Measurement protocol

We’ve designed our protocols to be easy to incorporate into whatever fieldwork you are already carrying out, as well as requiring the minimum investment of time. It is possible to join the network by carrying out a 1m2 plant survey at only 7 sites. You can scale that up to add micro-climate sensors (and so join the SoilTemp network too!), butterfly, and bird surveys at 27 sites. Our flexible sampling strategy (see below) allows you to mix-and-match taxa to study and sites to survey as you wish. We have detailed, established measurement protocols available online in this Google Drive folder, but below we give a brief overview of the steps involved.

#1. Register your interest. Fill out our online form to let us know you want to join; if you select the option, one of us will then reach out to help you with every part of getting started. (You can also email Will Pearse directly) to ask for help. You can also download detailed survey protocols online in this Google Drive folder.

#2. Establishing a site. Within a 1km2 grid square, map out where 27 sites arranged as shown in the figure above would go. Ideally, try and place these somewhere the BTO is already running a Breeding Bird Survey, or an OS map grid square. Make sure you have appropriate permissions before surveying. Decide how many sites you want to establish, bearing in mind the minimum requirements (the 7 sites in red above, each with a plant and pitfall trap survey). By all means establish more sites and collect additional kinds of data! The sites do not have to be perfectly vertically aligned; if you are having any trouble placing points on a map please reach out to us (see #1 above) and we will help!

#3. Conduct plant surveys. At each of your sites, survey a 1m x 1m quadrat, recording plant percentage cover. More details are provided in our online protocols, but encourage you to split your quadrat into four ‘quadrants’ (each 50cm x 50cm) either using Q4 and Q3 quadrants or by making something similar yourself from PVC pipe and string. Note that a data form, as well as a guide to how to name the plots within your sites, is included in the Google Drive folder.

#4. Fill in a survey. When you register your site, you will be sent a link to a very short survey to fill in to give some details about yourself. Fill that in!

#5. Carry out any other surveys you wish (optional). You can stop here, or else you can peruse the other survey options available on the site (e.g., bird, butterfly, and micro-climate sensor data).

#6. Send us your data!. Email your completed data-sheets to will.pearse@imperial.ac.uk.