Establishing Baseline Conditions and Reference Areas for Assessing Revegetation Success in a Changing Climate

Presentation Description: Establishing baseline conditions at a project is a critical step in fulfilling siting and permitting requirements and guiding revegetation efforts. When combined with establishment of a reference area, baseline vegetation surveys inform development of achievable revegetation goals. Documenting baseline conditions and a reference area allows for the effects of fluctuating environmental conditions to be factored into assessments of revegetation success. Baseline surveys also allow for a better understanding of variations, over time, in response to a changing climate, or when baseline scenarios have no true reference, such as farmland. This presentation will review key elements of baseline vegetation surveys, provide an overview of selecting appropriate reference areas, and examine scenarios of each based on prior experience.