2. Site & Species Selection

Before monitoring, you will need to select your study site and species.

Please read the instructions on how to do so and then complete the form at the bottom of this page. Questions? Please contact Christa (cpmulder@alaska.edu) or Katie (klspellman@alaska.edu).

How-to video: selecting your species and site

Winterberry Site and Species Selection.mov

Focal species

The focal species we are investigating are shown below. We selected these four species because they all retain a portion of their berries overwinter and are important to people. You may choose just a single species to monitor, or you may choose more than one. For the data to be useful, you must monitor the same species for at least two years.

Lowbush cranberry

Vaccinnium vitis-idaea

This species produces bright red berries. The leaves often turn maroon-red in fall, but turn back to green in spring. This species can be confused with bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi). Images below, left to right: Flowers, ripening fruit, ripe fruit, overwintered berry in May (but not the new flower bud at the top).

Four images showing different parts of a lowbush cranberry plant.

Highbush cranberry

Viburnum edule

This is a deciduous species. Images below, left to right: Flowers, unripe fruit, ripe fruit, overwintered fruit.

Four images showing different parts of a highbush cranberry plant.

Prickly rose

Rosa acicularis

This is a deciduous species with large red fruits that may turn brown over winter. Images below, left to right: Flowers, unripe fruit, ripe fruit, overwintered fruit in spring.

Four images showing different parts of a rose plant.

Crowberry

Empetrum nigrum

This evergreen species is easy to recognize as no other berry plant has black berries, and the tiny leaves are distinctive. Leaves may turn a brownish-red and appear dead, but they will green back up in spring. Images below, left to right: New leaves, an unripe and almost-ripe berry, overwintering berries (last two images).

Four images showing different parts of a crowberry plant.

Site selection

A site is the area that encompasses the plants you plan to observe. Select a site that is convenient to get to and relatively uniform. The size of your site will depend on how sparse the species you are observing are on the landscape and which species you are monitoring. If the plants are dense and you selected a small species, a small site will work, if the plants are sparse, a larger site will be necessary.

You will make your observations repeatedly at the same site or sites over time. You will want to somehow mark your site so that you can find it again in the future.

Try to avoid sites where you know people regularly pick berries (we are not tracking human use of berries). Remember, if the land is not publicly owned, be sure to secure permission from the landowner to observe plants on the property.

Please complete a Site Description Form so we have the information we need for your site before you start collecting your data.

Examples of how different sites are selected.

Choose sites that have relatively uniform habitat. For example, site 1 is in relatively homogenous shrub habitat, while site 2 is in relatively uniform spruce habitat.

Try to avoid:

Sites near buildings
Steep slopes
Areas prone to snow drifts
Watered or fertilized sites

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