NRES 285/ 499

Measuring and Monitoring Plant Populations

WHOA. Okay my mind was just blown. Again. We just got the crash course in what we’ll actually be researching—HOW, WHY, WHEN, WHERE—in the Sonoran TDF.

We want to find out about these things: palm density over plots and the landscape, population structure, what proportion of the palms is reproducing, and current levels of grazing and harvesting. For insight on those things, we’ll be collecting these data:


• Tree height
• Diameter
• Number of leaves
• Number of spears
• Leaf length
• Reproductive status and number of fruit
• Herbivory clues
• Number of cut rachis (from harvest)
• Skirt (hanging leaves)
• Slope
• Other tree species present in the plot
• Canopy height

We’re not sure at this point where the plots will be, or how they will be generated. However, here is a sample scheme of what could happen.

Basically we are guinea pigs testing the Zoo’s protocol for sampling this palm. Based on our research, what we find and how much we struggle, the Zoo can determine if the sampling plots are in a good location and what data we take is helpful. Then these plots can be used for long-term research collection.

So it’s clearly a big task. But everyone’s getting pretty excited about it, and our team of 20 will add up to be something like 800 man-hours over the week, which is pretty impressive. LET’S DO IT!!!!! I'm not joking. --Lenna O.

photo from Bryan E.