REPORT of ECOLOGY FIELD WORK

DOMINANCY SPECIES BY USING

POINT CENTERED QUARTER METHOD

NAME : YASMEEN SOFEA BINTI TAJUDDIN

DATE : 12 OCTOBER 2019

BIOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF MATH AND SCIENCE

SEMARANG STATE UNIVERSITY

2019
Objective

To obtain a descriptive estimate of some attribute of a plant and the number of individuals

present in a population or community population by using point centre quarter methods.

Introduction

The point-centered-quarter (PCQ) method of vegetation sampling has gained a wide

acceptance throughout the world by following the introduction with other distance methods

by Cottam and Curtis (1956). The high efficiency of PCQ (Lindsey et al. 1958) has made it

the most widely used of the original distance methods. Many ecological investigations

involve similarity indices to compare species richness, community structure, habitat

suitability and successional trajectory. This estimation should be a relatively accurate

representation to allow detection of real differences among plant populations. Quantitative

data are essential to adequately characterize the woody component of forest communities.

In sampling for indices of forest structure, distance sampling (plotless sampling) can be very

efficient. Also, in natural populations characterized by an irregular, possibly clustered,

distribution of trees, the precision of a density estimate from distance sampling can be better

than the precision obtained with fixed area plot sampling. The point-centre quarter technique

is perhaps the most popular of the plotless sampling techniques.

Diagram for Point-Centre Quarter

Materials and apparatus

Ballpen, paper, plastic, meter.

Methods

1. Sample is taken at a random location in the area to be sampled

2. The area near each random point (sample point) is divided into four imaginary

quadrants.

3. Within each quadrant, the nearest tree is included in the field sample.

4. There are four quadrants, so plant will be measured a total of four trees at each sample

point.

5. Point A represents a random point (sample point) and the letters b through h represent

trees. The trees b, d, e and h would be included as the four nearest trees within each

quadrant that are nearest to A.

6. The distance will be taken between from point A to targeted trees.

7. The unknown sample will be taken to analyse for herbarium meanwhile the known

species will be jotted down.

Results

PLOT TITIK CODE/SPECIES JARAK (M)

1A Podocarpus imbricatus 8.2

B B 8.5

C B 8

D Ficus altissima 8.2

2A Sygygium sp. 4.9

B D 9.7

C B 4.9

D Ficus altissima 9

3A B 3.3

B D 4.2

C Ficus altissima 5.1

D Ficus altissima 4.3

4A G 4.9

B B 7.3

C Ficus altissima 6.5

D H 6.6

5A D 8.1

B Ficus altissima 4.4

C Helicia robusta 7.4

D K 9.5

6A Ficus altissima 5.1

B Sygygium sp. 8.2

C Sygygium 3.5

D Ficus altissima 6.1

7A Helicia 4.7

B Ficus altissima 12

C K 10.3
 D K 19.1

8A D 17.5

B K 4.1

C K 6.7

D Ficus altissima 4.3

9A B 4.6

B M 16

C N 2.7

D B 12

10 A Engelhardtia spicata 3.7

B H 6.3

C B 2.9

D B 8.5

11 A Ficus infolucrata 6.4

B Ficus infolucrata 7.4

C Ficus infolucrata 4.3

D Ficus infolucrata 21.5

12 A Ficus fistulosa 4.7

B H 3.3

C Q 14.5

D Q 10.8

13 A Persea americana 4

B S 2.9

C Syzygium polyanthum 6.9

D Persea americana 3.2

14 A Syzygium sp. 9.5

B B 4.7

C M 8.9

D M 5.3
15 A Persea americana 1.9

B Elaeocarpus sp. 8.5

C D 18

D D 11.7

16 A B 15.4

B G 18.5

C G 11.8

D Sygygium sp. 17

17 A Elaeocarpus sp. 12

B Y 10

C Y 8.9

D Magnolia liliifera 9

18 A Sygygium sp. 9.5

B Ficus altissima 7

C Ficus fistulosa 6

D B 8.5

19 A Ficus altissima 11.2

B Elaeocarpus sp. 5.6

C Syzygium polyanthum 7.9

D S 20

20 A Q 7

B H 11.8

C Syzygium polyanthum 16.7

D S 14.3

TOTAL 677.8

MEAN DISTANCE 8.4725

MEAN DISTANCE*2 71.78325625

DENSITY MUTLAK 139.3082527

 SPECIES TOTAL/SPECIES DENSITY SPECIES

Podocarpus imbricatus 1 1.741353159

Engelhardtia spicata 1 1.741353159

Helicia 1 1.741353159

Helicia robusta 1 1.741353159

Magnolia lilifera 1 1.741353159

N 1 1.741353159

Ficus fistulosa 2 3.482706317

Y 2 3.482706317

Elaeocarpus sp. 3 5.224059476

G 3 5.224059476

M 3 5.224059476

Persea americana 3 5.224059476

Q 3 5.224059476

S 3 5.224059476

Syzygium polyanthum 3 5.224059476

Ficus infolucrata 4 6.965412634

H 4 6.965412634

K 5 8.706765793

D 6 10.44811895

Syzygium 6 10.44811895

B 12 20.8962379

Ficus altissima 12 20.8962379

total 80 139.3082527
Discussion
Point centered quarter method is a plant community structure measurement. This

method basically utilizes measurements of distances between individual plants or the

distance from a randomly selected tree to the individual plants that are nearest to the

assumptions that individual plants spread randomly. The point-centered quarter method is

one such plot-less method. The advantage to using plot-less methods rather than standard

plot-based techniques is that they tend to be more efficient. Plot-less methods are faster,

require less equipment, and may require fewer workers. However, the main advantage is

speed.

From the data recorded, total of all plant species found are 22. Based on the total

species found, the density of the species were calculated using formula(s). However the

data is not calculate manually but using excel spreadsheet. Therefore, the highest and the

lowest data of species density can be known. For the highest value which is 20.8962379 that

nominated to species B and Ficus altissima. Larger populations density may be more stable

than smaller populations because they’re likely to have greater genetic variability and thus

more potential to adapt to changes in the environment through natural selection. Next, the

lowest density value is 1.741353159 and indicated to species N, Podocarpus imbricatus,

Engelhardtia spicata, Helicia, Helicia robusta and Magnolia lilifera. A member of a low-

density population, where organisms are sparsely spread out, might have more trouble

finding a mate to reproduce with than an individual in a high-density population.

Key to highlight in this method:

Mean area, or the average space available to each plant, is another way to consider density.

Mean area is the mathematical reciprocal of density, and is the basis of the various distance

methods developed to estimate plant density. Mean area (MA) can then be estimated as:

Density (plants/area) is then derived by calculating the inverse of MA.

Conclusion
In conclusion, I learned how to apply the point center quarter method in my life after having a

field in work in Medini, Indonesia. Since the method is the easiest one among others,

therefore it make our works easiest to get the data. I also gain lots of experience in order to

gain more knowledge about ecology.

References
Bryant, D. M., Ducey, M. J., Innes, J. C., Lee, T. D., Eckert, R. T., & Zarin, D. J.

(2005). Forest community analysis and the point-centered quarter method. Plant

Ecology, 175(2), 193–203.

Silva, L. B., Alves, M., Elias, R. B., & Silva, L. (2017). Comparison of T-Square, Point

Centered Quarter, and N-Tree Sampling Methods in Pittosporum undulatum Invaded

Woodlands. International Journal of Forestry Research, 2017, 1–13.

Bonham, C.D. 1989. Measurements for terrestrial vegetation. John Wiley Sons, New York,

NY. pp 148.

Penfold, W.T. 1963. A modification of the point-centered quarter method for grassland

analysis. Ecology 44:175-176

Risser, P.G., and P.H. Zedler. 1968. An evaluation of the grassland quarter method. Ecology
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