Template: Veg Cover
Description: Species Cover
SPP Variables
| Variable | Required | Multiple | Units | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPP_O | R1a | M | Scientific name | Overstory species (taxa) Overstory vegetation species occuring at the tower site. To enter a plant species, use the scientific name (Genus species Author or Genus Author). Please refer to www.theplantlist.org for current scientific names and authors. For ecosystems without clear over and understory distinctions, use the overstory (O) variables. |
| SPP_O_VEGTYPE | R1a | M | LIST(VEGTYPE) | Overstory vegetation type Overstory vegetation type occuring at the tower site. Use predifined list. If vegetation type is not in predfined list, enter “Other/Not in list” and describe briefly in Approach. For ecosystems without clear over and understory distinctions, use the overstory (O) variables. |
| SPP_O_PERC | R1-Optional | M | % | Overstory species or vegetation type percent cover (by mass, number, estimated abundance, or area) The percent cover for the reported species or vegtype in the overstory vegetation. Either SPP_O (the taxa) or SPP_O_VEGTYPE must be specified, not both. For ecosystems without clear over and understory distinctions, use the overstory (O) variables. The percent cover can be reported by mass, number, estimated abundance, or area and must be defined in the SPP_PERC_UNIT variable. |
| SPP_O_PERC_STATISTIC | R1 | M | LIST(STATISTIC) | Overstory species or vegetation type percent cover statistic The statistic for the measurement reported. Use predefined list (e.g., mean, min / max, standard deviation, etc). If appropriate, report the type of statistic (e.g., spatial for spatial standard deviation) in STATISTIC_TYPE. |
| SPP_O_PERC_STATISTIC_TYPE | R1-Optional | M | LIST(STATISTIC_TYPE) | Overstory species or vegetation type percent cover statistic type The type of statistic reported if appropriate (e.g., spatial). Use predefined list. |
| SPP_O_PERC_STATISTIC_NUMBER | R1-Optional | M | integer number | Number of observations used to determine overstory species or vegetation type percent cover statistic Number of observations (samples / replicates) used to calculate the STATISTIC for the reported measurement. |
| SPP_U | R2a | M | Scientific name | Understory species (taxa) Understory vegetation species occuring at the tower site. To enter a plant species, use the scientific name (Genus species Author or Genus Author). Please refer to www.theplantlist.org for current scientific names and authors. For ecosystems without clear over and understory distinctions, use the overstory (O) variables. Describe how understory was determined in Comment. |
| SPP_U_VEGTYPE | R2a | M | LIST(VEGTYPE) | Understory vegetation type Understory vegetation type occuring at the tower site. Use predifined list. If vegetation type is not in predfined list, entered “Other/Not in list” and describe it in Approach. For ecosystems without clear over and understory distinctions, use the overstory (O) variables. |
| SPP_U_PERC | R2-Optional | M | % | Understory species or vegetation type percent cover (by mass, number, estimated abundance, or area) The percent cover for the reported species or vegtype in the understory vegetation. Either SPP_U (the taxa) or SPP_U_VEGTYPE must be specified, not both. For ecosystems without clear over and understory distinctions, use the overstory (O) variables. The percent cover can be reported by mass, number, estimated abundance, or area and must be defined in the SPP_PERC_UNIT variable. |
| SPP_U_PERC_STATISTIC | R2 | M | LIST(STATISTIC) | Understory species or vegetation type percent cover statistic The statistic for the measurement reported. Use predefined list (e.g., mean, min / max, standard deviation, etc). If appropriate, report the type of statistic (e.g., spatial for spatial standard deviation) in STATISTIC_TYPE. |
| SPP_U_PERC_STATISTIC_TYPE | R2-Optional | M | LIST(STATISTIC_TYPE) | Understory species or vegetation type percent cover statistic type The type of statistic reported if appropriate (e.g., spatial). Use predefined list. |
| SPP_U_PERC_STATISTIC_NUMBER | R2-Optional | M | integer number | Number of observations used to determine understory species or vegetation type percent cover statistic Number of observations (samples / replicates) used to calculate the STATISTIC for the reported measurement. |
| SPP_PERC_UNIT | R | M | LIST(UNIT_SPP) | Unit of the species or vegetation type percent cover measurement Use predefined list to indicate whether the percentage cover in SPP_O_PERC and SPP_U_PERC are calculated as 1) mass = dry matter mass of the species or vegetation type / total dry mass, 2) number = number of individuals of the species / total number of individuals, 3) estimated abundance technique such as the pindrop method, or 4) area = land surface covered by the species or vegetation type / total land surface area (i.e., from a top down or bird’s eye view). Area totalled across species or vegetation types must sum to equal or less than 100%. Unspecified area, or the difference between the total vegetation area and 100%, will be considered no vegetation (bare ground, water, rock). For forest ecosystems, calculate the area of trees with the area of the tree crown. |
| SPP_APPROACH | Optional | M | free text | Species or vegetation type percent cover measurement approach |
| SPP_DATE | Ra | M | YYYYMMDDHHMM | Species or vegetation type percent cover measurement date Please report the date at the precision known. Allowed reporting precisions are YYYY, YYYYMM, YYYYMMDD, and YYYYMMDDHHMM. For measurements conducted during a campaign or for temporal averages, use DATE_START and DATE_END instead of DATE. |
| SPP_DATE_START | Ra | M | YYYYMMDDHHMM | Start date of species or vegetation type percent cover measurment Start date of a measurement campaign or start date of a temporal average. Please report the date at the precision known. Allowed reporting precisions are YYYY, YYYYMM, YYYYMMDD, and YYYYMMDDHHMM. Do not use DATE_START if DATE is used. |
| SPP_DATE_END | Optional | M | YYYYMMDDHHMM | End date of species or vegetation type percent cover measurment End date of a measurement campaign or end date of a temporal average. Please report the date at the precision known. Allowed reporting precisions are YYYY, YYYYMM, YYYYMMDD, and YYYYMMDDHHMM. Do not use DATE_END if DATE is used. |
| SPP_DATE_UNC | Optional | M | days | Uncertainty in the species or vegetation type percent cover measurement date, start date, and/or end date If uncertainty in the start date differs than end date, report the uncertainty for start date here in DATE_UNC and the uncertainty for end date in Comments. |
| SPP_COMMENT | Optional | M | free text | Species or vegetation type percent cover measurement comments |
STATISTIC Options (back to top)
| Option | Definition |
|---|---|
| Minimum | Minimum value |
| 1st Percentile | Quantile at 1% of distribution |
| 5th Percentile | Quantile at 5% of distribution |
| 10th Percentile | Quantile at 10% of distribution |
| 25th Percentile | Quantile at 25% of distribution |
| Median – 50th Percentile | Median – Quantile at 50% of distribution |
| 75th Percentile | Quantile at 75% of distribution |
| 90th Percentile | Quantile at 90% of distribution |
| 95th Percentile | Quantile at 95% of distribution |
| 99th Percentile | Quantile at 99% of distribution |
| Maximum | Maximum value |
| Mean | Average (mean) value of sample population |
| Standard Deviation | Standard deviation may be reported from a sample population that consists of individual or aggregated samples (observations). If the distinction is important, specify in Comments. |
| Measurement Uncertainty | Report uncertainty as a plus or minus value in the measurement units. For example, enter 1.5 for +/- 1.5 units. Uncertainty may be reported from the instrument’s specifications, determined empirically, or estimated by the tower team. Please describe such details in Approach. For uncertainty values that are better described by a range, a percent, or other, please enter information in Comments. |
| Single observation | Single observation |
| Expert estimate | Estimate made by expert familiar with site |
(back to top)
STATISTIC_TYPE Options (back to top)
| Option | Definition |
|---|---|
| Spatial | The statistic indicated is a metric that describes the spatial component of the sample population. For example, use spatial for the standard devation of samples (observations) that represents different locations at the site for the same time period. |
(back to top)
UNIT_SPP Options (back to top)
| Option | Definition |
|---|---|
| % Number | Percent cover reported as number of individuals of the species or vegetation type per total number of individuals |
| % Mass | Percent cover reported as dry matter mass of the species or vegetation type per total dry mass |
| % Area | Percent cover reported as land surface covered by the species or vegetation type per total land surface (i.e., from a top down or bird’s eye view). Area totalled across species or vegetation types must sum to less than 100%. Unspecified area, or the difference between the total vegetation area and 100%, will be considered no vegetation (bare ground, water, rock). For forest ecosystems, calculate the area of trees with the area of the tree crown. |
| % Estimated Abundance | Percent cover reported by pindrop or other abundance estimation techniques |
(back to top)
VEGTYPE Options (back to top)
| Option | Definition |
|---|---|
| Grass | |
| C3 Grass | |
| C4 Grass | |
| Grass / Graminoid | Grasses, Sedges, Rushes, and other grass-like monocots (member of order Poales) |
| Crop | |
| Herbaceous Crop | |
| Woody Crop | |
| Tree | |
| Deciduous Tree | Trees that shed their entire canopy seasonallly. Drought or cold avoidence are common reasons for deciduousness. |
| Evergreen Tree | Trees that do not seasonally shed their full canopies. |
| Shrub | |
| Herb / Forb | |
| Annual Herb / Forb | |
| Perennial Herb / Forb | |
| Aerenchymatous Plants | |
| Liana / vine | |
| Succulant | Cactus, Euphorbs, including CAM |
| Non-vascular | Moss, lichen |
| Other/Not in list | Only use this option if a major vegetation group is not included already included in the predefined list. If an existing vegetation group is not specific enough, use the existing vegetation option and add details in Approach (rather than using the “Other/Not in list” option). |
| No vegetation | Bare ground, water, or rock. Use only with SPP_PERC_O and SPP_PERC_U |
| Water | Water (perennially submerged ground) |
(back to top)