The second half of the year is mainly devoted to establishing monitoring plots on a representative sample of land. These plots will be used to measure tree growth over a 20-year period. Each plot is a circle 14.11 metres in diameter, the center of which must be fixed and the circumference marked out.
To guarantee representativeness, we estimate that 40 monitoring plots per 500 ha stratum will be sufficient to reduce the uncertainty interval below the target values defined by the standard. The final sample size will be determined according to the heterogeneity of the vegetation in the field. Our partner South Pole randomly determines the location of the plots (on which plots and where in the field). South Pole has also created a digital form that allows the GUIDRE team to send measurement results directly to South Pole.
…because it’s not just a question of establishing the plot, but also of carrying out a precise survey (species, circumference, height) of all the existing trees on the plot before we start our activities in 2021.
In September and until mid-October, the team had to contend with unusually strong thunderstorms for this time of year (confirmed by weather reports and the media: https://quoideneuf.info/article/cote-divoire-les-plus-fortes-quantites-de-pluies-en-aout-ont-ete-enregistrees-a-korhogo-odienne-et-man-sodexam
