A comparison of two sampling techniques in the study of submersed macrophyte richness and abundance

Sampling procedures represent a critical component of plant community studi es, particularly for deep-water submersed species that are not easily obser ved. Here, two methods of submersed macrophyte sampling are compared for th eir accuracy and consistency. During 2 years of study, in-water sampling pr oduced higher values of total species richness (nine species compared with eight in 1996 and 14 species compared with 10 in 1997), mean species richne ss in quadrats (2.3 compared with 1.4 in 1996, 2.2 compared with 1.1 in 199 7) and frequency for an species than the boat surveys did. Small species we re particularly vulnerable to underestimation in boat surveys. In-water sam pling was also less variable, producing higher mean-to-variance ratios. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.