ASTM_E_1923_-_97_2003.pdf

Designation:E 1923 97(Reapproved 2003)Standard Guide forSampling Terrestrial and Wetlands Vegetation1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 1923;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon(e)indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This guide covers environmental studies such as riskassessments,planning projects,or research typically includingcharacterization of ecological resources.Compliance withfederal statutes(for example,National Environmental PolicyAct 1970,(NEPA);Comprehensive Environmental Response,Compensation and Liability Act 1981,(CERCLA:with itsRemedial Investigation/Feasibility(RI/FS)and Natural Re-source Damage Assessment(NRDA)components);ResourceConservation Recovery Act(RCRA),and Federal Insecticide,Fungicide,and Rodenticide Act,(FIFRA)as well as stateregulations addressing projects such as hazardous waste siteassessments and environmental impact analysis often requirescharacterization of vegetation.This guide presents a frame-work for selection of terrestrial vegetation sampling methodsbased on project-specific objectives.Method-specific practicesare associated with this basic guide as annexes.1.2 As with any data gathering activity,the value ofinformation is affected by the strategy and sampling design.Determining the number of sample points,temporal and spatiallocation of sample points,relationships among samplingpoints,and the correspondence of other sampling activities areimportant considerations.Strengths and limitations of variousmethods are described in general terms in this guide.However,the key issues linked to data quality relate to the specificquestion being addressed and the adequacy of the field sam-pling plan.1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as thestandard.1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 No related ASTM standards on field sampling areavailable.2.2 This guide is intended only as a framework for vegeta-tion sampling,not as an in-depth discussion of methodology.Greig-Smith(1)2provided a detailed theoretical treatment ofvegetation sampling.Other excellent treatments of vegetationsampling,typically with fewer theoretical considerations,arealso available.The user of this guide is referred to generalliterature on field sampling methods and designs(2-8).3.Terminology3.1 The words“must,”“should,”“may,”“can,”and“might”have specific meanings in this guide.“Must”is used to expressan absolute requirement,that is,to state that the test ought tobe designed to satisfy the specified condition,unless thepurpose of the test requires a different design.“Should”is usedto state that the specified condition is recommended and oughtto be met if possible.Although violation of one“should”israrely a serious matter,violation of several will often render theresults questionable.“May”is used to mean“is(are)allowedto,”“can”is used to mean“is(are)able to,”and“might”isused to mean“could be possible.”Thus,the distinctionbetween“may”and“can”is preserved,and“might”is neverused as a synonym for either“may”or“can.”3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:Consis-tent use of terminology is essential for any vegetation samplingeffort.Below is a list of terms that are used in this guide,aswell as others that may be encountered commonly during thecourse of vegetation sampling.This list is not exhaustive,andit includes terms that do not apply to every project or method.Definitions are from Barbour et al.(9)and Hanson(10),or theauthor of this guide.3.2.1 abundancethe number of individuals of one taxonin an area;equivalent to the term density as used in botanicalliterature(relative abundance=density).3.2.2 associationa particular type of community withrelatively consistent floristic composition,a uniform physiog-nomy,and a distribution characteristic of a particular habitat.3.2.3 basal areathe cross-sectional area of a tree trunk at1.4 m(4.5 ft)above ground(see diameter at breast height).3.2.4 basal area factor(BAF)in variable radius sampling,the number that is multiplied by the number of tallies to obtainbasal area in m2/ha or ft2/ac.1This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E47 on BiologicalEffects and Environmental Fate and is the direct responsibility of SubcommitteeE47.02 on Terrestrial Assessment and Toxicology.Current edition approved May 10,2003.Published August 2003.Originallyapproved in 1997.Previous edition approved in 1997 as E 1923 97.2The boldface numbers given in parentheses refer to a list of references at theend of the text.1Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr