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I ~ III ~IIIIIIIIIIIIIII ~ ~ ) ~5. DEPARTMENT Of A6RICUlTURE sr~r[ or m•o~.oo SO!!. CONSERVATION SERVICE / - April 1984 COIARADO RANGE NOTE N27 To: All Offices From: Edward C. Dennis, State Range Conservationist Proposed Method for Determining Percent Canopy Cover of Shrubs This technical note Tray be used to determine percent canopy cover of shrubby species. Zt may also be used to estimate percent canopy cover of Pinyon and Juniper trees, or you may use woodland Tech Note No. 13, February 1981, WNTC by William J. Saue rwein. Percent canopy cover can be determined for one species or for several species added together. This method has not been field tested, but in theory it should give a more accurate estimate than visual estimates. It is my objective to carry this procedure further to where pounds of production can be estimated for individual species. It will take time to develop production tables as a considerable amount of clipping and weighing will have to be done in the field. The type of transect that we will use is the same one as used by the Foresters for measuring site indexes for Pinyon-Juniper and other trees. (Refer to Woodland Tech Note No. 13.) This procedure can be used to determine percent canopy cover of shrubs to be controlled under the Brush Management Spec (314). Procedure for Determining Percent Canopy Cover of Shrubs Stand Examination By Zig-Zag Transect: 1. Choose a direction of travel which will take you through the shrub stand so as to see a good cross section of it. You could elect to go in a cardinal direction or toward a visible landmark. On a sunny day, use the sun as a direction marker. Go toward it, away from it, or at some angle to or from it. 2. Zt should be determined before starting what shrub you are going to inventory. 3. Select a starter shrub which is part of the stand to be measured. No measurements are made of the starter shrub, it serves only as a starting point.