Geographic Resource Solutions

The basic premise of the densitometer is that we are extending a point from the ground vertically up through the vegetation canopy. Anything whose crown area or surface (down material) intersects the point is considered "cover" for that point. The densitometer provides a uniform standard means of projecting this point vertically upward or downward by sighting through it with bubble vials leveled and the sighting guides on the near and far lenses aligned (the far guide mark centered in the near guide circle). If the vegetation/landscape feature covers or intersects the guide mark on the far lenses with the densitometer leveled and aligned, then I consider that a "cover" feature (the guide mark is the intersection of the "cross-hairs" or the "dot" depending on which type of reticule you are sighting through). If the vegetation/landscape feature does not cover the guide mark, then the subject vegetation/landscape feature is not included as a cover feature. Using this standardized approach a summer field technician can develop the same cover estimates as someone with a PhD. In addition, estimates from one year or project are more easily compared with other cover estimates as they were developed using the same sampling methodology.