Sampling occurred between May 1998 and August 1999. Site selection began
 with available permit data from phosphate companies and included tours of possible
 research sites. The final selection was dependent primarily on site age and management
 history.


 Elongated Quadrat Establishment

 A minimum of 100 meters of elongated quadrats was established at each wetland
 site, with a minimum of two elongated quadrats established within each wetland. If time
 and resources were available, additional sampling was conducted. Each elongated
 quadrat was 6 meters wide. Elongated quadrats were located randomly along the
 perimeter of the wetland and ran perpendicular to the hydrologic gradient of the wetland.
 Unless otherwise noted, each elongated quadrat began in the upland/wetland ecotone
 margins and transitional areas and ran towards the middle of the wetland. Some wetlands
 were narrow, and the elongated quadrats ran through the wetland reaching the far
 transitional or ecotone areas of the adjacent uplands. At a random point along each 10
 meter segment of the elongated quadrats, a 1 meter square quadrat was established in the
 middle of the elongated quadrat (Figure 6.3).


 Vegetative Data Collection

 Vines were identification to species, vine stems were counted, rooted vine basal
 diameter, was measured, above-ground biomass of vines was harvested, percent cover of
 understory vegetation recorded, and tree canopy cover was determined. Methods for
 each of these are described separately below.


 Vine Species Identification

 Within each square meter quadrat, all vines were identified to family, genus, and
 species when possible. Certain vines that were flowering or had seed heads could be
 identified to species. Species identification relied on numerous sources including: Alden
 and others (1998), Foote and Jones (1998), Carlquist (1992), Gentry (1992), Hegarty
 (1992), Hegarty and others (1992), Lee and Richards (1992), Teramura and others
 (1992), Wunderlin (1982), and Godfrey and Wooten (1981). To be counted as being
 present within the square meter quadrat, the vine had to occur within the volume that was
 created by projecting the meter square quadrat upward through the understory. This
 method of counting insured that vine species were identified regardless of where they
 were rooted. This was important when looking at the frequency of occurrence of vines
 throughout the landscape and for harvesting above-ground vine biomass. All three vines
pictured in Figure 6.4 were included as species present within the quadrat.


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