1. Investigating Tuart Woodlands
Tuart Survey Training
Friends of Trigg Bushland Inc
13/11/2018

2. Introduction
Survey to provide detailed record of Tuart status for baseline purposes
Complement earlier work by Tuart Response Group and the Tuart Atlas
Assistance from City of Stirling and DEC and THRG/Centre of Excellence for Forest Health
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3. What is Trigg Bushland? A Class Reserve
Managed by the City of Stirling (Friends of Trigg Bushland act only as volunteers and can only make recommendations to the City of Stirling)
144 hectares
Only urban bushland that reaches from the shoreline to forested dunes
Contains rare flora and areas classed as ‘pristine’
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4. Scope of the Survey (Trigg Bushland image courtesy of City of Stirling)
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5. Topics for Discussion Purpose and methodology overview
Tools and measuring techniques
Recording the data
Ground rules
Progress to date
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6. Purpose
To provide ‘baseline’ data for forest decline and/or regeneration
To ‘fill in the gaps’ of aerial surveys, eg, Tuart Atlas
To provide data for future management plans, eg fire control and ‘dieback’ management
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7. Methodology Volunteers walk a grid through each section of bush.
Each tuart is identified and photographed while a GPS is adjacent to the tree.
Details of the tuart and understorey are recorded on the data collection sheet.
The photographs and the GPS tracks are matched using OziExplorer and OziPhotoTool software.
All the data are combined into Excel Spreadsheet.
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8. Topics for Discussion Purpose and methodology overview
Tools and measuring techniques
Recording the data
Ground rules
Progress to date
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9. Tools You Will Need Hand held GPS Digital Camera Clipboard
Recording Sheets and pen/pencil
Map with 10m grid marked
Measuring tape or scale on clipboard
Measuring stick for estimating tree height
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10. Data Collection Sheet
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11. Field map with 10m grid
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12. GPS Setup
Ensure GPS is set to correct datum (WGS 84) and measurement is in metres
Ensure satellite reception and check error – should be less than 5 metres.
Take photograph of GPS showing current date and time before beginning
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13. Record photo of GPS showing date and time
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14. Some tips Ensure GPS has fresh batteries
Turn on GPS at beginning of survey and leave it on, ensuring it is not obscured
Make sure GPS is next to the tree being photographed, holding it flat so that the antenna has ‘free sky’
Photo and GPS point are linked by the time stamp so the quality and aesthetics of the photo are not important
Plan your track so that extraneous points are minimized
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15. What is wrong? Hand is over the antenna zone GPS should be horizontal
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16. Measured Features Tree height Tree diameter Number of trunks
Growth Stage
Tree health
Canopy density
Understorey disturbance
Weed invasion and major species
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17. Measuring techniques
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18. Tree height using stick method
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19. Measuring tree Height
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20. Tree Diameter Measure diameter of largest trunk directly or
Use soft tape for circumference and divide by pi
Take measurement 1.5m above ground level
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21. Number of trunks
Measure largest trunk (dead or alive) at chest height, approx 1.5 metres from ground
Record number of dead trunks in comments
This is an example of a tuart with extensive fire damage, four trunks, one of which (far right) is dead,
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22. Single trunk, recovery from fire.
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23. Healthy growth from burnt stump,
This is an example of a tuart with some fire damage, four trunks, two of which are dead. You can see mature healthy leaves.
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24. Twin trunk healthy Tuart
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25. Growth Stage Seedling – juvenile leaf, soft wood
Juvenile - adult leaf, soft wood
Mature – adult leaf, hard wood
Regrowth – juvenile leaf, hard wood
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26. Juvenile leaf – heart shaped Mature leaf – sickle shaped
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27. Tree Health
Healthy
Stressed
Dead
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28. Measuring Canopy Density
Estimate in increments of 10%
Provides indication of health status
Affects plant and animal populations in understorey
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29. After Compton (1962)
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30. 30% Canopy
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31. 50% canopy
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32. 90% Canopy
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33. Understorey Disturbance
Estimate using scale of low, moderate or high
Note extent of weed invasion
Identify major weeds
Note physical disturbance, eg, earthworks, pathways, rubbish
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34. Seedling with low disturbance of ground cover
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35. Mature Tuart with high disturbance
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36. Topics for Discussion Purpose and methodology overview
Tools and measuring techniques
Recording the data
Ground rules
Progress to date
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37. Recording Data
Use actual measurement or scaled estimate wherever possible.
Use metric measurements with unit of measurement as specified on data collection sheet (eg height in metres, diameter in centimetres)
Estimates should be agreed between team members (or averaged where there is disagreement)
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38. GPS Tracks for 3 teams (10m grid)
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39. Tabular Data in Excel
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40. Summary of Measured Features
Tree height
Tree diameter
Number of trunks
Growth Stage
Tree health
Canopy density
Understorey disturbance
Weed invasion and major species
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41. Topics for Discussion Purpose and methodology overview
Tools and measuring techniques
Recording the data
Ground rules
Progress to date
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42. Safety Ground Rules Stay in teams. Know where you are.
Have a mobile phone.
Wear a hat and glasses or sunglasses.
Do not try to go too fast. The bush can be dense and difficult to get through. Avoid hurting yourself by moving slowly.
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43. Key Points to take away Important to make clear records
Use appropriate tools
Record data with an eye for presentation
Work together to ensure consistency
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44. Topics for Discussion Purpose and methodology overview
Tools and measuring techniques
Recording the data
Ground rules
Progress to date
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45. Duart Arnott Progress:
Data collection complete
Data entry and validation complete
Data submitted to DEC and Tuart Health Research Group (Murdoch/DEC)
Tuart recording sites in Duart-Arnott
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46. King Albert Progress: Data collection not yet complete
Data entry and validation in progress
King Albert Progress:
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47. Elliot Progress:
Data collection commenced
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48. St Mary’s Progress:
Data collection commenced
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49. The end –
- thank you !
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