This article is a collection of best practices for monitoring the health and progress of your forestry project, while leveraging Terraware, Terraformation's suite of tools for managing forestry projects.
For more information about Terraware, visit https://www.terraformation.com/solutions/software, and create a Terraware account at https://terraware.io.
What is Plant Monitoring, and Why Do We Need to Monitor Our Project's Progress?
Monitoring the health and progress of plants as your project matures is an important part of any afforestation or reforestation project. The plant monitoring method laid out below will help your project achieve its potential by highlighting problems early, identifying areas for improvement, and building a comprehensive collection of data that will be the basis for carbon certification.
Through periodic monitoring of a subset of the whole planting area, you can have a clearer picture of the overall health of the plants and the project. This methodology, which is used by Terraformation, is based on the Common Stand Examination protocol developed by the United States Forestry Service, and uses standard methods in statistics and forestry science.
If your project is part of the Terraformation Accelerator, you will be required to conduct plant monitoring. For more information about the Terraformation Accelerator, visit https://www.terraformation.com/accelerator.
Plant Monitoring with Terraware
Planting monitoring with Terraware involves using both the web application and the mobile application to track your projects' plants and to monitor the progress of the plants over time. It can be done for planting sites that have been at least partially planted.
Monitoring is done through observations, which can be scheduled at regular intervals in Terraware. Forestry projects that are part of the Terraformation Accelerator are required to schedule an observation at regular intervals.
Observations involve recording the status of the plants within specific monitoring plots in the projects' planting sites. You can plan and expect to schedule observations at the end of each planting season for the first few years of a project and less frequently for projects that have finished planting. Observations are scheduled within the Terraware web application.
The location of Observations in Terraware.
A reminder message about a scheduled observation.
For each scheduled observation, a subset of randomly located 50-meter-square plots will be assigned by Terraware for monitoring. Some plots will be marked as permanent plots. Permanent plots are formed by four 25-meter-square plots that are clustered. These will be monitored with every observation cycle for the entire length of a project. This is to help view changes in the land over time. In addition, temporary plots will be assigned. These plot locations will change with every observation cycle. This is to cover a broader area of the site over time.
For answers to common questions about monitoring plots in planting sites, visit Planting Site Monitoring FAQ.
When it’s time for an observation, workers will be required to visit each of the plots assigned, mark the plot boundary (4 corners), take photos, and count the plants inside. See the sections below for additional information about these steps, as well as some best practices and preparation for monitoring.
Two different observations for the same site shown side by side. Note how the permanent plots (pink) don't change between the observations, but the temporary plots (yellow) do.
Terraware Mobile App for Observations
Observation data, including the plant counts, are recorded in the field using the Terraware mobile application. The data collected in the field will be synced with your organization in Terraware, where you can view statistics about the health of your planting site.
Download the Terraware mobile app for free from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
The Terraware mobile app is available for free on both the Apple App store and Google Play Store. To find it, just search for "terraware."
Preparing for Monitoring
When an observation cycle is approaching, members of your organization who are registered in Terraware will receive an email reminding them one month before the beginning date of the observation cycle. This is a good time to prepare materials and plan the field work.
For each observation cycle, your team should ensure that you have the following materials:
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Stakes / corner posts: Each plot boundary will require markers for each corner (4). These should be made of material that is durable enough to last more than a year and be easy enough to drive into the ground. They should also be easy to find in the growing forest again after a year. Consider that vegetation will grow between measurements and posts will become difficult to find.
The corner post should measure at least 1 meter so that you have enough length to drive it securely in the ground and enough of the post remaining above ground that it is easy to find again. Ideally, a post should stand at least 1 meter above the ground.
It is recommended to have a mallet (left), post driver (right), or other tool to help drive the posts into the ground.
Materials that may be suitable for corner posts include narrow PVC pipe, fiberglass rod, rebar, or durable hardwood.
You should paint or tape the portions of the corner post that will be above the ground with neon or brightly colored material, avoiding colors that occur naturally in vegetation.
Keep in mind your site’s soil and weather conditions when choosing the material for your corner posts. For example, if the soil is consistently soggy or wet, consider using a corner post that is made of PVC or fiberglass to avoid corrosion of a steel rebar or moldering of a hardwood post.
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Measurement lines: To quickly set up each plot boundary, a 25-meter length of material is needed to measure between corners. Landscaping measuring tape, cord, or rope is recommended. Do not use yarn or string because it will easily become tangled, snagged on plants, and stretched. A strong line with limited stretch when pulled taut between 2 points will allow for easier maneuvering over vegetation and consistent measurement.
Alternatively, having two 25-meter measuring lines plus one additional line of 35.36-meter length that serves as a diagonal measurement may assist in creating complete squares with accurate 90-degree angles.
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Compass: Monitoring plots are aligned with true north, so a high-quality compass declinated to true north can help orient workers in the field. With two people between a line holding it taut, the compass can be placed on the measurement line and aligned directly with the intended compass direction to ensure that the placement of the two posts is as precise as possible.
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Plant markers: To avoid plant-counting errors, you should consider bringing some plant markers to use while in the field. Brightly colored flagging tape is ideal for this purpose; however, any material that can be attached quickly to a plant will work. Small ground markers such as flags, chalk/dust, or tags can be placed at the base of plants as long as they are highly visible. Ground markers will be less suitable in grassy or highly vegetated locations. Flags, tags, and any other disposable material used to mark plants should be removed once the plot has been fully surveyed.
Another strategy to avoid double-counting plants is to use a long cord or rope tied to one of the posts. As one person systematically counts the plants throughout a monitoring plot, another person holds the cord and directs it over the monitoring plot that has already been counted.
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GPS: To more accurately and quickly find the corners of each monitoring plot, we encourage you to bring an additional commercial GPS (global positioning system) unit that can be used to validate the mobile device’s internal GPS from the Terraware app. There are many handheld dual-band GPS devices that will work for this purpose. One example that we recommend is the Garmin eTrex 10.
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Writing pad and pen: These work as a backup, in case something happens to the user’s phone in the field (out of battery, malfunction, water damage, etc.). Being able to finish recording data on a writing pad will allow the user to finish monitoring a plot once their phone is operational again, by entering the data manually. A writing pad should only be used as backup and should not replace Terraware in the field.
- Plastic bag (e.g., Ziploc): To protect the user's phone from rain and wet plants when moving around.
During Monitoring
When an observation cycle begins, members of your organization will see a notification in Terraware. The locations of the monitoring plots for that observation cycle will be viewable in the Map view in the Observations page. (Note: The coordinates of the four corners of each of the monitoring plots will be available in the Terraware mobile app to users who have claimed the plots.)
Viewing monitoring plots for an observation within Terraware.
Before a plot can be monitored, it will need to be claimed in the Terraware mobile app on a device connected to the internet. Claiming a plot in Terraware is the way that a user indicates they plan to survey that plot in the near future. An individual user can claim as many or as few plots as they plan to monitor, though we recommend not claiming more than can be completed in a single day of field work. Once a plot is claimed by a user, it will not be able to be claimed or monitored by any other users.
Claiming a plot in the Terraware mobile app.
Once the user has claimed a plot, they can head out to the field to perform the observation. The user will need to navigate to the first plot they intend to complete. The coordinates of location of the four corners of the plot will be viewable in the mobile app. Once the user is ready to begin marking the boundary of the plot (or if the plot boundary has already been set up in a previous observation), they can start the monitoring flow within the app.
Multiple users can monitor different plots, the ones that they have claimed, simultaneously, even within the same planting sites.
Plot Boundary Setup
The mobile app will guide the user through physically marking the 4 corners of each monitoring plot. The coordinates of each of the four corners - southwest, northwest, northeast, northwest - will be provided.
The user will be asked to drive stakes into the ground at the corners and take photos of the plot from each corner, facing toward the center of the plot.
Setting up a plot boundary in the Terraware mobile app.
The user should use the greatest precision in finding and marking the location of the first corner of the plot using GPS. If the app detects that the device's GPS accuracy is low, a warning will be displayed that prompts the user to wait until it improves before starting. It can take anywhere from seconds to a few minutes before the GPS settles and you can rely on the location on-screen.
Once a single corner has been marked, the user can more simply mark the other 3 corners by measuring out 25 meters and using a compass to find the correct position and record the GPS location. While the mobile device has an internal GPS, we recommend validating the GPS location of at least the first corner with the commercial dual-band GPS device as well.
It is important to be as accurate as possible while setting up the plot boundaries for an observation. For permanent plots, these boundaries will be used for the length of the project and will later be used to verify data for carbon calculations.
Plant Counting
Once the plot boundary has been marked, the user can begin counting the plants within the plot. After beginning counting, the user will not be able to pause and come back without restarting the process.
While you are counting plants within the plot, it is important to be vigilant. Plant markers can be used to make sure that plants are not double-counted. Depending on the planting site, some plants may be hidden amongst tall grasses. Others may have died and decomposed. Make sure you remember to collect any materials, including plant markers you used before leaving. The only materials that should be left behind in a monitoring plot after an observation are the corner posts, and these should only be left at permanent plots.
Numbers of plants are recorded in the Terraware mobile app by their species. The species list will be populated based on your project's nursery information (and your project design document (PDD), if your project is part of the Terraformation Accelerator).
The first time that a plot is monitored, you will have the option to record existing plants. These are the plants that pre-exist your planting activities with the project. Recording them is necessary to establish a baseline of plant life prior to the project beginning.
In addition to newly planted and existing plants, it is important to record any dead plants that are observed. These are any plants that died since the previous observation. Dead plants counted in previous observations should not be counted again. In some cases, it may be challenging or impossible to determine which plants were previously counted as dead. However, the more accurate the count of the plants that died since the previous observation, the more accurate the mortality rate statistics will be that appear in the Plants Dashboard for the planting site.
When plant counting is done, a summary of the statistics for the plot observation will be surfaced in the app. Double-check that they appear correct before finishing the observation of this plot. You will be asked a few questions about the state of the plot and have the opportunity to record any notes.
Once you have completed monitoring for a plot, you will be able to locate the next plot that you claimed to monitor and repeat the plant counting process above.
After Monitoring
When you have finished monitoring plots for the day, you will be able to upload the observations you recorded in the Terraware mobile app. Uploading the observations data requires an internet connection and can take some time, even on a fast internet connection, due to the amount of data and photos that are being uploaded. Please be sure that you have enough time to complete the upload before beginning an upload of more than a few plots’ worth of data. If needed, plug your mobile device into a power source to ensure that there is enough battery life for duration of the data transfer.
Once the data has been uploaded, it will be available to view within Terraware. Individual plot observation data can be viewed from the Observations page.
When all plots have had their observation data uploaded (i.e., the observation is complete), site statistics will be updated on the Plants Dashboard. These statistics can give you a view into the health of your project site.
To find out more about how Terraware can help you with your forestry efforts, read about additional features in the Terraware Knowledge Base.