Summary
An automated, fiber optic point quadrat system for vegetation sampling is described. Because the effective point diameter of this system never exceeds 25 μm it minimizes the substantial errors which can arise with conventional point quadrats. Automatic contact detection eliminates operator subjectivity, and permits work in dense canopies. Additionally, sampling speed is increased over that of conventional systems.
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References
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Caldwell, M.M., Harris, G.W. & Dzurec, R.S. A fiber optic point quadrat system for improved accuracy in vegetation sampling. Oecologia 59, 417–418 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378874
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378874