It is critical that you use a compass and tape measure to accurately lay out the position of each point relative to the plot center. As indicated in this figure, you will use a GPS unit to log a waypoint for the plot center. See the below for instructions on how to do this using the Garmin GPSmap60 units. Note that you will need to set the unit to AVERAGE MULTIPLE POSTIONS to increase your accuracy. THIS IS CRITICAL! The coordinates for our ground truth points will need to be accurate to within a meter or two! You will record the coordinates of the plot center in UTM coordinate system using the NAD83 datum (explained below). You should record the coordinates of your plot center in the field. Recall that this is an instantaneous position. You will be using the download instructions below to download the far more accurate averaged position. You can use the position that you recorded in the field for a reality check and as a backup in case you run into problems with the download.
At each Plot, you will record data for SIXTEEN trees. Like this: