Long-Term Monitoring Network Vegetation Quadrats

Quality Control

A number of quality control procedures were applied, including validation, identification and coding of data issues, quality assurance processes to rectify errors or remove unreliable data, sample checking, and internal and expert review. Verification Status was asigned using a set of rules. If the survey was undertaken by a contractor, then all records are ACCEPTED. If the survey was completed by Natural England but hasn't undergone the complete QA process, records are marked as ACCEPTED - CONSIDERED CORRECT. If the survey was completed by Natural England and has undergone the complete QA process, statuses are assigned based on QA code: empty: ACCEPTED; 999: ACCEPTED; QA600: ACCEPTED; QA601: ACCEPTED; QA602: ACCEPTED; QA603: ACCEPTED; QA604: ACCEPTED; QA605: ACCEPTED; QA606: ACCEPTED; QA607: ACCEPTED; QA608: ACCEPTED; QA610: ACCEPTED; QA766: UNCONFIRMED; QA777: ACCEPTED; QA788: UNCONFIRMED; QA900: ACCEPTED; QA901: ACCEPTED; QA902: ACCEPTED; QA903: ACCEPTED; QA999: UNCONFIRMED.

Method steps

1. See http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/6331137473904640?category=5895911152025600

Surveys were carried out at fixed quadrat locations on 37 National Nature Reserves across England. See http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/map?category=5316639066161152. Surveys were carried out between May and September in each survey year, initially to establish baseline data and then repeat measurement surveys normally every four years. Baseline surveys were conducted from 2010 to 2015, repeat measurement surveys from 2013. Further site and plot information such as slope, aspect, elevation can be found here (http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/4654364897050624) by using the LocationID stored for each record on the NBN Atlas.