Random Transect with Adaptive Clustering Sampling Design - ArcPad Applet Manual

Abstract

Non-native invasive plant species (NIS) pose a significant threat to native biological diversity. Their management and control are mandated by Executive Order 13112 on all federal lands in the United States, including Army training lands.A key component of any NIS management strategy is knowing the distribution of NIS across the management landscape. Survey or sampling methods are often needed because Army installations are too large to inventory completely. Efficient sampling is crucial because early-detection, rapid-response management approaches rely on detection of newly established (but rare) NIS populations. Adaptive sampling is an alternative to conventional sampling that capitalizes on the spatial clustering of biological populations. Adaptive sampling has the potential to be efficient at sampling rare and clustered populations, but its use has been limited by a lack of tools to aid implementation in the field.This manual describes an adaptive cluster sampling design called the Random Transect with Adaptive Clustering Sampling Design (RTAC) and a user-friendly global positioning system (GPS) interface developed to aid implementation of the sampling design in the field. The GPS user interface described here is a customized application developed for ESRI's ArcPad ® mobile geographical information software (GIS) for field applications.