Plant Monitoring 101

Christopher David Benda – Visiting Plant Ecologist, Illinois Natural History Survey

Degognia Canyon – Jackson County

Illinois Native Plant SocietySouthern Chapter

www.facebook.com/southernillinoisplants

Technical Expert

Consultant

The Flora of Southern IllinoisPLB 451 – Plant Biology Dept.Southern Illinois University

Illinois Botanizerwww.facebook.com/illinoisbotanizer

Introduction & Outline

• Why monitor?

• Sampling methods

• Resources

• Data analysis

• Field exercise

Why monitor?

• Create an inventory/census

(representative sample)

• Evaluate changes over time

• Per community

• Per species

• Quantify plant abundance

• Measure restoration/management

success

• Make objective comparisons

ObjectivesWhat is your question?

• I want to know how many species I

have on my property

• I want to measure biodiversity over

time

• I want to evaluate the natural quality of

my land

• Is there a need to be objective? (peer

reviewed journal, statistics, research)

Selecting a Site

• Species lists

• Previous sampling data

• Aerial imagery

The Morton Arboretum

Aerial ImageryLeaf-on

Aerial ImageryLeaf-off

Aerial ImageryLeaf-on

Aerial ImageryLeaf-off

Monitoring ProtocolsSampling Methods

• How important is objectivity?

Monitoring ProtocolsSampling Methods

• Releve method

0.07% in a natural condition

Monitoring ProtocolsSampling Methods

• Transect-Quadrat method

• Plot Design

• How many plots are necessary?

Species-Area Curve

Monitoring ProtocolsSampling Methods

• Transect-Quadrat method

• Plot Design

• What size plots? (depends on

natural community and vertical

layer)

Monitoring ProtocolsSampling Methods

• Transect-Quadrat method

• Plot Design

• Nested plots?

• Patch size

Plot Layout:

12.6 m

4 m

6.8 m

2.8 m

Envision the futureConsistency is key!

• Pick a sampling protocol and stick

with it.

• Sample 3 times a year when possible.

Marking the plots

Permanent plots

vs.

GPS points

Record Azimuth

Equipment

Meter tape

DBH tape

Quadrat

Stake

Random number generator

Conducting the monitoring• How to measure trees

• Measure on the upslope side

• If double trunked, measure as one

tree if split is above DBH

• DBH = diameter at Breast Height

(4.5m)

Conducting the monitoring

• Laying Transect

• Percent Cover estimates

• Stem Count

Conducting the monitoring

• Plant Identification

• Collecting methods (photography)

Plant Resources for IllinoisField Guide Books & Websites

Plant Resources for Southern IllinoisField Guide Books & Websites

Data Forms

Analyze the data

• Compare diversity (richness/eveness)

between patches

• Managed vs. unmanaged

• Compare grade A vs. grade B

• Grazing and logging influences

Implications

• What is the canopy composition?

• Oak regeneration

• Shrub layer

• Changes over time

• Invasive species trends

Analyze the data

• Floristic Quality Index (FQI)• http://pleasantvalleyconservancy.org/fqi.html

• Conservatism values

• Erigenia, Vol. 15• www.ill-inps.org/index.php/publications

• Species Diversity (Bowles, et al.)

Graph courtesy of Karen Glennemeier