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Selection of sites and station positions
Figure 1. Example demonstrating placement of sites. Yellow line is area of interest. Red symbols are
location of sites with 2-mile spacing.
Each survey consists of placing 25 sites within a predetermined study area. Place sites 2.0 mi apart in a
grid fashion with the beginning of grid randomly located. Each site consists of one transect with 5
stations spaced 100 m apart and directed downhill. In areas lacking any measurable slope, transect
direction can be random. Ideally, transect length is 400 m, however when transects encounter human
development, natural openings, meadows, new clear-cuts, ponds or small lakes, breaks in transect may
occur and increase the overall transect length. If these breaks cause over-all transect length to exceed 1
km, part of the transect can be run uphill from the starting location (with the same rules concerning
meadows, water etc.). If the overall transect length is still longer than 1 km, relocate the starting point to
a location not further than ½ km of the original start, then repeat the protocol. If the relocated transect
still encounters too much human development, open water, meadows, etc., then remove the site from the
grid and locate the transect at the next closest grid location. It is best to accomplish this task using aerial
photo and topographic maps prior to going into the field.
