Vegetation Transects

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Vegetation Transects

• San Pedro Creek Study

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Two Methods

• Line-point Intercept
• What plant species are found along the transect
  and how many? How will the plant species change
  now that the fence is built?
• Canopy Gap
• How much soil is exposed to potential erosion?

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Transects

• Each transect is 30 meters long.
• 3 transects _at_ the Spring Site
• 4 transects _at_ the Confluence Site
• Transects are 10 meters apart
• Parallel to each other Perpendicular to the
  stream

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Line Point Intercept

• Examine each Meter mark along each transect,
  starting at the 1 meter mark.
• Drop a thin metal rod along the meter tape,
  imagine the rod extended straight up to the sky,
  would it touch any vegetation?
• Record each plant that touched the rod starting
  from the top down.
• Collect a sample of each plant for later
  identification by Botanist Will Barnes. Label
  each plant sample with the code used on the data
  sheet. Place samples in plastic bag.
• Also record the presence of rocks, soil and
  water.

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Canopy Gap

• Starting at the zero mark on the meter tape, look
  for exposed soil with nothing covering it.
• Any living plant, litter (dead plant material),
  rocks or animal waste is considered cover.
• Record the distance from zero in centimeters of
  the start of the gap in the from column.
• Record the distance from zero in centimeters when
  the gap stops in the to column. Stop when you
  get to any object wider than 2cm covers the soil.
  
• Only record gaps 20 cm or longer.
• Any plant, litter or rock smaller than 2 cm does
  not count as cover. Any object larger than 2 cm
  will stop the gap.

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Riparian Vegetation

• Vegetation growing along the banks of a river or
  stream, such as willow and cotton woods.
• Holds soils, prevents erosion, can help filter
  run off, helps reduce turbidity
• Shades the stream keeping it cooler. Colder
  streams can hold more Dissolved Oxygen. Some
  species of fish need cold water and high levels
  of dissolved oxygen to live and breathe.
• Can provide habitat to many animals year-round
  and for migratory animals like birds and
  butterflies.
• Builds up the soils along the bank that can act
  as a sponge and provide water for stream flow
  during dry periods.