Depressional Wetland CRAM Module
The purpose of this effort is to develop a “verification version” of the Depressional Wetland CRAM module, and test it on a number of sites during the spring and summer of 2012.
The major tasks involved in this development process are:
- Establish a statewide depressional wetland CRAM team to review and advise the core team on the conceptual models, study design and recommended module revisions.
- The Depressional Team will develop conceptual models of key module metrics and explain their expected response to gradients in hydroperiod. They should identify which metrics are likely to be affected by hydrology and why.
- Revise the existing Depression CRAM Module to include recommended updates made by the L2 Committee in recent year
- Compile depressional wetland CRAM data from 40 sites across a gradient of hydroperiod within key ecoregions across California
- Updated CRAM manual and field books to include the updated depressional wetland CRAM module
Analyses of the statewide CRAM results (using new data ~40 sites and additional data from sites identified by the group) will be based on the relationship between CRAM scores and expected condition (stress) across a range of hydroperiod. The results will be analyzed in terms of the ability of a metric, the attributes, and the overall index score to differentiate between good, medium, and low quality sites (which are based on the consensus best-professional-judgment of the team). Recommendations to modify the module based on the performance analyses will be vetted with the Depressional Team and, once approved, will be brought to the statewide L2 Committee for final review.
This project is a task within a much larger grant funded by the Coastal Impact Assisstance Program. CCWG is working as a subcontracter through the San Francisco Estuary Institute.