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Shiro TSUYUZAKI
Plant community ecology / Environmental conservation

Mount Usu / Sarobetsu post-mined peatland
From left: Crater basin in 1986 and 2006. Cottongrass / Daylily

(First update on August 25 2003. Last on September 9 2010)

Abundance

Abundance

The total number of individuals or amount of resources present in a specific area. Typically, used qualitative, relative, or subjective manner rather than an absolute number or amount.

ACFOR

For convenient use

The species is

  • A: abundant
  • C: common
  • F: frequent
  • O: occasional
  • R: rare

in the given area (or ecosystem)

Unit

Cover (被度)

The area of ground covered by plants. Usually we use the marginal projection of the aboveground parts of plants, shown below.

cover estimation frame

A: An example of frame for the measurement of cover.
B:
Cover is not for the absolute cover. We estiamte the projection of the plants, as indicated by interrupted lines.
Cover-abundance scale, or dominance scale

by the Zurich-Montpellier School of phytosociology

rSolitary with small cover
+Few, with small cover (pronounced 'cross')
1Numerous, but less than 1/20 cover, or scattered, with cover up to 1/20
2Any number, with 1/20-1/4 cover (5-25%)
3Any number, with 1/4-1/2 cover (25-50%)
4Any number, with 1/2-3/4 cover (50-75%)
5Any number, with cover more than 3/4 of the reference area (> 75%)
Daubenmire's cover classes
Class 12345
%0-55-2525-5050-7575-100

Biomass (バイオマス)

The mass of living organisms in a given area (or ecosystem) at a given time. We often use dry mass for plant ecology. See also biome and productivity.

Density (密度)

The number of plants per unit area. Usually we use this parameter for trees and plants of which individuality is clearly recognized.

Frequency (頻度)

Number of plots that the target species occurs.

References

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