Measurements for Terrestrial Vegetation 2e

Measurements for Terrestrial Vegetation, 2nd Edition presents the up-to-date methods for analyzing species frequency, plant cover, density and biomass data. Each method used to obtain a measure is presented in detail with a full discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of methods from field applications through statistical characteristics of bias and use of the correct probability distribution to describe and analyze data.§The book covers the use of satellite imagery to obtain measurement data on cover, density and biomass. Models for prediction of these plant characteristics over large areas are included. Field data collection includes current applications of statistical sampling and analysis designs that should be used to obtain and analyze these data.§Introduction- Materials will present a brief history of vegetation measurements, measures of species associations, plant frequency and cover, numbers of species/area, and biomass production by species, and life-forms. A short history will be provided on the various schools of ideology concerning native vegetation characteristics. Within this section will be the early developments of vegetation ecological descriptions as implemented by the European and American schools of plant ecology. Emphases will be placed on the result of using these philosophical descriptions as sources of variations in data within and between vegetation classifications. The history will conclude with a short description of applications of these measures in vegetation inventories on native lands and subsequent monitoring programs to detect changes in vegetation characteristics over time and to evaluate effects of resource management strategies.§Methods- Materials will update field methodologies as used presently to evaluate plant frequency, cover, density (numbers of individual plants by species, genera, etc), and production of biomass by species, life-forms, vegetation types and/or other groupings that are used for various purposes. Methods used to place equipment to obtain these measures of plants in the field will include practical sample design methods to measure vegetation stratified into plant communities or vegetation types. Both field mapping of plant types and their plant communities can be sampled respectively, using maps generated from sources as diverse as in-field only to the use of satellite imagery. These latter two mapping methods can be used in combination with field surveys to identify vegetation-environmental systems that result by partitioning spectral classes from satellite imagery into similar clusters of pixels. Field methods using statistical sampling methods and their applications to identify plant communities in relation to their environmental characteristics will be presented with example data sets. No theoretical materials will be given; rather emphasis will be an applied approach through the use of figures and tables that illustrate applications.§Each method used to obtain a measure (frequency, cover, density, biomass) will be presented in detail by discussing the strengths and weaknesses of methods from field applications through statistical characteristics of biasness and use of the correct probability distribution to describe and analyze data. Distributions of data will be expanded in more detail than in the current edition.