Water: Monitoring & Assessment
Appendix C. AREM short form
User's Manual:
Avian Richness Evaluation Method (AREM)
for Lowland Wetlands of the Colorado Plateau
(A= acre, ft= feet, in= inches, mi= miles)
- Location: river/lake <0.5 mi?
___BigWater - Surface Water: >0.1 A?
___AnyWater
[skip to #5 if no] - Open Water > 2 inches deep:
___OpenBig: >20 A and width mostly >500 ft
___OpenSmall: < 1 A, or >1 A but width <3 ft
___OpenOther: all other - Specific Aquatic Conditions:
___StillWater: >0.1 A that flows at <1 ft/s
___Fish
___Amphibs: crayfish, frogs, salamanders
___Clear: 10 inch visibility and no metals problem
___Enriched: feedlots etc.
___Drawdown: most of wetland dries out or floods from river 1 year in 5 - Bare Soil: >0.1 A of exposed mud, alkali flat, recently tilled, heavily grazed, etc. during this season?
___Mud
[skip to 7 if no] - Large Mudflat: >1 A + width>100 ft + no salt + not recessed
___MudBig - Trees: >2 trees...
___TreeIn: in wetland ___TreeNear: within 1000 ft
[skip to 11 if no] - Tree Cover: tree acres within 300 ft + acres in wetland
___ForestDens: >1 A, closed canopy, and >300 ft wide
___ForestOpen: >1 A, open, and >300 ft wide
___WoodDens: 0.1-1.0 A closed, or larger but narrower than 300 ft
___WoodOpen: 0.1-1.0 A open, or larger but narrower than 300 ft - Big Trees: >2 trees, >12 inch diameter within 300 ft or in?
___TreesBig - Snags: >2 snags (>5 inch diameter), within 300 ft or in wetland?
___Snags - Shrubs: >0.1 acre of shrubs (2-20 ft height)...
___ShrubIn: in wetland ___ShrubNear: within 1000 ft
[skip to 13 if neither] - Shrub Species and Density: shrub acres within 300 ft + in wetland:
___WwMuchDens: willow >1 A, dense and wide
___WwMuchOpen: willow >1 A, open, or dense but narrow
___WwSomeDens: willow 0.1 - 1.0 A, dense
___WwSomeOpen: willow 0.1 - 1.0 A, open
___GrMuchDens: greasewood etc. >1 A, dense and wide
___GrMuchOpen: greasewood etc. >1 A, open, or dense and narrow
___GrSomeDens: greasewood etc. 0.1 - 1.0 A, dense
___GrSomeOpen: greasewood etc. >1 A, open
___FrMuchDens: Russian olive etc. >1 A, closed
___FrMuchOpen: Russian olive etc. >1 A, open or clumped
___FrSomeDens: Russian olive etc. 0.1 - 1.0 A, closed
___FrSomeOpen: Russian olive etc. 0.1 - 1.0 A, open or clumped
___TmMuchDens: tamarisk >1 A, closed
___TmMuchOpen: tamarisk >1 A, open or clumped
___TmSomeDens: tamarisk 0.1 - 1.0 A, closed
___TmSomeOpen: tamarisk 0.1 - 1.0 A, open or clumped - Herbaceous Vegetation: >0.1 A of herbaceous
___HerbIn: in wetland ___HerbNear: within 1000 ft - Herbaceous Species and Density: herbaceous acres within 300 ft + in wetland:
___RbMuchDens: robust cattail etc. >1 A, dense and wide
___RbMuchOpen: robust cattail etc. >1 A, open, or dense but narrow
___RbSomeDens: robust cattail etc. 0.1 - 1.0 A, dense
___RbSomeOpen: robust cattail etc. 0.1 - 1.0 A, open
___WEMuchDens: wet emergents (sedge, bulrush) >1 A, dense, wide, and >1 ft tall
___WEMuchOpen: wet emergents (sedge, bulrush) >1 A, open tall or dense but narrow
___WEMuchShrt: wet emergents (sedge, bulrush) >1 A, short (<1 ft), dense or open
___WESomeDens: wet emergents (sedge, bulrush) 0.1 - 1.0 A, dense, >1 ft tall
___WESomeOpen: wet emergents (sedge, bulrush) 0.1 - 1.0 A, open tall
___WESomeShrt: wet emergents (sedge, bulrush) 0.1 - 1.0 A, short <4 in, dense or open
___DEMuchDens: dry emergents (grasses etc.) >1 A, dense, wide, and tall (>1 ft)
___DEMuchOpen: dry emergents (grasses etc.) >1 A, open, tall, or dense but narrow
___DEMuchShrt: dry emergents (grasses etc.) >1 A, short (<1 ft), dense or open
___DESomeDens: dry emergents (grasses etc.) 0.1 - 1.0 A, dense, tall (> 1 ft)
___DESomeOpen: dry emergents (grasses etc.) 0.1 - 1.0 A, open, tall, or dense but narrow
___DESomeShrt: dry emergents (grasses etc.) >1 A, short, open or dense
___ForbMuch: alfalfa, milkweed, etc. > 1 A
___ForbSome: alfalfa, milkweed, etc. 0.1 - 1.0 A
___AqMuch: watercress, sago, duckweed etc. > 1 A
___AqSome: watercress, sago, duckweed etc. 0.1 - 1.0 A - Surrounding Land Cover: within 0.5 mi...
___SurAgWet: >60% pasture, alfalfa, grain, row crops, other wetlands, weeds, grass
___SurDesrt: >60% sagebrush, shadscale, rabbitbrush
___SurPJ: >60% pinyon-juniper
___SurOak: >60% oak, serviceberry, skunkbrush
___Other, or none of above add to >60%
- Local Land Cover: within 3.0 mi of wetland...
___LocAgWet: >60% pasture, alfalfa, grain, row crops, other wetlands, weeds, grass
___LocDesrt: >60% sagebrush, shadscale, rabbitbrush
___LocPJ: >60% pinyon-juniper
___LocOak: >60% oak, serviceberry, skunkbrush
___Other, or none of above add to >60% - Visual Seclusion: check ONLY ONE:
___SeclusionH: no road within 600 ft or not visible if road present, and <1 visit/week on foot
___SeclusionM: EITHER of above
___other - Predation Potential: check ONLY ONE:
___PredHPot: major road, urban, or linear
___PredMPot: other road or building within 1000 ft
___other - Burned, mowed, or intensively grazed during this season?
___GrazBurnMo - Nesting Locations:
___SwallNest: swallow sites -- barns, bridges within 300 ft
___GooseNest: goose platforms, in wetland or on perimeter
___Banks: within 0.5 mi, height >5 ft, vertical