Forest Plots

Monitor tree species diversity and health on standard one-hectare forest plots.

Background

Since 1996, ACER has helped school groups and communities set up permanent forest monitoring plots in Ontario. The program has been supported by a variety of partners and sponsors.

What's involved: How to set up and monitor a plot

Here is a quick guide to the steps involved in establishing a forest plot:

1. Site selection. Identify sites near you that have public access. The plot size is one-hectare, so the forest should be at least 5 hectares. It is recommended that plots be established on relatively flat terrain. ACER can arrange for site evaluation visits.

2. Site survey. Each one-hectare plot is marked out and then a grid of 20-metre squares is established. This survey is crucial and must be accurate. ACER has a team of expert surveyors available for this task.
3. Planning. Baseline surveys of the plot requires trained manpower. The one-hectare plot consists of 25 quadrats, each of which is surveyed. It takes a group of 10 volunteers about 4 hours to survey one 20-metre square quadrat. Multiply this by the 25 quadrats in one hectare and you get an approximate workload of 1000 person-hours to complete the baseline survey. ACER provides planning and fundraising help.
4. Data collection. The baseline data is collected by small teams working on a variety of tasks. Twelve variables are measured for each tree in the quadrat. The data is recorded on field data sheets. ACER provides on-site training, equipment, and supervision. It can supply a set of protocols for each task.
5. Data Entry. Your survey data is initially recorded on field data sheets. These data must then be transcribed to a database. Here you have two options. You can enter it into a spreadsheet version of the database. Or you can enter the data directly to our central database via our Web interface.
6. Follow-up Surveys. Every 3-5 years, you re-survey the plot.