Sample Projects: UPS Tree Tour; Lichen Biodiversity Survey on Trees around Tacoma, WA; Forest Habitat Survey

Description:
   -  Determine what is present at a specific location at a specific time, with tangible evidence
   -  If repeated over long period of time, may be able to detect changes in biodiversity, such as species loss.

Equipment needed:
   -  Field book
   -  Map of photo site
   -  Trimble GPS unit
   -  Digital camera that as been calibrated with GPS (see Calibrating your Digital Camera with your Trimble GPS Unit)
   -  Appropriate scale bar and ID tag
   -  Compass
   -  Appropriate flora and fauna identification books, if needed
If surveying along a transect,
   -  Tape measure/transect line
   -  Quadrat
   -  Random number generator (available online)

What to photograph:

• Large-scale photographs of overall site
• Close up shots (i.e. Photographs of a  tree may include the entire tree, leaves, bark, and flowers/seeds)

When to photograph:

• May be useful to document biodiversity in spring/early summer when plants are in full bloom

Procedure:
1.     Determine what needs to be photographed to accurately document your objectives
2.     Calibrate your digital camera with your GPS unit
3.     Determine how large an area you will survey (i.e. meter X meter square off transect)
4.     Lay transect through area to be surveyed and document GPS coordinates and direction of transect
5.     Generate random numbers
6.     Lay quadrat at designated numbers along transect
7.     Include scale bar in photograph. If using a quadrat, scale can be marked on its perimeter
8.     Include photo ID tag with site name, photograph number, and transect number
9.     Place GPS unit by quadrat, not by the camera, to document the quadrat coordinates and not the camera’s
10.  Photograph the quadrat from a designated height above (i.e. 1 meter above)
11.  Continue this procedure for all randomly generated numbers along the transect and any other transects surveyed

Webpage and project content by:

Dr. Joel Elliott, University of Puget Sound, Department of Biology
Liz Fly, University of Puget Sound, Department of Biology
Erin Spear,  University of Puget Sound, Department of Biology

This project is funded by the Northwest Academic Computing Consortium and the University of Puget Sound

.                

jkelliott@ups.edu | lfly@ups.edu | Send Feedback!