Project
04.01.02.0050 - Upper Truckee Restoration Bird and Bumble Bee monitori...
Link to this project

Overview

Basics

Basics
The Institute for Bird Populations (IBP) will provide long-term monitoring of overall bird abundance, community composition, and habitat composition, and bumble bee abundance, community composition, and habitat composition for meadow systems throughout the lower reaches of the Upper Truckee River and nearby tributaries to Lake Tahoe, in El Dorado County, CA. Study sites will include those known locally as the Upper Truckee Marsh, Johnson Meadow, Reaches 5 and 6, Golf Course, Trout Creek, Cold Creek Meadow, and at a nearby control site, Angora Creek

Implementation
2022
2023
2026
$258,962
Helen Loffland (hloffland@birdpop.org)
01/16/2024
01/01/2025
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Location Information Location Notes

Organizations

Organizations
California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC) Whitney Brennan - California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC)
Institute for Bird Populations (IBP) Erin Elsey - (Unknown Organization)

EIP Details

EIP Basics

EIP Basics
View EIP Fact Sheet | View Funding Request Sheet
04 - Science, Stewardship, and Accountability
04.01 - Science Program
Implement Programmatic Monitoring and Reporting
04.01.02.0050 - Upper Truckee Restoration Bird and Bumble Bee monitoring

This project is on the EIP 5-year list.

Performance Measures

Expected Performance Measures

Expected Performance Measures
Special Status Species Sites Protected or Re-Established [Action Performed: Protected], [EIP Focal Species: Other priority species] number
Disturbed Areas Restored, Enhanced, or Created None acres
Disturbed Areas Restored, Enhanced, or Created [Disturbed Area Treatment Type: Restored], [Ownership: California Tahoe Conservancy] acres

Reported Performance Measures

Reported Performance Measures
Special Status Species Sites Protected or Re-Established
2023 2024 Total Units
Action Performed EIP Focal Species Site Type
Protected Other priority species High-priority 3 3 6 number
Total 3 3 6 number

Funding

Expected Funding

Expected Funding
$258,962
$258,962
$0
Total
California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC) $258,962 $258,962 $0
Grand Total $258,962 $258,962 $0

Reported Expenditures

Reported Expenditures
Total 2024 2023 2022
California Tahoe Conservancy $147,266 $69,478 $76,178 $1,610
Grand Total $147,266 $69,478 $76,178 $1,610

Photos

Photos

Other Details

Watersheds

No watersheds set for this project.

Threshold Categories

  • To assess and describe the bird community and to detect population-level changes in meadow bird species in response to restoration activities. To develop and implement a monitoring protocol to assess bumble bee populations and their response to land management activities.

Local and Regional Plans

No Local and Regional Plans set for this project.

Related Projects

Related Projects

No Related Projects set for this project.

External Links

No external links entered.

Notes

Notes
12/31/2024 10:58 AM Helen Loffland During the summers of 2023 and 2024 The Institute for Bird Populations (IBP) completed survey visits to determine bird and bumble bee species richness and abundance in the Upper Truckee River restoration projects. Survey stations for both bird and bumble bee surveys were co-located and were placed in the same locations as historic stations used for bird surveys during the late 1990s through mid-2000s. Additional stations were added to fill in remaining sites and un-surveyed areas. The current data collection effort will compare newly collected bird data with legacy bird data and use that (with bumble bee monitoring data) to assess past restoration efforts and inform restoration soon to be completed at Sunset Reach.

METHODS

Point Count Bird Surveys

In 2023 and 2024, multi-species monitoring (all bird species) in pre- and post-restoration project meadows, and at nearby control sites followed Loffland et al. (2011a). Point counts were conducted at survey stations generally spaced 200 - 250 m apart (Figure 1), with all individuals of all species seen or heard counted during a 7-minute period and their distance from the station estimated. We assessed vegetation, bare ground, surface water, and numerous other biotic and abiotic factors within 50 m of all multi-species point count stations, following Loffland et al. (2011a). Cover classes were averaged across four quadrants of a 50-m radius circle centered at each point count station, and then averaged across all points within a meadow. These vegetation metrics are intended to serve as a point of reference for bird counts but are not intended to replace detailed botanical monitoring specific to meadow restoration.

Bumble Bee Surveys

Bumble bee surveys were conducted within 20-m radius plots centered on associated bird point count stations (as described above) across all of the survey areas following an adaptation of the Loffland et al. and Cole et al. protocols (Figure 1). Because we were co-locating bumble bee plots with already existing point count stations, spacing may vary, but on average ranged between 200 – 300 meters apart. Plots were typically surveyed twice during the field season according to a random survey order. Plots were first surveyed during June and early July, and surveyed a second time during July and early August. After second surveys were completed for all plots we started a third round of surveys for as many plots as possible. Each plot was surveyed for bumble bees during a 16 minute survey period between 0830 and 1900. When a bumble bee was encountered within the 20-m radius plot, the surveyor would capture the bee and suspend the survey until the bumble bee was transferred to a numbered vial and placed in a cooler to chill. The surveyor also recorded the plant species on which the bumble bee was caught (or noted if the bumble bee was caught in flight). Once the bee was in the cooler, the survey was resumed and the search time continued until another bee was caught or the 16 minutes ended. All bumble bees caught were photographed from various angles and characteristics used to identify the bumble bee to species (i.e. cheek length, face color, terga color, number of terga, corbicula presence) and caste (queen, worker, drone) were recorded. After a few minutes outside the cooler to warm, the bumble bee was released. On each visit surveyors conducted a floral resource assessment to record all plant species blooming within the plot during the survey. Surveyors also completed a habitat assessment once per season and recorded overstory and mid-layer cover estimates for conifers, hardwoods, and shrubs (by species), relative cover of understory vegetation by type and the relative cover of abiotic ground cover components.