Juan Are you wanting shade as in percent cover or shade as in reduction in light intensity/quality? If you want percent cover, I'd use a densiometer or canopy image to calculate coverage of canopy. If using a camera to take images, it would be recommended to use a fisheye lens. If you want light intensity, I've used PAR sensors with data loggers. One sensor goes out in a field of full sunlight and the other goes in the forest for sampling a points. The sensor in full sun logs data at 100% open (i.e. 0% shade). Since light is variable over a sampling period, you can then link the point samples from in the forest to time stamps on the open sensor and calculate percent PAR values in the forest. I typically do both cover and PAR measurements.
Jordan -- Jordan M. Marshall, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Biology Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne 2101 E. Coliseum Blvd. Fort Wayne, IN 46805 Office (260) 481-6038 Mobile (865) 919-9811 Fax (260) 481-6087 www.jordanmarshall.com >>> On 8/9/2013 at 12:00 AM, ECOLOG-L automatic digest system > Date: Thu, 8 Aug 2013 10:28:11 -0400 > From: Juan Alvez <[email protected]> > Subject: Percent shade methodology? > > Dear ECOLOG-L, > > I would like to know what are the best methods to determine different > percent gradients of shade on forested lands (including savannas and > grasslands). > > Thank you for your consideration! > Juan > > > > -- > Juan P. Alvez, PhD > Pasture Program Technical Coordinator > Center for Sustainable Agriculture, UVM Extension > 23 Mansfield Avenue > Burlington, VT 05401-5933 > Phone: 802-656-6116 > Fax: 802-656-8874 > [email protected] | www.uvm.edu/sustainableagriculture > > UVM Extension helps individuals and communities put research-based knowledge > to work >
