VEGETATION DATA FROM IVOTUK
  July 1998 and July 1999
  C.H. Racine 
 The goal of vegetation sampling was to relate snow depth to vegetation type 
  and structural characteristics along four long transects (Three of these- Otuk, 
  Iteriak and SE Lake began at camp and ran one to five thousand meters to the 
  east (Otuk), west (Iteriak) and SE (SE Lake). In addition a 700 m line was established 
  at Kucher Ck about 30 km north of Ivotuk where there is a series of watertracks 
  on a gentle east-facing slope. Eight rebar were installed along this transect 
  to permit easier location in the winter and to support dataloggers. Snow depths 
  on these four transects were monitored in winters of 1998-99 and 1999-2000. 
  Vegetation types and structural characteristics were determined along these 
  same transects in July 1999. A Trimble Pathfinder XL GPS and base station was 
  used during both the summer and winter to determine the location of measurements 
  along these transects so that snow and vegetation measurements could be colocated. 
  All three transects begin at the Ivotuk camp (0 distance). Both the UTM and 
  latitude and longitude are given for measurement point vegetation samples and 
  only UTM coordinates for the position of change.<br>

  In the summer we recorded the location of change from one vegetation type to 
  the next along the transects. The vegetation type named in the veg change worksheet 
  is for the next type beginning at the designated point. In addition the cumulative 
  distance in meters provides the distance along the transect from the camp where 
  the measurement was made.<br>

  Then within each vegetation type we characterized the vegetation structure 
  relevant to the trapping of blowing snow. Parameters included deciduous and 
  evergreen shrub cover, maximum and average height (cm), shrub stem diameters 
  (cm), birch and willow percent cover and stem diameters. Rapid assessment techniques 
  were used to sample as many points as possible along the transect lines. Where 
  the transects passed through shrub-dominated tundra at Kucher Ck., we delimited 
  shrub zones where changes in shrub cover, composition (proportion of birch and 
  willows), and height occurred.