Procedure

For each numbered stop, use the table on p. 214 of your lab manual and please take notes on the following (if you need a copy of that table, click here):

1. Dominant plant type (e.g. trees, grasses) or, if possible, dominant plant species (e.g. white pine).
   
   
2. Tallest plant height of the dominant species (your best guesstimate since we didn't bring along any measuring devices).
   
   
3. Other plant types or, if possible, plant species.
   
   
4. Understory: Do some creative visualization and imagine how dense or sparse the understory would be in the middle of the summer.
   
   
5. Microclimate indicators: Do you see any signs that indicate potentially warmer or cooler temperatures within the site?
   
   
6. Surface hydrology: Your options are running water, standing water, wet soil, moderate soil, dry soil.
   
   
7. Evidence of disturbances: Look for clues such as dead or down plants, or anything else that might affect ecosystem composition.
   
   
8. Type of disturbance: Try to assess the type of disturbance, e.g. human activity, wind, fire, insects.
   
   
9. Community: Identify the type of community. Your choices are mixed forest, broadleaf forest, needleleaf forest, wetland or grassland.

Created by Karen A. Lemke (klemke@uwsp.edu). Last modified July 13, 2000.