Lowland Woods Quadrats and Plots, Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Survey

Survey of Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary

D. Lowland Woods Quadrats and Plots

An 8 X 16 meter quadrat (see Figure 5) was set up in the lowland woods area. Every tree over ten feet tall and one inch in diameter was plotted and identified (Fig. 5). The diameter of each tree was measured at chest height. Shrubs in the understory were also identified. The number of each species and their total cross-sectional area were calculated (See Table 3).

1. Dominant trees.

The dominant trees in terms of number were Beech (12/18, 67%), Sweet Gum (3/18, 17%) and Water Oak (3/18, 17%). However in terms of cross-sectional areas, water oaks were dominant (38747 m2, 77%), then sweet gum (8813 m2, 18%) and then beech (2531 m2, 5%). There were numerous small beeches but much larger oaks and sweet gum forming the canopy.

2. Lowland Understory Inside the Quadrat

1. Blue Phlox
2. Bush Clover
3. Chickweed
4. Ferns
5. Green Briar
6. Hickory
7. Muscadine grape
8. Small Beech
9. Trillium
10. Virginia Creeper

Study of topography

Table 3. Lowland Tree Quadrat

# on Fig. 5	Trees	Diameter (Cm)	Cross-sectional Area (in Cm2)
1	Beech	12	452.16
2	Beech	11	379.94
3	Sweet gum	33.5	3523.865
4	Beech	6	113.04
5	Sweet Gum	34	3629.84
6	Beech	6.5	132.665
7	Beech	3	28.26
8	Beech	4	50.24
9	Beech	15	706.5
10	Water Oak	64	12861.44
11	Beech	8	200.96
12	Beech	5.5	94.985
13	Beech	4	50.24
14	Beech	2	12.56
15	Sweet Gum	23	166.06
16	Beech	10	314
17	Water Oak	90	25434
18	Water Oak	12	452.16
Total			50,098

Total Area of Quadrat - 8 m x 16 m = 128 m2 or 1,280,000 cm2
Percent of Quadrat Wood Area - 50,098/1,280,000 = 3.9%
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Figure 5 Lowland Tree Plot
Fig. 5 Lowland Tree Plot

Fig. 5 Lowland Tree Plot

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