Using Long -Term Chart Quadrats to Evaluate Plant Demography in the Subalpine: Rescuing the Great Basin Experimental Range Data Sets

Washington State University, Pullman WA

Investigators

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to 'rescue' a unique dataset that spans 1913-1960 and that includes information about the demography of subalpine plants in the Rocky Mountains. The dataset is in danger of being lost because of difficulties in archiving the original data and the retirement of the last investigator involved in the project. Over 1000 chart quadrat maps will be archived digitally; these maps mark the locations and sizes of every plant in 91 1-meter quadrats. Maps will be digitized and made available to the scientific and management communities via the Shortgrass Steppe-Long Term Ecological Research web set. A photographic archive of the original maps also will be prepared. The resulting database will be valuable to resource managers as well as to the ecological community. Both graduate and undergraduate students will receive training in GPS technology.