Vegetation sampling

Instructions for vegetation sampling

When sampling plants around a control object and in the background areas of a similar landscape type, several dominant types of vegetation (trees, shrubs, shrubs, etc.), various grasses (individual species), mosses (lichens, and fungi) must be selected. Amount of plant sample required for analysis per raw mass is 1-2 kg. For trees and shrubs, leaves and branches are sampled separately.

Plant samples are optimally taken in cloth bags. To avoid spoilage, plant samples taken during the day should be placed for drying in paper boxes made in advance of clean white paper (not newspaper, and not from recyclable materials to avoid contamination of the sample). A similar-sized filter paper is placed in paper boxes for drying, which changes as it gets wet. Samples should be air-dried on site during field work before being sent to a laboratory.