To assess the power of point data (collected systematically at each meter along a permanently-situated, 100-m line transect) to detect actual changes in plant basal cover, we developed a computational approach whereby a simplified shortgrass steppe community was spatially simulated on a computer screen. Cover was then reduced using a random disturbance pattern. One transect could detect an actual decrease in cover from 12% to 8% with less than 20% probability, while 5 transects increased this power to about 80% (P less than or equal to .05). A reduction in cover from 12 to 6% could be detected with 80% probability with only 2 transects, while a cover reduction to 10% could only be detected with 40% probability using 10 transects (P less than or equal to .05). Artificial populations provide a valuable mechanism for quantitatively evaluating field sampling designs. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020
Scholarly peer-reviewed articles published by the Society for Range Management. Access articles on a rolling-window basis from vol. 1, 1948 up to 5 years from the current year. Formerly Journal of Range Management (JRM). More recent content is available by subscription from SRM.