Determination of plant species cover by means of image analysis

A method is described for the determination of plant species cover in herbaceous plant communities by means of image analysis. It is a computerized extension of the quadrat-charting method. The method was tested with four different computer systems for three different vegetation types, a shady lawn, a pioneer vegetation and a forest floor. We compared the results with vertical point-intercept analyses of the same stands. Image analysis revealed a high accuracy of the method ranging from < +/- 1 to about +/- 2% cover depending on the dominance of the species being analysed. The method is particularly suitable for the analysis of low herbaceous or unsaturated vegetation, dominance stands of broad-leaved plant species and for the analysis of cover changes in permanent plots.