An instrument for measurement of the density of plant cover over snow course points

TitleAn instrument for measurement of the density of plant cover over snow course points
Publication TypeConference Proceedings
Year of Conference1955
AuthorsIngebo, P. A.
Conference Name23rd Annual Western Snow Conference
Series TitleProceedings of the 23rd Annual Western Snow Conference
Date PublishedApril 1955
PublisherWestern Snow Conference
Conference LocationPortland, Oregon
KeywordsCanopy cover measurement
Abstract

An instrument and method of measuring the percent of vegetative cover, (forest canopy cover, overstore cover) are described and illustrated. The instrument consists of an inverted aluminum frustum of a cone with diameters of 12 and 6 inches. A silver ball is centered near the bottom and an eye piece is mounted on one side to observe the reflection of the hemisphere on the silver ball. A dot-grid is mounted on the top 12 in. diameter, the grid is quartered and circles at 15 deg, 30 deg, and 45 deg from the vertical are drawn on the grid. By looking through the eye piece the dots that are covered by trees or leaves or needles are counted by quadrants and segments and tabulated. The instrument is leveled and oriented (N). A graph illustrates the percent canopy cover to percent of snow accumulation in the open and under the trees of differing percent cover as a result of some 750 observations. In discussion Dr. Paul E. Lemmon describes a similar hand held instrument.

URLsites/westernsnowconference.org/PDFs/1955Ingebo.pdf