Kellie Stanley

KS2 Ecological Field Services

Bachelor of Science in Range and Wildlife Management Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX (1988-1991)

Associate of Science at South Plains College, Levelland, TX (1985-1988)

2006- Present
KS2 Ecological Field Services

We have 15 years of experience in field ecology working with different companies and academic institutions such as MWH, Shepherd Miller, Inc., Compa, Texas Tech University, and Colorado State University. Our services include development and implementation of vegetation sampling plans, ground and surface water sampling, soil sampling, insect sampling, fish sampling, and river surveying. Our services also include the set-up, instrumentation, and establishment of detailed ecological field experiments. We have worked on numerous military bases, mines, National Parks, and privately owned lands. Our experience includes wetlands, riparian and riverine systems, and and semi-arid environments, pine forests and old growth forests. We also provide bird and mammal surveys.

Owens Valley Natural Resources Project, California - MWH

Providing services to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) as a subcontractor to MWH for the set-up and instrumentation of a $1.7 million, multi-year field experiment to evaluate relationships between plant growth and depth-to-water. Work includes oversight of field construction activities (drilling rigs, backhoes, etc.), set-up of irrigation systems and final plot configurations, instrumentation of plots with soil moisture sensors and data loggers, and establishment of plots with both seeds and transplants.

Conducting extensive vegetation monitoring using 50-meter line transects throughout the Owens Valley. Work currently includes training of recently hired LADWP staff in vegetation monitoring techniques utilized in the Owens Valley.

2002- 2006
MWH Americas, Inc.

Owens Valley Natural Resoures Project, California — Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

Conducted river surveys that included using a densitometer, measuring the width of the river, river contour and vegetation identification, shrub line intercept, slope and undercut of banks, and river bottom profiling. Utilized off road vehicles to access and determine density and plant species along the rivers edge. Documented river plot locations using GPS units (Trimble and Garmin), and installed T-posts for relocation to facilitate resurveying.
Set up and established a revegetation experiment area to evaluate the effectiveness of revegetation methods without the use of supplemental irrigation. Techniques evaluated included wind breaks; applying manure, river sludge, and wood chips; addition of water retention polymers; and precipitation concentration devices. A total of 960 plots were established and evaluated over a 1-year period.

Set up and conducted a depth-to-water study to evaluate relationships between spatial distribution of vegetation types, variations in depth-to-water, and microtopography. This included working with a drilling team and using hand augers with a concrete drill. Data were collected from total of soil borings for depth-to-water measurement and transects for determination of vegetation composition and cover.

Conducted vegetation monitoring for the Lower Owens River Project (LORP). The LORP involves the rewetting of 62 miles of river that has been dry for nearly a century as a result of water diversions. Vegetation monitoring was conducted using frequency frames and a percentage method to determine frequency and cover of each species. The line intercept method was utilized for shrubs.

Set up and conducted data collection for the Plant Survivability Project. Data collection included vegetation transects and vegetation clipping for determination of biomass of each species. Root trenches were excavated by hand for determination of root density. Root cores were also obtained for measurement of root biomass. Shrub sampling included determination of total biomass by measurement of the base of the shrubs, cutting down the shrub and dividing into leaves, twigs, branches, and trunk, and drying and weighing each.

Surveyed endangered and threatened plant species, ran 50-meter line point transects to determine cover composition and cover of each species.

Multiple Mine Sites
Performed soil sampling of mines tailings for characterization of soil type relative vegetation growth. Conducted vegetation surveys and data collection for evaluation of revegetation projects relative to design goals. Excavated and sampled root trenches for determination of root density and biomass. Performed water sampling along rivers and streams for water quality characterization. Conducted fish sampling and identification. Performed radiation detection monitoring around a processing mill. The mine sites spanned diverse geographies and ecosystem types including:

Pinto Valley Mine in Arizona

Copper Cities Mine in Arizona

Old Dominion Mine in Arizona
Tohono mine in Arizona

TVX mine in Montana

Monsanto Mine in Idaho

1998-2001
Shepherd Miller, Inc.

Multiple Mine Sites
Collection of vegetation samples for biomass (clipping and line transects including identification of species) and contamination of heavy metals, collection insect samples, collection of ground and surface water samples (includes rivers and wells), field determination of physical water parameters (e.g. pH, conductivity, temperature), collection of soil samples (identified type of soil) for testing of contamination in the areas, collection of root samples using a root corer. Theses sites spanned diverse geographies and ecosystem types including:

Lone Tree Mine in Wyoming

TVX Mine in Montana
Leadville Mines in Colorado

Uranium Mill at Moab, Utah

Mine near Alamosa Colorado

Mine near Winnemucca, Nevada

Mine Near Spokane, Washington

Mine Near Silver City, New Mexico

National Parks:
Collected vegetation data which included clipping (for Biomass and percentage of each species) and identification of the vegetation. Conducted root collection for biomass using a root corer. The National Parks included:

Big Bend National Park, Texas
Acadia National Park, Maine
Lake Meade National Park, Nevada

Military Bases:
Collected vegetation data which included clipping (for biomass and percentage of each species) and identification of the vegetation. Performed root collection for biomass using a root corer. Implemented a program for measurement of tree biomass by using the height and diameter breast height (DBH) of the trees in the area and cutting limbs from several trees for weight measurements on the leaves, twigs, branches and trunks. Sites include:

Ft. Bliss, El Paso, Texas
Ft. Hood, Killeen, Texas
The Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado

Piceance Basin, Colorado, Gas Pipeline:
Collecting vegetation data which included clipping (for biomass and percentage of each species) and identification of the vegetation. Performed root collection for biomass using a root corer. Excavated and obtained data from root pits for determination of root density and sample collection for a microbial study.

1994-1998
Independent Consultant

Contracted out to Ft. Bliss, El Paso TX through University of Texas at El Paso, and COMPA, Inc. El Paso, TX

Set up several experiments on Ft. Bliss including:

1. Determination of carrying capacity project that includes using M- 1 Tanks and Humvees in a track recovery experiment. Set up and conducted monitoring the experimental sites using quads (1 x'/2 meter square) at meter intervals. Quads were read by % cover and species. Also set up and monitored point line transects and line intercept lines to compare results.
   
2. Set up a burn study for vegetation regrowth. Utilized point line transects and line intercept lines.
   
3. Assisted with a burn study on barrel cactus for recovery and damage done by the fire on the cactus
   
4. Data collection for a wind erosion study based in areas of high erosion using sand traps, weather stations, and vegetation lines to record information.
   
5. Land Conditioning Trend Analysis (LCTA). Techniques included a point line transect for forbs and grasses and a Belt transect for shrubs and trees.
   
6. Water erosion survey that included location of all areas proposed for road repair on Ft. Bliss.
   
7. Report writing using Word Perfect and data entry and statistical analyses using Excel.
   
   

1991-1994
Independent Consultant

Contracted out to US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories through Colorado State University and Texas Tech University

Worked on numerous US Military Bases

Ft. Hood, Killeen, TX

Performed Land Conditioning Trend Analysis (LCTA) Transects (point line transect for forbs and grasses and a Belt transects for tree and shrubs populations along the line transects). Identified sites and set up a grazing study for Ft. Hood. These jobs required a knowledge of the vegetation in the area, use of topographic maps (UTM), navigation by compass, access using 4X4 vehicles, and documentation of sampling locations with a GPS unit (Trimble)

Camp Bulls, San Antonio, TX
Established an LCTA monitoring program and performed small mammal trapping using both snap traps and Sherman traps. These jobs required knowledge of the vegetation in the area, use of topographic maps (UTM), navigation with a compass, use of 4X4 vehicles, documentation of sampling locations with a GPS unit (Trimble), use of Sherman traps and snap traps, and identification of small mammals

Other sites with similar work scopes included:

Camp MacCain, Granada, MS

Camp Shelby, Hattiesburg, MS

Camp Roberts, Paso Robles, CA

Camp Florence, Florence, AZ

Yakima Firing Center, Yakima, WA
Ft. Campbell, TN/KY