Testing a methodology for assessing plant communities in temperate inland lakes

Mikulyuk, Alison; Hauxwell, Jennifer; Rasmussen, Paul W.; Knight, Susan E.; Wagner, Kelly I.; Nault, Michelle; Ridgely, Daryl

doi:10.1080/07438141003666848

Cited by 26 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 33 publications

(42 reference statements)

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“…Our results indicated that in well preserved coastal systems, where habitat types can extend for several meters, the reduction in the number of plots did not affect the representation of habitats, maintaining comparable values of mean species richness, cumulative number of species as well as the number of the indicator species detected. Our findings are consistent with those of Mikulyuk et al (2010), who stated that a higher sampling effort does not always result in an increase in data accuracy and completeness. Indeed, different results emerged only in the comparison of habitats with a narrow extent, represented by a low number of plots (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Trade-offs between sampling effort and data quality in habitat monitoring

et al. 2018

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The transect method has been widely used to monitor habitat conservation status and has been recently recommended as the best tool to monitor steep ecological gradients, such as those in coastal systems. Despite that, the effectiveness of the transect approach can be limited when considering the sampling effort in terms of time needed for sampling. Our work aimed at evaluating the efficacy of the transect approach in a Mediterranean coastal system. Specifically we aimed at evaluating the sampling effort versus the completeness of datasets obtained by performing belt transects in different ways specifically designed to progressively reduce the sampling effort: (i) sampling plots adjacently ("adjacent-plot transect"); (ii) sampling plots alternately ("alternate-plot transect"); (iii) sampling one plot at each plant community along the vegetation zonation ("zonation-plot transect"). We evaluated method efficiency in terms of number and type of habitats identified, spatial extent, species richness and composition, through multivariate analyses, null models and rarefaction curves. The sampling effort was measured in terms of time needed for sampling. The zonation-plot transect had the lowest sampling effort, but provided only an approximation of the state of the dunal communities. The alternate-plot transect showed the best trade-off between the sampling effort and the completeness of information obtained, and may be considered as a efficient option in very wide coastal systems. Our research provides guidelines that can be used in other coastal systems to choose the most cost-effective monitoring method thereby maximising the efficient use of monitoring resources. Keywords Coastal sand dunes • Habitat risk assessment • Data collection • Sampling efficiency • Belt transect Communicated by Daniel Sanchez Mata. This article belongs to the Topical Collection:Biodiversity protection and reserves.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Trade-offs between sampling effort and data quality in habitat monitoring

et al. 2018

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“…A sample of a point-intercept map is shown in Figure 3. A more detailed description of this method is found in Mikulyuk et al (2010).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species Selectivity of Granular 2,4-D Herbicide When Used to Control Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) in Wisconsin Lakes

Cason¹,

Roost²

2011

Invasive plant sci. manag.

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A total of 24 pre-and posttreatment plant frequency data sets were analyzed from 15 Wisconsin lakes treated with granular 2,4-D BEE herbicide for the control of Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum). Six data sets from four untreated control lakes were analyzed for comparison. The data sets included the results of line-transect aquatic plant surveys and point-intercept aquatic plant surveys. The results from these two survey methods were analyzed separately. Analysis of pre-and posttreatment changes in frequency of occurence for 46 species of aquatic plants indicated Eurasian watermilfoil was the only species to show significant declines in all the surveys. At application rates of 112 kg ha−1, Eurasian watermilfoil declined an average 65.9% among the line-transect surveys; and 58.0% among the point-intercept surveys. At application rates of 168 kg ha−1, Eurasian watermilfoil declined by 94.4% and 76.5% among line-transect and point-intercept surveys, respectively. Among the control lakes, Eurasian watermilfoil increased an average of 77% in year 1 and 24% in year 2. Northern watermilfoil (Myriophyllum sibiricum), a closely related native plant, underwent declines in frequency at the higher 2,4-D application rate (20.0%) but showed an increase (88.9%) at the lower rate among the line-transect surveys. Northern watermilfoil exhibited declines at both rates among the point-intercept surveys (48 and 50%, respectively); however, the plant also exhibited declines in the control lakes in year 2. Most other native aquatic plant species were unaffected or showed increases following treatment with 2,4-D BEE. The high degree of selectivity to Eurasian watermilfoil found in this survey of operational treatments with 2,4-D BEE suggests that this herbicide is an important tool for restoring plant communities that have been degraded by Eurasian watermilfoil.

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“…Lakes were sampled from a boat mid-June through August using the point-intercept survey methodology outlined by Hauxwell et al (2010). This methodology has been shown to return robust and predictable species frequency data and is suitable for making comparisons among lakes (Mikulyuk et al 2010). Following this protocol, survey grids were constructed based on littoral area and shoreline complexity.…”

Section: Aquatic Macrophyte Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

The relative role of environmental, spatial, and land-use patterns in explaining aquatic macrophyte community composition

Mikulyuk

Sharma

Egeren

et al. 2011

Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci.

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Quantifying the relative role of environmental and spatial factors to understand patterns in community composition is a fundamental goal of community ecology. We applied a tested and repeatable point-intercept sampling method to aquatic macrophyte assemblages in 225 Wisconsin lakes to understand the ability of environmental, land-use, and spatial patterns to explain aquatic plant distribution and abundance. Using a variation partitioning framework in conjunction with Moran eigenvector maps we found that environmental, land-use, and spatial patterns explained 31% of total adjusted variation in aquatic macrophyte assemblages across the landscape. Environmental factors were the most important (contributing 34% of the total explained variation), but all sources of variation were statistically significant. Community composition varied from north to south along a gradient of alkalinity and from disturbed to undisturbed lakes, diverging according to whether disturbance was urban or agricultural. The large amount of shared variation among predictor variables suggests causal relationships are complex and emphasizes the importance of considering space and land-use in addition to environmental factors when characterizing macrophyte assemblages. This work is the first to examine the joint and unique effects of environment, land-use, and spatial patterns on aquatic plant communities.

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Testing a methodology for assessing plant communities in temperate inland lakes

Abstract: (2010) Testing a methodology for assessing plant communities in temperate inland lakes, Lake and Reservoir Management, 26:1, 54-62,

Cited by 26 publications

References 33 publications

Trade-offs between sampling effort and data quality in habitat monitoring

Trade-offs between sampling effort and data quality in habitat monitoring

Species Selectivity of Granular 2,4-D Herbicide When Used to Control Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) in Wisconsin Lakes

The relative role of environmental, spatial, and land-use patterns in explaining aquatic macrophyte community composition

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