VEGETATION SAMPLING
GENERAL ECOLOGY LABORATORY

Location: Bluffside Park
Objective: Assess two methods for sampling terrestrial vegetation
Hypothesis: Plot and point-quarter procedures are equally effective methods for sampling woodland vegetation

Agenda:
1) General description of woodland - aspect, slope, tree species present, obvious vegetation stratification, soil appearance, weather conditions

2) Plot sampling (pp. 90-94)

a) randomly establish four plots (100 square m; 7.07 X 14.14 m)

b) count and identify each tree within each plot, using copies of p. 91 to record your data

c) measure the "diameter at breast height" (DBH, p. 88) of each tree

3) Point-quarter sampling (pp. 103-108)

a) randomly establish ten points

b) mark four quadrants from each point with compass directions

c) measure distance from point to nearest tree (center of stem) in each quadrant, using copies of p. 104 to record your data

d) identify tree and measure DBH

Analysis:
1) Using data from plots, for each species determine density, relative density, frequency, relative frequency, coverage, relative coverage, and importance (pp. 90, 94). Summarize all this information on the sheet provided by the instructor.

2) Do the same for data from point-quarter samples (pp. 107-108). Summarize all this information on a copy of p. 106.

Equipment:
Meter tapes, meter sticks, compasses, DBH tapes, flagging, data sheets