THE QUADRAT METHOD IN TEACHING ECOLOGY 



J. E. WEAVER 



University of Nebraska, Lineoln, Nebraska 



The quadrat method of studying vegetation has become an 

 integral part of many of the more important ecological investi- 

 gations. Although occasionally used throughout the past cen- 

 tury for determining the amount of plant material produced or 

 for purposes of enumeration, it was organized into a definite 

 system for the study of the structure and development of vege- 

 tation by Pound and Clements (15, 16) and Clements (2, 3, 5) 

 only about eighteen years ago. Since that time it has been 

 used, sometmies in a modified form (12, 21), by numerous in- 

 vestigators both American and European. Indeed, with the 

 rapid increase in the number of successional and other ecological 

 studies the use of the quadrat and its modifications is becoming 

 as universal as it is fundamental (6). 



Not a few of the many important problems connected with 

 grazing, land classification, indicator vegetation, afforestation, 

 and reforestation have been solved by the aid of the quadrat 

 method. 



By the use of this method Sampson (17) has worked out a 

 system of deferred grazing for the ranges in the national forests 

 whereby the forage crop is utilized in such a way as to maintain 

 the lands at their highest state of productiveness and at the same 

 time give the greatest possible returns to the stock industry. 

 He has also shown in a very concrete and satisfactory manner 

 the application of a knowledge of plant succession to range 

 management (19). 



Kearney and his co-workers (10) have employed the quadrat 

 method in the Tooele Valley of Utah, an area typicallj^ repre- 



^ Contribution from the Department of Botanj', University of Nebraska, new 

 series, no. 26. 



267 



THE PLANT WORLD, VOL. 21, XO. 11 

 NOVEMBER, 19^8 



