Protocols

Gathering information about your Phragmites stand

After finding a suitable site to conduct your study, gather general information about the site as follows.

On a topographic map or roadmap, find the location of the Phragmites stand. Record information about the county, nearest town, and other features/landmarks about the site that would be useful. Ideally we would like a GPS reading so we can easier include your location in our database (but we can make due without).
On a piece of paper, make an outline sketch of the shape and size of the Phragmites stand. Try to measure the size of the overall stand. Note the orientation of your transect (positioning of transect will be discussed later) and draw the transect on your sketch/map. Mark (and number) the location of the individual quadrats on this site map.
It is very important that the stems from each quadrat are kept separate and that the location of each quadrat along the transect is known. Many important questions can not be answered if this information is lost or not collected. picture
Provide some additional descriptive information about the site. Is it along the coast and under tidal influence, or is it a swamp or marsh or a ditch. Is there any management such as mowing or grazing by cattle or horses, how much of the site is flooded, or forested, or any other information that you find useful.