Ecological Monitoring on Long-Term Plots
Section 10.11.3)J. L. Downs,
M. A. Chamness,
C. A. Duberstein,
K. D. Hand, and
J. A. Stegen
Long-term monitoring plots, established as part of the Biological
Resources Management Plan (DOE/RL-96-32), are surveyed
periodically to determine the status of biological
populations and resources on the Hanford Site. Thirty original
plots, each with outside dimensions of 1 kilometer
(0.62 mile) by 200 meters (219 yards) were surveyed during
1996 to characterize vegetation and bird use. Since 1996,
five additional plots have been added to address particular
habitats such as riparian areas and abandoned fields. Surveys
have also been conducted on selected long-term monitoring
plots to provide data to evaluate changes in plant and animal
communities after fire and to measure the abundance and
diversity of small mammals in priority habitats. As part of
ongoing monitoring efforts, selected plots on the Hanford
Central Plateau were sampled during 2005 with four main
objectives: (1) evaluate habitat recovery after wildfire,
(2) evaluate bird use in burned and unburned habitats,
(3) evaluate the small mammal, reptile, and invertebrate
communities existing in burned and unburned communities
on the Central Plateau, and (4) concurrently measure
contaminants of interest in the small mammals, lizards,
invertebrates, and soil found in habitats adjacent to the
200 Areas. Data gathered to address the fourth objective
provide integrated information on the biological resources
and their potential exposure to Hanford-produced contaminants
at areas near existing Hanford cleanup operations.
These types of information are important supporting data for
the ongoing ecological risk assessments at Hanford.