Stream Bank Vegetation Survey

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Stream Bank Vegetation Survey
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Stream bank vegetation influences

1. The amount of sunlight entering a stream, which
   controls photosynthesis and stream temperature.
2. Affect stream flow and bank erosion.
3. Important sources of organic material for aquatic
   organisms. Direct relationship between riparian
   vegetation and macroinvertebrate community.
4. Act as important buffers between upslope land use
   and the stream.

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Purpose of Vegetation Survey

• Create a data set that can be used by County and
  State agencies to monitor riparian buffers in
  Baltimore County.

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Purpose of Vegetation Survey

• Access the woody plant diversity of the stream
  bank
• Density how many trees
• Which species are present
• Diversity Index
• Basal Area of area covered by trunk of tree
• Assess canopy closure over the stream

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Getting to know the plants

• Urban areas often have stands of trees, shrubs,
  and herbaceous plants
• A transect is a designated area in which plant
  diversity is assessed. This makes the task of
  identifying all the plants more manageable
• A permanent transect is placed at each school
  that has a stream.
• Long term monitoring site.

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• Transect Designin relation to stream reach

Direction of sampling 180 ft.
30 ft
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Transect Area

• 10,800 ft2 or 0.25 acres
• 1000 m2 or 0.1 hectare

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Dimensions of Transect
Direction of sampling
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Quadrants
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Measuring Canopy Trees

• Identify the species
• Take students to site and collect leaves, fruit,
  pieces of bark (if you have trouble identifying)
• Tree Identification guide
• Any field guide to trees
• Measure all trees in the transect that are larger
  than 3 inches in diameter.

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Measuring Dbh

• Measure diameter breast height dbh using the
  special measuring tape provided
• dbh is measured in inches

DBH
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Estimating Canopy Closure Over Stream

•  At the waters edge, hold the densitometer
  perpendicular to the bank 1 ft. from the
  shoreline.
• Hold the densitometer as shown at right. A
  reading is obtained by leveling both of the
  densitometers bubble levels (centered between
  the two lines) and then sighting through the
  instrument so that the sighting marks (dot in the
  center circle) are aligned.

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Measuring Canopy Closure

• Densitometer readings are taken at 4 places at
  each transect point.

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Transect Quad Species Dbh Canopy Cover
0 ft 1
2
3
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• Data Sheet

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transect Quad species dbh (in) dbh2 basal area canopy
0ft_left 1 tulip 1 3 9 0.05 1
  1 American Elm 1 4 16 0.09  
  1 American Elm 1 15 225 1.23  
  2 American Elm 1 14 196   1
  3 maple 1 19 361 1.97 1
  4       0 0.00 1
30ft_left 1       0 0.00 0
  2       0   1
  3 tulip 1 14 196   0
  4 muscle wood 1 4 16   0
  4 hornbean 1 3 9    
60ft_left 1       0 0.00 1
  2 tulip 1 20 400 2.18 1
  2 American Elm 1 4 16 0.09  
  2 American Elm 1 5 25 0.14  
  3 American Elm 1 3 9 0.05 0
  3 tulip poplar 1 19 361 1.97  
  4 American Elm 1 8 64 0.35 0
  4 hickory 1 11.5 132.25 0.72  
  4 American Elm 1 4 16 0.09  
90ft_left 1 Ash 1 20 400 2.18 0
  2 Ash 1 3.8 14.44 0.08 1
  3 Tulip 1 11.5 132.25 0.72 0
  3 Ash 1 5.1 26.01 0.14  
  4       0   0
120ft_left 1       0   1
  1       0    
  2 Ash 1 4.5 20.25 0.11 1
  2 American Elm 1 10.3 106.09 0.58  
  2 Ash 1 3.1 9.61 0.05  
  3 American Elm 1 14.6 213.16 1.16 1
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60ft_right 1       9 0.05 1
  2 Paw Paw 1 3.5   0.01 1
  2 Paw Paw 1 3.5 400 2.18  
  2 Paw Paw 1 3 16 0.09  
  2 Paw Paw 1 4 25 0.14  
  3 Paw Paw 1 4 9 0.05 1
  4 tulip 1 22.5 361 1.97 1
  4 Paw Paw 1 3 64 0.35  
  4 American Elm 1 3.5 132.25 0.72  
  4 Buckeye 1 3.5 16 0.09  
90ft_right 1 beech 1 26.5 702.25 3.83 1
  2 Buckeye 1 3.75 14.0625 0.08 0
  3 American Elm 1 3.25 10.5625 0.06 1
  4            
120ft_right 1 tulip 1 18.25 333.0625 1.82 0
  2 white oak 1 17 289 1.58 0
  3 American Elm 1 4 16 0.09 1
  4 American Elm 1 7 49 0.27 1
150ft_right 1 tulip 1 30 900 4.91 1
  2 American Elm 1 11 121 0.66 1
  3 American Elm 1 4.75 22.5625 0.12 1
  4            
individuals counted individuals counted individuals counted 61        
Average dbh Average dbh Average dbh Average dbh 9      
Sum basal area (in2) Sum basal area (in2) Sum basal area (in2) Sum basal area (in2) Sum basal area (in2) Sum basal area (in2) 47.4 0.3291
pts closed canopy pts closed canopy pts closed canopy pts closed canopy pts closed canopy pts closed canopy pts closed canopy 32
canopy closure canopy closure canopy closure canopy closure canopy closure canopy closure canopy closure 67
Converted to sq feet
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Species   Species present Ind Relative Abundance (pi) ln pi pi ln pi
Slippery Elm Ulmus rubrum 1 22 0.37 -1.0033021 -0.3678774
American Beech Fagus grandifolia 1 6 0.10 -2.3025850 -0.2302585
Ohio Buckeye Aesculus glabra 1 1 0.02 -4.0943445 -0.0682390
Tulip tree Liriodendron tulipfera 1 9 0.15 -1.8971199 -0.2845679
Paw Paw Asimina triloba 1 7 0.12 -2.1484344 -0.2506506
White oak Quercus alba 1 2 0.03 -3.4011973 -0.1133732
Green Ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica 1 6 0.10 -2.3025850 -0.2302585
Musclewood Carpinus caroliniana 1 2 0.03 -3.4011973 -0.1133732
Maple Acer rubrum 1 1 0.02 -4.0943445 -0.0682390
Hop Hornbeam Ostrya virginiana 1 1 0.02 -4.0943445 -0.0682390
Bitternut Hickory Carya cordiformis 1 3 0.05 -2.9957322 -0.1497866
Sums     60 1.00   -1.94486
Species Richness   11        
Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index 1.94
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Results Vegetation Sampling
Santee Branch Bascom Run Herbert Run
BIOL 104 ENVS Schmitz/Klein
trees/transect 61 48 41
BA (in2) 47.2 38.3 48.2
canopy closure 67 71 48
Species richness 11 14 10
Diversity Index 1.94 1.92 1.81
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Vegetation Analysis

• Age structure of population
• Dominant species
• Contribution of leaf litter to stream
• Biomass
• Productivity

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