Point Count Survey - Terrestrial Species Stressor Monitoring [ds2829]

Whenever possible, three independent point count surveys of five minutes each were conducted over the course of the month-long survey period at each site. To enable relatively accurate distance measurements, observers would mentally mark 50 meters in each cardinal direction using a rangefinder.

Observer qualifications determined the complexity of the survey being conducted, with a focal survey recording data for only 25 pre-designated species; for comprehensive surveys, data for all bird species was collected. During survey site establishment visits, a 15-minute quiet period was taken at the point count center prior to starting the survey; subsequent visits only required a 5-minute quiet period. During the quiet period, the observer recorded general information about the survey location, weather, etc.