Investigating Vegetation Change

	Quadrats and Vegetation Identification Sheets are used to gather data on species diversity.  Samples of species that could not be identified in the field were collected and returned to the classroom where alternative ID books were available.  Within the quadrat the percentage cover of each species could be estimated, as could be the total percentage of ground cover. This site might not have been ideal, since it is adjacent to a path and human activity appears to have arrested the succession - the vegetation is far shorter due to trampling, and species diversity appears to have been lowered.
The height of the vegetation was also measured in the field within the quadrat where the vegetation survey was completed.  In most cases a metre stick was sufficient, but for the shrub and canopy layers a clinometer was used.  The angle and distance from the tree were recorded and the height could be calculated using trigonometry. (distance x tan of the angle = height of the tree)     In the classroom additional resources were used to identify the plants that could not be investigated in the field.  There are also biological keys on the internet that can be used for this purpose.
	These are examples of the materials that were used to identify different species of vegetation.  In a fieldwork report or extended project these should be added to the list of references (bibliography) and the end of the work.

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