HabitatNet: Permanent Plots

During July, 1996, two permanent biodiversity quadrants were established in two of the three plant communities using the HabitatNet protocol (HabitatNet is a Toyota Motor and NSTA environmental science grant awardee. The protocol used to map and measure the biodiversity found within 20 meter by 20 meter quadrats is a modification of the Smithsonian Institute's Man & Biosphere Biomonitoring Program). Each quadrat measures 20 m by 20 m and their locations were noted on a map of El Eden Ecological Reserve. In April 1997, each quadrat will be located and recorded using a GPS locator.

Quadrat EEF1 was defined and marked within the semideciduous forest. The first quadrat, EEF1/A1, was mapped and the quadrat corners marked with flagging tape and aluminum tags. Trees measuring greater than 40 cm in circumference were tagged with aluminum plates and individual numbers were assigned each tree and inscribed onto the aluminum plates. Distance measurements were taken from the SE (a') corner and SW (b') corner to each tree tagged (although not all of the d(b') were measured due to time constraints). A total of 17 trees were marked.

Quadrat EESv1 was defined and marked along a savannah-swamp ecotone. The northeastern edge of the 20 meter by 20 meter quadrat (EESv1/A1) is swamp forest and transitions to savannah south of that quadrat border. Tree species along the edge were not measured or counted in this quadrat at this time. Four groups of tasiste palm (Paurotis wrightii) were measured and tagged as mentioned above. Distance measurements were taken from the northeast (a') and southwerst (b') corners to each group of tasiste palm. Note: Tasiste palm grow in ringed clusters suggesting underground rhizomes as the vegetative propogation mechanism for each individual palm. Therefore, each cluster of tasiste palms was given one tag although each individual palm was measured and entered into the data.

Additionally, student projects investigating possible interspecies interactions within these two quadrat sites were encouraged.

Data sheet for quadrat EEF1

Data sheet for quadrat EESV1