SamplePoint is software developed by the ARS which grids a range of points for density onto a photograph image, generally a .jpg. The crossshair points can zoom to pixel size so file sizes of at least 3 megabites are needed. Percent plant, litter, and bare ground cover are easily determined in about 5 minutes per image. Overhead canopy along riparian areas can be captured rapidly for later analysis. Some aspects of functional groups can be interpreted. Rough forage quality green to yellow to brown ratios can be determined. Knowledge of species and expertise in plant identification are helpful but do not fully achieve a reliable frequency assessments from the photos. Especially in taller vegetation. The value of this tools helps support professional judgements when care in sample collection of photos, scale consistency, and lens angles are observed.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.