Vegetation survey design for conservation: Gradsect sampling of forests in North-eastern New South Wales

Abstract A method is described which obtains a representative sample of the floristic variation in a forested area of c. 20 000 km 2 . Using the climatic, topographic and lithological characteristics of the study area, a series of gradsects (transects incorporating significant environmental gradients) were selected to represent the environmental variability present in the area. Rules for a field sampling strategy are outlined which ensure that the widest possible range of environments are sampled with reasonable constraints on travelling time and costs. Gradsects in combination with a set of explicit sampling rules are shown to be an effective technique for obtaining a representative data set.