Dataset: Overstory Data

Methods

The methods followed in the creation of the dataset, including description of field, laboratory and processing steps, and quality control procedures

Current Methods

• Overstory Plot: 52.7’ radius
  
  

  Within the 1/5ac overstory plot every tree that is >=4.5” DBH is counted, species recorded, azimuth from plot center taken and distance from plot center to the pith is measured. Diameter at breast height, which is defined as 4.5’, is measured as well as the height to live crown, total height, strata (dominant (D), co-dominant (C), intermediate (I), or overtopped (O)), and the status of the tree is defined. The Status of a tree refers to whether the tree is living (1), dead brash failure (5), dead standing (6), or dead uprooted (7). If the tree is classified as a class 6 or 7 the height measurements and crown class are not recorded. After all the measurements are taken for the tree a bark scribe is used to the inner bark to make a line (2” long, ½” high) facing plot center on the tree at 4.5’. The paint pen is used to paint this line. On trees with very thin bark (ie. birch spp., smooth beech) the line at 4.5’ is not scribed and only painted with the paint pen.

  Instrumentation: Hypsometer (Haglof Vertex IV), 100’ steel logger’s diameter tape, 100’ fiber glass ground tape, compass, bark scribe, blue paint pen, PVC pipe, orange, blue, and pink flagging, data collection sheets, pencils, Garmin gps

• Plot Location
  
  

  Plots are randomly distributed within the study area and stratified by natural community type at a density of approximately 1 per 200ac

• Plot Design
  
  

  These are all nested plots. Plot center is marked with PVC pipe painted fluorescent orange. At the plot there are three main plots nested around the center stake. The overstory plot is 52.7’ in radius, the large sapling plot is 26.3’ in radius and the small sapling is 16.6’ in radius. To organize the data each plot is divided into 10, 36 degree sectors. At each plot the sectors are flagged out with a blue flag at 16.6’, an orange flag at 26.3’ and a pink flag at 52.7’. At each cardinal direction there are seedling plots located 26.3’ from plot center. At each of the seedling plots an orange painted PVC pipe is at plot center. From plot center a 100’ transect is established at a random azimuth and a PVC pipe is located at the end of the transect. Along this transect course woody material is measured from 0’-100’ and fine woody material is measured from 80’-100’.

Dataset Fields

Detailed documentation of the fields comprising the dataset, including the type of measurement, units where applicable, and any controlled vocabularies or code lists present in the data

Sampling Equipment

Equipment and software used to collect data, including how that equipment was used.

Current Equipment

• Overstory Plot: 52.7’ radius
  
  

  Within the 1/5ac overstory plot every tree that is >=4.5” DBH is counted, species recorded, azimuth from plot center taken and distance from plot center to the pith is measured. Diameter at breast height, which is defined as 4.5’, is measured as well as the height to live crown, total height, strata (dominant (D), co-dominant (C), intermediate (I), or overtopped (O)), and the status of the tree is defined. The Status of a tree refers to whether the tree is living (1), dead brash failure (5), dead standing (6), or dead uprooted (7). If the tree is classified as a class 6 or 7 the height measurements and crown class are not recorded. After all the measurements are taken for the tree a bark scribe is used to the inner bark to make a line (2” long, ½” high) facing plot center on the tree at 4.5’. The paint pen is used to paint this line. On trees with very thin bark (ie. birch spp., smooth beech) the line at 4.5’ is not scribed and only painted with the paint pen.

  Frequency: Each plot will be remeasured on a 7-year rotation following the original measurement protocols.

• Tools
  
  

  Hypsometer (Haglof Vertex IV), 100’ steel logger’s diameter tape, 100’ fiber glass ground tape, compass, bark scribe, blue paint pen, PVC pipe, orange, blue, and pink flagging, data collection sheets, pencils, Garmin gps

Site Characteristics

The spatial extent of the dataset site coverage, and descriptions of the spatial extent and context for the data collection