PREPARATION

 

• Facing the selected site location (looking from the water towards shore), plot A is on the left, C and E are to the right of A respectively.
• Mark the site’s starting point (with a flag and a GPS point). Using a meter tape to place flags at 10m increments along the shoreline’s ordinary high water mark (0m, 10m, 20m, 30m, 40m, 50m).
  • For each 10x10 plot, determine the shoreline aspect, then use a compass and meter tape to place corner flags back 10 meters from shore so that each plot is square.
  • Record the slope and aspect (perpendicular to shore) for the start of plots A, C, and E. This will represent the hill’s steepness and direction. 

• Site information must be recorded for all 5 plots (A, B, C, D, and E)
• Record ownership (public or private).
• List the number of docks and buildings –count them only once if they cross into 2 plots.
• Presence/absence information – Using the list provided, check anything that is present, or list it as “other”. Record what is dominant. There are 2 parts to the General site info list:
  • Qualitative assessment of habitat (forest stands, herbaceous, wetlands, etc).
  • Human development and/or disturbance.

• Record the species and “diameter at breast height” (DBH) for every living tree that is ≥5cm DBH (other woody plants having a ≥5cm DBH should also be recorded).
• Diameter at breast height: Since trees are swelled at the base, measurements are made 4.5 feet (1.37 meters) above the ground in order to give an average diameter estimate.
• Trees on plot edge: Sometimes trees will be questionable as to whether they are in or out of the plot. Good rule of thumb is a 50% cut off. If the tree is more than 50% within the plot, count it. Do not count 1 tree in more than one plot!

• For this study, CWD is considered any logs ≥10cm in diameter and ≥150cm in length.
• Record type (log) and type of break (natural, un-natural, beaver, unknown). Record the species type (species, conifer, hardwood, or unknown), the diameter at base, and log length from base to longest branch tip.
• Record Branchiness (0-3). Where 0 is no branches, 1 is few, 2 is moderate, and 3 is many branches.
• Record Decay (0-5). Where 0 is a live tree touching the ground at two or more points, 1 is recent downwood (e.g. lacking litter or moss cover), 2 is downwood with litter/humus or moss cover; bark sound, 3 is bark sloughing from wood; wood still sound, 4 is downwood mostly barkless; staubs loosening; wood beginning to decay; logs becoming oval and in contact with the ground along most of their length, and 5 is decay advanced; pieces of wood blocky and softened; logs becoming elliptically compressed. ** NOTE: paper birch retains its bark long after the wood has rotted, score logs of this species by the softness of the wood, not the presence/absence of bark. **

• If a log extends out of a plot, record its entire length and measure diameter at the base regardless of whether the base is inside or outside of the plot.
• If a log crosses into more than one plot, record the entire length and measure diameter at the base, but record log only in the plot where the base is (if the base is outside of the site, then record in the plot closest to the base).
• Paper birch: often are broken into many small parts. If segments are still in line (no more than ~5 cm separating them), then you can count breaks as a single log.
• Logs that extend over the water are measured only from the base to the shoreline and listed in notes as “measured to water”.

• Use compass and meter tape to setup and mark square plots using the original plot aspect.
• For each sapling plot, count and record all tree saplings greater than 30 centimeters in height but having less than a 5 cm DBH.

• Refer to figure 1 to set up random subplots at 2 of the 8 sites at a lake. Use compass and meter tape to setup and mark square subplots. Use the original plot aspect when possible.
• For each square 10m x 10m subplot (one in zone 2 and one in zone 3) record slope and aspect. 
• Record all live trees that have ≥5cm DBH. Record all stumps ≥10cm DBH and snags ≥10cm diameter at base. Record logs ≥10cm in diameter and ≥150cm in length.

Appendix A:

Appendix B: