Post date: Feb 16, 2012 9:06:40 AM
The mapping of habitats as defined by plant communities is a common component of the planning and monitoring of conservation management. However, there are major concerns about the subjectivity and risk of observer bias in most commonly used plant community mapping protocols. Hearn et al. (2011) provide the first test of the consistency of habitat maps based on the mapping units defined by the National Vegetation Classification (NVC), the most widely used classification of plant communities used for habitat mapping on conservation sites in the UK. The study raises serious concerns with current practice of using the NVC for site description and monitoring/surveillance.
Hearn, S. M., J. R. Healey, M. a McDonald, a J. Turner, J. L. G. Wong, and G. B. Stewart. 2011. The repeatability of vegetation classification and mapping. Journal of Environmental Management 92:1174-84.