grasses with greater than 2% cover):

Grass Species                             Cover (%)
_____________________________________  _____________
Poa pratensis                              15
Bromus inermis                              7
Pascopyrum smithii                          7
Nassella viridula                           6
_____________________________________  _____________

The following table shows the cover by forb species in the site (for forbs with greater than 2% cover):

Forb Species                             Cover (%)
_____________________________________  _____________
none
_____________________________________  _____________

Field Observations
The plot contains a lot of burned juniper snags and sagebrush stumps.

Site Orientation
The average elevation over the area of the site is 1999 meters (6559 feet). The average slope of the site is 15 percent, with a Southwest aspect of 212 degrees.

Site Burn History
The area of this plot has recently burned (since 1996).

Site Location, Dimensions, and Vegetation Sampling
The center coordinates of this rangeland plot are 43 deg. 55.051 min. N, 108 deg. 50.165 min. W (datum is NAD83). The diameter of this circular vegetation plot was 15.2 meters. Within this plot, four subplots of 0.5 meter diameter were established 5 meters from the center at the four cardinal directions (north, east, south and west). Within these subplots, grass and forb species were identified and associated percent cover of each were visually estimated. Litter cover and the percent area of bare ground were also visually estimated. For each shrub in the larger plot, the species was identified, the lateral dimensions were measured, and the height was measured. The cover of trees, shrubs, grasses, forbs, litter and bare ground were calculated from the full plot and subplot measurements. Field identifications of Tetradymia canescens (winterfat) were inconsistent between the 2003 and 2004 field seasons. In 2003, some shrubs were identified as Chrysothamnus nauseosus (gray rabbitbrush) and Krascheninnikovia lanata (winterfat). Later, it was determined that some of these shrubs were incorrectly identified and it was decided to label them all as Tetradymia canescens.

Spectral Measurement Procedures
This spectrum is the average of 115 measurements made throughout site L02-068A. These spectra were collected using an ASD Full Range Field Pro spectrometer in reflectance mode, relative to a Spectralon reference panel. While walking through the site, the fiber optic cable was pointed at nadir (straight down) at approximately shoulder height. The instrument was programmed to record 6 second averages of reflectance while moving through the site (thus, each recorded spectrum was an average of 60 individual measurements). These recorded spectra were examined for artifacts due to low signal:noise, detector offsets and atmospheric contamination. Those spectra with large artifacts were not included in further processing. An average of the remaining 115 spectra was computed. This average spectrum was converted to absolute reflectance by multiplying by the reflectance spectrum of the Spectralon reference panel. The following channels were deleted (set to a value of -1.23e+34) from the spectrum because of remaining artifacts: 1-6, 410-413, 576-592, 761-801, 1006-1051, 1441-1591, 2111-2151 (corresponding to the wavelength ranges of 0.350-0.355, 0.759-0.762, 0.925-0.941, 1.110-1.150, 1.355-1.400, 1.790-1.940, and 2.460-2.510 microns).

Left Hand Creek General Description
The Left Hand Creek Study area is in central Wyoming, located 20 miles northwest of Thermopolis, Wyoming in the "Grass Creek Management Area," managed by the Worland Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management. The approximate center of the study area is 43.9608 degrees North latitude and 108.8828 degrees West longitude. The general area consists of lowland creeks (approximate average elevation of 1900 m) covered by mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), grasses and forbs, interspersed with higher ridges (approximate average elevation of 2100 m) covered by mountain big sagebrush, grasses and forbs with some sparsely forested areas containing Limber pine (Pinus flexilis), and Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) with Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) on steeper north-facing slopes.

Project Background
This site was measured as part of a cooperative U.S. Geological Survey and Bureau of Land Management project funded by the Joint Fire Science Program.

IMAGE_OF_SAMPLE: Photo of site facing north Photo of site facing east Photo of site facing south Photo of site facing west

END_SAMPLE_DESCRIPTION.

COMPOSITIONAL_ANALYSIS_TYPE: None # XRF, EM(WDS), ICP(Trace), WChem

COMPOSITION
KEYWORD
Composition
ASCII
Amount Weight
Percent, %
COMPOSITION: Water: %(of fresh weight)
COMPOSITION: Total_Chlorophyll: %(of fresh weight)
COMPOSITION: Chlorophyll_A: %(of fresh weight)
COMPOSITION: Chlorophyll_B: %(of fresh weight)
COMPOSITION: Nitrogen: %(of dry weight)
COMPOSITION: Lignin: %(of dry weight)
COMPOSITION: Cellulose: %(of dry weight)

COMPOSITION_DISCUSSION:

END_COMPOSITION_DISCUSSION.

TRACE_ELEMENT_ANALYSIS:

TRACE_ELEMENT_DISCUSSION:

END_TRACE_ELEMENT_DISCUSSION.

SPECTROSCOPIC_DISCUSSION:

END_SPECTROSCOPIC_DISCUSSION.

SPECTRAL_PURITY: 1a2_3_4_ # 1= 0.2-3, 2= 1.5-6, 3= 6-25, 4= 20-150 microns

LIB_SPECTRA_HED: where Wave Range Av_Rs_Pwr Comment
LIB_SPECTRA: splib06a r 33466 g.s.=