Reed manna grass (Glyceria maxima) is an aggressive invasive plant species that ecologists historically don’t know much about. But that’s changing as ecologist Heather Patti of R.A. Smith National and wetland ecologist Alice Thompson of Thompson & Associates are embarking on the second year of a two-year field study of this uncommon invasive species.

Reed manna grass began its spread into Racine County, Wisconsin, and more specifically, the Village of Mt. Pleasant in the mid-1970s. The study area is located along the Pike River corridor and encompasses several hundred feet of a 30-acre segment of a 450-acre environmental corridor, Village-owned park that includes restored waterway, wetlands and prairie. There is a concern that this invasive species could spread downstream where future restoration is being planned on what is one of the largest river restoration projects in the upper Midwest. Planning of this restoration project has been ongoing for more than a decade, and is focused on protecting and improving critical fish, wildlife and waterfowl habitat.

Unlike most invasive species which spread in a northerly direction, reed manna grass has reportedly travelled south from the Canadian region into the Lower 48. In the U.S., the species has been identified in both Massachusetts and Wisconsin. Its origin is temperate regions of Europe and Asia, and is well established in portions of Canada, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa (Wei and Chow-Fraser, 2006; Kortze, 2006).

What may be most alarming about reed manna grass is that it can outcompete both invasive and native species, such as cattails, threatening wetland function and diversity. Reed manna grass can form dense, impenetrable stands over large areas and along riparian corridors. It is listed as both a prohibited and a restricted species under Chapter NR 40, an invasive species rule by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Having first observed the invasion of this species just two miles from her home in Racine, Wisconsin, R.A. Smith National’s Heather Patti recently got the opportunity to partner with Alice Thompson of Thompson & Associates Wetland Services and the Village of Mt. Pleasant to complete a unique, two-year control study on this species. The study was made possible through a 75% matching grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Aquatic Invasive Species Control Grants Program.

Heather and Alice began their study in 2011 after having observed this species for several years. As part of the study, two herbicides are being used to treat and control this species and the effects are being monitored and documented. The study involves three replications of Aquaneat® & Habitat® herbicide treatments with a split plot design. Using this method, three distinct areas are individually treated with each herbicide during two different times of the year to compare the results of each. To date, successful die-off has been observed using both herbicides, but some re-sprouting will likely occur in some plots. The Habitat® herbicide caused a heavier die-off of the Glyceria, and impacted several native species growing in the plots. The study is continuing in 2012 with plans for additional treatments and monitoring.

The Village of Mt. Pleasant has been very pleased with the study results. Bill Sasse, director of engineering, Village of Mt. Pleasant, said, "Heather Patti and Alice Thompson have a long history of aiding the Village in the plant management of the Pike River corridor, and we are very happy that they were funded to study the Glyceria maxima that is located there. Their work adds the component of providing a research environment to the beneficial uses of the corridor and aids the Village in controlling invasive species in the area."

Heather and Alice recently presented a poster depicting their 2012 study results at the Wisconsin Wetlands Association Conference in Lake Geneva. They are looking forward to presenting the final results of their study and sharing their insight with state and local government agencies and environmental preservation groups at the 2013 Wisconsin Wetlands Conference.

For more information about this study, or other invasive species questions, contact Heather Patti, PWS, at R.A. Smith National, 262-317-3361.

When Potter Lawson, Inc. came to R.A. Smith National looking for a way to create as-built drawings of the facades of several buildings in historic downtown Madison, Wis., Jon Chapman’s answer was simple. 3D laser scanning. According to Chapman, “There’s no more accurate, cost-effective way to document the as-built conditions of a structure than with 3D laser scanning.”

It’s easy to grasp why today’s laser scanning technology is truly phenomenal. Millions of survey-grade accurate points within a 4mm tolerance are captured in a matter of minutes; 40 million points in just 3 ½ minutes to be more precise.

“So what” you say. “What am I going to do with 40 million points?” Exactly. What R.A. Smith National does with those points is where the rubber meets the road.

R.A. Smith National’s 3D laser scanning team recently worked with architects from Potter Lawson to provide 3D laser scanning services for six historical building facades. The project site was Block 76 on downtown State Street in the city of Madison. The exterior facades of each of the six buildings were scanned. Using specialized software, a series of 2D as-built CAD drawings were then created for each building elevation.
There’s a lot you can see and do with the data from a 3D laser scan. The native data being captured by the scanner, more commonly known as a point cloud, can be used to interactively visualize the space that was scanned.  The point cloud can be viewed as a whole from customized vantage points, or cut into vertical or horizontal sections, which enables R.A. Smith National’s 3D laser scanning team to very quickly visualize and create very accurate cross sections that would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to create otherwise.

3D laser scanning is further useful in the ability to auto extract certain features from a point cloud, such as 3D piping or surfaces. While still far from a completely automated process, technological advancements in software algorithms are constantly being developed, making “usable” data extraction from point clouds a much more manageable process. Those features which cannot be auto extracted can be digitized rather quickly while snapping to the actual point cloud to ensure the highest level of accuracy.
Depending on the project, laser scanning can be a much better data capture tool compared to conventional methods. In particular, when there are highly detailed areas or areas that have a vertical orientation (such as a building facade), a laser scanner is a much better tool for the job.  The proper scan set-up locations will ensure that there are no return trips to the field for additional information. All the data needed (and more) will be contained in the cloud. It is simply a matter of extracting it to the proper usable object.

On the Block 76 project, what would otherwise have required the tedious task of using a tape measure, or even a laser distance meter, to measure various architectural treatments and artistic elements was accomplished much quicker and more accurately with 3D laser scanning. Vital dimensional information, such as window and door opening sizes, building heights, sizes of precast elements such as keystones, other ornamental features, and the specific number of bricks in all soldier courses and walls were easily identifiable, and accurately documented.

A final value-added benefit provided on the Block 76 project was the creation of a TruView data set. Simply put, the TruView software is useful for professionals who want to easily view and measure laser scan point clouds without having to be an expert in laser scanning, CAD or 3D. TruView is essentially a user-friendly, 3D browser-based viewer, measurement and markup tool for 3D point clouds.

An html document acts as the home page, which typically consists of a 2D plan as a base, with each scan position hyperlinked to the corresponding virtual location in the 3D point cloud file. When these hyperlinks are clicked on, the applicable point cloud is then opened in the TruView data viewer. 
This TruView data set was provided to Potter Lawson with the intent that it could be used by the designers and the general contractors for future reference
as the new design was being developed and then built.

Watch and See
3D laser scanning is an exciting technology that provides critically accurate data when you need it. Visit R.A. Smith National’s website to take an incredible tour of 3D laser scanning and view several of our recent project examples.

More Information
For more information on our services or to discuss a specific project, contact Jon Chapman, 3D laser scanning project manager, at 262-317-3366.

R.A. Smith National used 3D laser scanning to capture this point cloud of the facade of one of several buildings for the Block 76 project in Madison, Wis.

When a point cloud is displayed using the Hue Intensity Map, features such as individual brick courses are easily identified.

This 2D CAD elevation is one example of several elevations that were extracted from the point cloud on the Block 76 project.