CTWSRO Comprehensive Inventory, 2011–2015
Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation – Madras, Oregon
Synergy collected rangeland data including ecological status inventory, cultural plant surveys, weed surveys, and vegetation inventory on over 625,000 acres from 2011-2015. Over 300 study sites were established and inventoried within the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Indian Reservation (CTWSRO). Ecological status inventories included dry weight rank with comparative yield, line point intercept, gap intercept, plant height, plant census, rangeland health, and soil stability test. Additionally, special surveys were conducted for culturally significant plants and weeds. Synergy was responsible for site selection, conducting GIS analysis, and developing the inventory design. This project involved the development of a three-tiered rangeland monitoring protocol using vegetation and soils data in conjunction [from ground studies and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR)] to collect a substantial amount of scientific data. Professional and scientific requirements for the project included the use of the Database for Inventory, Monitoring, and Assessment (DIMA), extensive plant identification of all vegetation types, GPS/GIS equipment and software, soil sciences, and a professional scientific team. Synergy also wrote 10 ecological site descriptions (ESDs) working with the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation and NRCS.
CTUIR Comprehensive Inventory, 2009–2015
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation – Oregon
Synergy completed a comprehensive rangeland inventory on 66,000 acres for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation of Oregon. The project involved culturally sensitive plant surveys, weed surveys, development of monitoring design, field data collection, data analysis, GIS coordination, and detailed report preparation. Data collection included species composition and a weed inventory on 164 rangeland and forested sites. Collection required identification of grasses, forbs, shrubs, and trees to the species level. Our team performed cultural plant inventory, weed inventory, and ocular estimates of species composition and production on 342 sites. The data also provided information on ecological trends, watershed function, wildlife habitat, and culturally significant plants. Synergy has also collected wild horse utilization data on the reservation.