Missouri Bladderpod Monitoring Standard Operating Procedure 10, Version 1.0: Pre-sampling Grid Setup and Phenology Observation
Leis S . 2026. Missouri Bladderpod Monitoring Standard Operating Procedure 10, Version 1.0: Pre-sampling Grid Setup and Phenology Observation
This new standard operating procedure (SOP) 10 describes procedures for pre-sampling grid set up and phenology observations for the Missouri bladderpod project. Set up of the Bloody Hill Glade and Walnut Glade grids was previously in the appendix of the published protocol (Young et al. 2008). Grid set up involves flagging the two monumented grids prior to each monitoring event. On these two glades, corners of sampling units are physically monumented with rebar, screws, or nails. To increase efficiency of sampling, these corners are temporarily marked with labeled flags so cells can be easily navigated. The flagging process needs to be conducted annually because flags degrade over time and are often displaced by wildlife, storms, etc. Moreover, minimizing the visual intrusion for visitors is a priority for the park. Some flags remaining from previous sampling events may help to locate physical markers, but proper procedures should be followed to affirm the correct placement of these flags. Bloody Hill Glade and Walnut Glade each have different flagging procedures because of differences in grid cell size and layout. The other glades are delineated only within the GNSS environment. Phenology observations are conducted to increase knowledge of the plant’s phenology.
- Type
- Standard Operating Procedure
- Authors
- Leis, Sherry
- Date of Issue
- 2026
- Units
- HTLN , WICR
- Keywords
- bladderpod monitoring, glade, methodology, Missouri bladderpod, monitoring, phenology, protocol, sampling grid, standard operating procedure