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16 December 2021 Comparison of visual estimation and line-point intercept vegetation survey methods on annual grass–invaded rangelands of Wyoming
Andrea De Stefano, Beth Fowers, Brian A. Mealor
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Abstract

Scientists and natural resource managers require suitable vegetation survey methods to assess the success of rangeland restoration projects. Visual estimation and point intercept methods are commonly used to evaluate vegetation cover. This study compared the performance of one visual (quadrat-based) and two line-point intercept (LPI, canopy and basal) methods to assess biodiversity and cover and to estimate biomass production on sites invaded by introduced annual grasses across Wyoming, USA. Greater species richness and higher Shannon index values were measured in quadrats, while introduced annual and native perennial graminoid cover values were higher in LPI canopy in general. Overall, these outcomes indicate quadrats as the most suitable survey method when biodiversity monitoring is the primary objective, while suggesting LPI canopy when monitoring vegetation cover is prioritized. Finally, our regression models indicated quadrat-based estimates as the most reliable to predict introduced annual and native perennial graminoid biomass.

© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Weed Science Society of America.
Andrea De Stefano, Beth Fowers, and Brian A. Mealor "Comparison of visual estimation and line-point intercept vegetation survey methods on annual grass–invaded rangelands of Wyoming," Invasive Plant Science and Management 14(4), 240-252, (16 December 2021). https://doi.org/10.1017/inp.2021.36
Received: 20 August 2021; Accepted: 30 November 2021; Published: 16 December 2021
KEYWORDS
biomass
rangeland vegetation
species richness
vegetation cover
Vegetation survey
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