Field Service Report · Recovery · Worked Example
FSR-2089-0442 — Strangler Vine Recovery
Recovery of an aggressive GCL-3 "Strangler Vine" cultivar (UF-31188) from an off-site rooftop garden following an unauthorized cutting propagation. Specimen recovered and returned to containment; no personnel exposure.
FSR ID: FSR-2089-0442
Date: 2089-09-08
Technician: R. Mallow (lead), J. Sorrel (observer)
Crew Size: 2
GCL Grade: GCL-3
Governing SOP: VC-SOP-0501 / 0204
Dispatch Auth: S. Aralia
Engagement classification. Aggressive GCL-3 recovery in a public-adjacent rooftop setting. Two-person rule and field-grade PPE mandatory per
VC-SOP-0204 §5 (GCL-3 subset). Strangler Vine exhibits thigmotropic constriction — contact triggers rapid coiling.
1. Site & Conditions
| Field | Entry |
|---|
| Site name / client | Old Cannery Rooftop Garden (private allotment, Tier-2 partner referral) |
| Location / access | 9-story former cannery; roof access via single freight lift + ladder. Confined egress. |
| Engagement type | Recovery |
| Ambient temp / RH | 26 °C / 71 %RH, light wind 12 km/h |
| Hazards on arrival | Vine had overgrown a pergola and two adjacent planters; partial wrap on a water tank ladder. |
| Public proximity | Adjacent occupied building; 8 m cordon established with client cooperation. |
2. Specimen Identification
| Field | Entry |
|---|
| Common name | Strangler Vine (engineered constrictor cultivar) |
| Cultivar / accession | UF-31188 — propagated from unauthorized cutting of vault stock |
| Assessed GCL grade | GCL-3 (constriction hazard; no toxin; no aerial dispersal) |
| Approx. size | ~6.4 m principal runner, 11 lateral tendrils, est. 14 kg wet mass |
| Observed hazards | Thigmotropic constriction; tensile coil force measured 340 N on test rod |
| Provenance | Confirmed — genetic match to vault lot via field PhytoSense swab |
3. Work Performed
- Established 8 m cordon; confirmed no public within reach envelope. Briefed two-person roles: Mallow handler, Sorrel observer with severance tool and comms to dispatch.
- Donned cut-resistant gauntlets, arm guards, eye protection, and dosimeter per VC-SOP-0301 GCL-3 field subset. Confirmed PhytoSense handset calibration (cal age 6 d).
- Captured arrival readings (Section 4). Vine sap-flow elevated, consistent with active growth phase.
- Applied chilled-CO₂ quiescence wand to the principal runner crown to induce thigmotropic dormancy (target tissue temp < 9 °C), reducing coil response before handling.
- With the specimen quiescent, severed lateral tendrils from anchor points in distal-to-proximal order, coiling each into a sealed transport sleeve.
- Excised the principal runner crown intact with 0.3 m root ball; double-sleeved and placed in a GCL-3 sealed transport pod.
- Swept the pergola and planters for residual cuttings; recovered 3 viable fragments > 5 cm (each capable of re-rooting) and sealed them.
- Performed field decon on tools and gauntlets; confirmed dosimeter clear; broke cordon.
4. Readings Captured
| Metric | Unit | Nominal Band | Arrival | At Securing |
|---|
| Canopy Vitality Index | % | ≥ 90 | 97.1 | — |
| Sap-Flow Rate | g/h | 40–70 (species) | 88 | 9 |
| Turgor Pressure | kPa | 120–180 | 206 | 71 |
| Crown Tissue Temp | °C | handling < 9 | 24.0 | 7.8 |
| Constriction Force (test rod) | N | — | 340 | < 20 |
| VOC / Toxin Index | ppb | < OEL | 0 (non-toxic) | 0 |
| Personnel Dosimeter | — | clear | clear | clear |
5. Parts & Consumables
| Item | Part / Lot | Qty | Notes |
|---|
| GCL-3 sealed transport pod | TP3-0091 | 1 | Principal runner + root ball |
| Sealed transport sleeve | TS-LOT-2241 | 14 | Tendrils + fragments |
| Chilled-CO₂ quiescence cartridge | QW-CO2-118 | 2 | 1 spare returned |
| Cut-resistant gauntlet pair | PPE-GTL-3 | 2 | Decontaminated, returned |
6. Containment Actions
- PPE: cut-resistant gauntlets, arm guards, eye protection, dosimeter (GCL-3 field subset)
- Containment method: chilled quiescence + sealed transport pod/sleeves
- Two-person rule observed: Yes — handler + observer with severance tool
- Field dispersal control: full fragment sweep, all viable cuttings > 5 cm recovered
- Decon on egress: tools and PPE field-deconned; dosimeter clear
7. Outcome & Disposition
| Outcome | Recovered |
| Specimen disposition | Returned to GCL-3 Bio-Vault Sphere S-33; re-cataloged under parent UF-31188; 3 fragments incinerated per VC-SOP-0318. |
| Site left in condition | Pergola and planters cleared; client advised on monitoring for re-growth from missed root tissue. |
| Emergency procedure triggered? | No — controlled recovery, no breach declared. |
| Recovery duration | 3.1 h on-site (within 3.4 h dispatch target) |
8. Follow-Up Actions
- Legal/Compliance notified of unauthorized vault-stock propagation — owner: S. Aralia — due 2089-09-10. Done
- Client site re-inspection at +30 d to confirm no re-rooting — owner: R. Mallow — due 2089-10-08. Done, clear
- Vault access audit for source cutting — owner: D. Hemlock — due 2089-09-15. Done
9. Lessons Learned
Lesson — quiescence before severance is non-negotiable for constrictor cultivars. The chilled-CO₂ wand dropped constriction force from 340 N to under 20 N and made single-handler severance safe. A prior attempt on a related cultivar (FSR-2089-0418) skipped quiescence and escalated to
VC-SOP-0401.
Recommendation: add a mandatory quiescence step to the GCL-3 recovery checklist in VC-SOP-0501, and stage two QW-CO2 cartridges minimum on all constrictor dispatches. Submitted to Dispatch Lead for SOP revision.
10. Signatures
| Role | Name | Date |
|---|
| Field Technician | R. Mallow | 2089-09-08 |
| Field Observer | J. Sorrel | 2089-09-08 |
| Dispatch Lead | S. Aralia | 2089-09-09 |
| Containment Officer | D. Hemlock | 2089-09-09 |