Environmental Impact Research Program: Distance Sampling Techniques. Section 6.2.2. US Army Corps of Engineers Wildlife Resources Management Manual

摘要

Distance techniques represent a category of plotless vegetation sampling methods used to compare plant communities or assess changes in a community over time. They are best suited for sampling woody vegetation in moderate to dense stands. This report is designed to provide the field biologist with an overview of distance sampling methods and descriptions of specific techniques available for vegetation inventories on project lands. General aspects of distance methods are discussed, and the point-centered quarter, T-square nearest-neighbor, and joint-point techniques are presented in detail. Criteria for the appropriate use and selection of each technique are given. Procedures for data collection and summarization of results are fully described, and examples are shown using data from field exercises. Personnel requirements and sampling limitations are discussed, and reproducible forms for recording field data are provided in the appendixes. (kr)