Remote Sensing and Vegetation Survey
Summary:
We will be at the Coal Oil Point UC Reserve to monitor the vegetation through the use of
transects and quadrants. We will also use instruments such as thermal and digital cameras, radiometers
and pyranometers to obtain additional site information. Radiometers are used to determine the surface
temperatures at a certain time of day. Pyranmometers are used to examine the amount of sunlight an
area receives and the amount of light being reflected from the surface. Cameras are used to determine
the dominant and codominant plant species in question and their heights. This purpose of this exercise
will be to offer us an understanding of the plant species composition and diversity of the area, and to
quantify the relationship between the disturbance, the environment and the species composition of the
landscape being studied.
Benefits:
- Offers insight regarding the physical description of the surrounding ecosystem and landscape
including the topography, plant cover, height of dominant plants, species composition and
biomass.
- Information of long term environmental changes can be provided (temperature, precipitation,
plant cover, amount of carbon dioxide).
- By examining canopy cover, the water balance of an area can be determined by looking at the
ratio of live to dead plants present, the effects that shade casting over an area can be studied,
and the surface response to wind, water and rainfall can be investigated.
- The canopy height of plants offers insight to the biomass present on the site at a given time, and
can be used to estimate key agrometeorological properties.
Limitations:
- Human error and overestimation can skew results.
- Variations in seasonal conditions can alter species composition, where some plants are more
prevalent during wet seasons while others are more prevalent during dry seasons.
- Different sites will have different species composition and plant diversity.
Considerations:
- Time:
o At different times of days, there is a different amount of light, so recording the time
when data was collected at each quadrat is essential.
- Equipment:
o Labeled Orange Landscaping Flags & Markers
 These will be used to identify which quadrat along which transect to take data
from.
o Cameras & Tripods
 Make sure the height of the camera is at approximately 130cm and positioned
correctly to keep every image consistent with each other.
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Data:
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Each photo taken must have a 3X5 card with information of the transect and
quadrat used.
 Two phots per plot must be taken in case a photo is blurry
 One thermal camera is used to collect information about the canopy cover and
height, and a digital camera is used to get a high resolution image.
o Transects and Quadrats
 Each transect must have the 0m end pointing directly North and 50m directly
pointing South.
 Each quadrat will be placed immediately to the left of each flag, where the flag
is located in the center of the outer right side of the transect.
 A 1m X 1m quadrat will be used to take photo samples of, and a 1.5m X 1.5m
quadrat separated into 4 quadrants to gather data on the plant species present.
o Coal Oil Point Reserve Tower Species Identification Guide
 Used to identify plants.
Environmental:
o Many of the plants are herbaceous and fragile, so try to stay on the pathways and off
the plants as much as possible.
Personal Safety:
o Bring a hat and sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun.
o Wear closed-end shoes – no sandals or flip-flops on the survey site.
o Plants in the early morning can collect dew on their leaves, which can cause conditions
to be slippery.
o Bring sun lotion if you wish to wear a t-shirt and shorts.
o As daytime temperatures can fluctuate, bring a sweater or a long sleeved shirt.
o Bring ample water and something to snack on.
o There are no restrooms in the vicinity.
Data Sheet 1: Thermal and Digital Camera:
o Record the names of the individuals taking data samples, the date and the location
being studied.
o Record the quadrat and transect the photo is being taken of.
o Identify the dominant plant species in each 1m X 1m quadrant, then determine the
height of it in cm by measuring a sample located at the center, left, top, right and base
of each quadrat.
o If applicable, identify the codominant plant species in each quadrant, and determine its
height in cm by measuring one found in the center, left, top, right and base of each
quadrat
o Record the time each photo was taken.
o Record the height from the ground each photo was taken.
Data Sheet 2: Radiometer (surface temperature) and Pyranometer (albedo)
o Record the names of the individuals taking data samples, the date and the location.
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Record the quadrat and transect the temperature and albedo samples are being taken
of.
o Using the radiometer, select three random spots within the quadrat and record the
temperature in degree Celsius.
o Using the pyranometer, record the upwelling by holding the device with the sensor
pointed downwards, then record the downwelling by holding the device with the sensor
pointed upwards. This determines the amount of sunlight hitting the area and amount
of sunlight being deflected.
o Record the time each data sample was taken.
Data Sheet 3: Vegetation Cover Data Sheet
o Record the name of the individuals taking data samples, the date, the time and the
location.
o Use the Coal Oil Point Reserve Tower Species Identification Guide to determine which
plants are found within each 1.5m X 1.5m quadrat.
 If a plant species is present, put a 1 in the “Pres./Abs.” column. Otherwise put a
0.
 If specimens of BAPI (Baccharis pilularis; Coyote brush), FOVU (Foeniculum
vulgare; Fennel), PLLA (Plantago lanceolata; narrow-leaf plantain), and SIBE
(Sisyrinchium bellum; Blue-eyed grass) are found, record the numbers of
individuals present in the quadrat in the “Abundance” column, along with the
percentage of them that are budding, flowering and fruiting in the “Phenology”
column.
 Each 1.5m X 1.5m quadrat is separated into four quadrants. Determine if each
plant can be found in only one, in two, in three or in all four quadrants by
writing 1, 2, 3, or 4 in the “Frequency” column.
 If a plant species is present, each individual must estimate how prevalent that
plant is in the quadrat being examined. If it has a low level of coverage, write 1
(very low) or 2 (low) in the “Cover” column, a 3 or 4 if it has a medium level of
coverage, or a 5 or 6 if it has a high level of coverage.
Alternative techniques:
1) Photoplots and Photopoints:
Photoplots are photographs of a small defined area to study invasion of non-native species,
successional changes, compaction and soil disturbances, and photopoints are landscape
photographs taken from the same spot at different times so that changes in the plant
composition can be compared.
2) Video Photography:
Videos provide a better sense of features and conditions of the site than photographs, but
are difficult to retake and more inconvenient to study out in the field to make comparisons
to current conditions.
3) Complete Population Counts:
This method eliminates using statistical analysis, as well as sampling errors, but can be very
costly and time consuming. Areas with a large population area or dense vegetation can be
very problematic using this approach.