1|Page

Assignment Report

On

Range Management

SUBJECT: Range MANAGEMENT

TOPIC: Range vegetation sampling, cover, density,

frequency, forage Yield and Vegetation attributes

SUBMITTED BY: SHAHID KHAN (BSC-18-020)

Submitted to: Sir Sohaib Ahmad (lecturer in

Forestry)

Roll No: 01
2|Page

Table of Contents

Range Vegetation Sampling.........................................................................................................................2

Sampling:.....................................................................................................................................................2

Vegetation Attributes:.................................................................................................................................4

Frequency:...................................................................................................................................................5

Cover:..........................................................................................................................................................5

Density:.......................................................................................................................................................6

Forage Yield:................................................................................................................................................7

Summary:....................................................................................................................................................7

References:..................................................................................................................................................7
3|Page

Range Vegetation Sampling

Sampling:

Sampling is the process of selecting units within population of individuals intended to

yield some knowledge about the population. Sampling is an important aspect of data collection.

Explanation:

Sampling is a means by which inferences about a plant community can be made

based on information from an examination of a small population of that community. The most
complete way to determine the characteristics of population is to conduct a complete
enumeration. Therefore, the best way to collect vegetation data is to sample a small subset of
the population. If the population is uniform sampling can be conducted anywhere in the
population. However, most vegetation population are not uniform; therefore, it is important
that data be collected so that the sample represent the entire population.

Following sampling technique are used in assessment of range land vegetation.

Random Sampling/ Quadrant sampling:

Random sampling is usually carried out when the area under study is fairly uniform. Very large
and or there is limited time available. When using random sampling technique large number of
samples are taken from different position within the habitat. A quadrant frame is often used for
this type of sampling.

This is a square frame which is used to outline a sample area. The simplest way to collect data
using a frame quadrat is to make a species list for each quadrat. Each species is either present
or absent. This allows you to calculate the percentage frequency of each species for the whole
sample area.

If a species is present, you can also record how much of their it is. There are two ways of
describing the amount of each species within a frame quadrat: percentage cover and local
frequency.

Calculating percentage frequency:

Percentage frequency is the probability that a species will be found within a single quadrat. %
frequency=number of quadrats in which the species is found total number of quadrats
%frequency=number of quadrats in which the species is found total number of quadrats
4|Page

Example

An investigation was made into the difference in vegetation between a grazed and an ungrazed
section of the fixed dunes. A random sample using 30 frame quadrats is taken in each area. In
the grazed area, bird’s-foot trefoil was present in 18 of the 30 quadrats; in the ungrazed area,
bird’s-foot trefoil was present in 6 of the 30 quadrats.

% frequency in ungrazed area=1830×100=60%% frequency in ungrazed area=1830×100=60%

% frequency in grazed area=630×100=20%% frequency in grazed area=630×100=20%

The number of quadrat samples taken affects the reliability of the results. The number must be
large enough to minimize the effect of anomalies, but not too large that it cannot realistically
be carried out in the time available. Lt must also be enough for any statistical tests you are
using. In practice, 10 quadrat samples are the absolute minimum for each sample area.

Systematic sampling:

There are two types of systematic sampling.

1. Line transect method

2. Belt transect method

Systematic sampling is done when sampling is taken at fix interval usually along a line. This
normally involves doing transects. When a sampling line is setup across the area.

Line Transect Method:

Line transect sampling is a method of sampling plant communities in an area whereby plant is
sampled if transect line intersect the plant.

Belt Transect Method:

This is similar to the line transect method. But gives information on abundance as well as
presence or absence of species. It may be considered as widening of the line transect to form a
continuous belt or a series of quadrants.
5|Page

Vegetation Attributes:

Definition:

It is the proportion of various plant species in relation to the total of a given area.

Explanation:

It may be expressed in term of relative density, relative cover and relative weight etc. Vegetation
attributes are quantitative features or characteristics of vegetation that describe how many, how much,
or what kind of plant species are present.

The following sections describe the vegetation attributes that are regularly used in rangeland
inventory or monitoring programs and discuss the strengths and weaknesses for the many field
sampling techniques that are available to measure these attributes.

1. Cover

2. Density

3. Frequency etc

Frequency:

Definition:

The ration between the number of sample units that contain a specie and the total number of
sample units.

Explanation:

Percentage of sample in which a specie occurs which describe the distribution of plant.
Frequency is the vegetation attribute that describes the probability of finding a species within a
particular area. The probability is based on the occurrence of that species in a series of sample
6|Page

units. For example, if a species has a frequency of 75%, we expect it to occur in three out of
every four quadrats examined. Frequency is expressed as a value between 0% and 100%,
representing the proportion of quadrats where the particular species was found during
sampling. For example, if we observed 200 quadrats and found the target species in 156 of
those quadrats, frequency would be

156 Found
∗100=78 %
200 observed

Frequency can be calculated by the following formula.

Number of plots∈which specie occur

∗100
Total Number of plots

Cover:

Definition:

It is a surface area occupied by each species or vertical projection of the ground or stem of
plant onto the ground surface.

Explanation:

Cover is the vertical projection of plant material onto the ground when viewed from above. It is
usually expressed as a percentage value. For example, 18% cover indicates a birds-eye-view
would reveal 18% of the surface area as vegetative material with the remaining 82% as bare
ground. In some forestry situations cover is expressed on an area basis, such as square
meters/hectare or square feet/acre. Cover is one of the most commonly measured attributes in
range inventory and monitoring programs. Many of the methods to determine cover can be
conducted simply, quickly, and with acceptable levels of accuracy and precision, making it a
favored attribute to survey large areas.

Since many ecologists use cover as a mean of identifying the dominant species. It is also
commonly called dominance.

Cover can be expressed by the following formula.

Total area covered by species

∗100
Total area sampled
7|Page

Density:

Definition:

It is defined as the number of plants of certain species per unit area.

Explanation:

Closely related to abundance but more useful in estimating the importance of a species is the
density. Density describes the number of individual plants in a given area. In situations where
identification of individuals is ambiguous, density measurements may be based on some other
counting unit, such as culms or shoots for sod-forming grasses or the basal stems for shrubs.
Units to express density should be selected so that actual plant numbers are easy to visualize.
For example, it is more meaningful to express an infrequently occurring shrub as 50 shrubs/ha
rather than 0.005 shrubs/m2, whereas 15 seedlings/m2 is easier to imagine than 150,000
seedlings/ha for the density of an abundant annual grass.

Density can be calculated by the following formula.

Number of plant of certain species

100
Total area sampled

Forage Yield:

Definition:

Forage is a plant material (Mainly plant leaves and stems) eaten by grazing livestock.

Explanation:

the term forage has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or
immature cereal crops, but it is also used more loosely to include similar plants cut for fodder and
carried to the animals, especially as hay or silage.

Forage yield is largely determined by the following:

soil type (potential plant rooting depth and plant-available soil water-holding capacity) precipitation
(annual total and seasonal distribution) soil fertility (optimal-fertility soils are more productive than low
fertility soils) forage species (deep-rooted species are more productive than shallow-rooted species)
nitrogen availability (legume fixed or applied fertilizer) grazing and haying management. A farm's
8|Page

climate, soil, and management affect what forage species are most adapted to the site. Soil type, its
depth, and drainage can be determined from the county soil survey or web soil survey sites.

Summary:

Vegetation serves several critical functions in the biosphere, at all possible spatial scales. First,
vegetation regulates the flow of numerous biogeochemical cycles, most critically those of water, carbon,
and nitrogen; it is also of great importance in local and global energy balances. Such cycles are
important not only for global patterns of vegetation but also for those of climate. Second, vegetation
strongly affects soil characteristics, including soil volume, chemistry and texture, which feedback to
affect various vegetational characteristics, including productivity and structure. Third, vegetation serves
as wildlife habitat and the energy source for the vast array of animal species on the planet (and,
ultimately, to those that feed on these). Vegetation is also critically important to the world economy,
particularly in the use of fossil fuels as an energy source, but also in the global production of food, wood,
fuel and other materials. Perhaps most importantly, global vegetation (including algal communities) has
been the primary source of oxygen in the atmosphere, enabling the aerobic metabolism systems to
evolve and persist. Lastly, vegetation is psychologically important to humans, who evolved in direct
contact with, and dependence on, vegetation, for food, shelter, and medicines.

References:

1. From lecture notes of range management compiled by ASHAR FAROOQ (Range management
officer)
2. From handbook on range management compiled by Office of food and agriculture co-operation
Washington DC.
3. Bonham, C.D. 1989. Measurements for terrestrial vegetation. John Wiley Sons, New York, NY. pp
96-135. Cooper, C.F. 1959. Cover vs. density. Journal of Range Management 12:215. (pdf) Greig-
Smith, P. 1983. Quantitative plant ecology. Academic Press, New York, NY. pp 5-9. Mueller-
Dombois, D., and H. Ellenburg. 1974. Aims and methods of vegetation ecology. John Wiley Sons,
New York, NY. pp 80-92.