Lake vegetation surveys are a common component of long-term lake management plans and are vital in determining broad changes to native plant species composition as well as in detecting nuisance species. We are able to determine the best survey method to perform, whether it be an AVAS survey or a Point Intercept survey.
- An AVAS (Aquatic Vegetation Assessment Sites) survey samples the aquatic plant community throughout the littoral zone of the lake. The presence and density of a species is rated to describe its relative percent cover to other species, and sampling transects are marked using differential GPS technology.
A Point Intercept survey documents the overall species diversitythroughout the lake on a grid of waypoints. Plants are identified at each sampling point and the dominant species is recorded to create a species distribution map. This large number of discrete observations creates aprofile on lake-wide species abundance.
