Linda and Roger's Bunhybee Grasslands - Photo-Points

This is a page within Roger and Linda's Bunhybee Grasslands Web-Site.
Bunhybee Grasslands is a 49 hectare / 120 acre conservation property 35km south of Braidwood, in southern N.S.W.
You can follow through the internal links, or you may find it easier to use the Site-Map.

Photo-Points are a key tool to assist in monitoring the status of species and plant communities.

This page contains the following materials:

• Information about the Photo-Point Technique

• The Bunhybee Methods:
• History of the Photo-Point Method at Bunhybee
• The Current Vegetation Monitoring Method at Bunhybee

• The Photo-Points at Bunhybee
• Photo-Point 1 – Wet Grassland – 2008, 10, 12, 14 and 16
• Photo-Point 2 – Dry Grassland – 2008, 10, 12, 14 and 16
• Photo-Point 3 – Dry Grassland Adjacent to Snow-Gums
Here is a Spreadsheet Summary of the Data – 2010, 12, 14 and 16

Information about the Photo-Point Technique

A Photo-Point is a location at which photographs are taken at regular intervals, in order to assist in assessments of change in groundcover.

A Photo-Point involves a tightly-defined location, and tightly-defined angles of view.

The intervals at which photos are taken need to be at least biennial / 2-yearly, although seasonal observations are valuable as well.

To be effective, the photographs taken on successive occasions need to be comparable, i.e. taken of the same set of small areas, at similar times of year, from the same angles, with similar camera-settings.

The capture of images is best supplemented by Vegetation Monitoring, by which is meant counts of the density of various categories of ground-cover, conducted at specific points along the line of view.

History of the Photo-Point Method at Bunhybee

The Bunhybee Plan of Management requires that several locations be established. Two were established by NCT's Nicky Bruce in 2008, prior to us purchasing the property. Details are in the Plan of Management at Appendix A, pp. 33-39 (here – 7.4MB). A third was established by Nicky and ourselves in 2010.

The method to establish a Photo-Point is as follows:

• Select locations that:
  • are roughly representative of categories of vegatation community common in the area; or
  • are themselves important, e.g. because they contain native plants at risk, or invasive species, or are particularly fragile
• Select locations that have adequate visibility along a 50m section SSW of a point-of-origin –
  bearing 202.5° – in order to get the sun at your back rather than in your eyes and your camera's lens
• Devise means to re-use the point-of-origin and bearing on subsequent occasions over many years
• Capture a rich set of photos, to provide a baseline for that Photo-Point (see immediately below)
• Record enough information about:
  • the date, time of season
  • the recent weather, esp. rainfall
  • the bearing
  • the camera-settings used

The basic method of taking photos is:

• Run a 50m tape from the point-of-origin SSW – bearing 202.5° (which suits 11am photography)
• Attach ribbons at the 2m, 5m and 15m marks
• Stand at the point-of-origin, and look SSW
• Take three photos:
  • close
  • further away
  • middle-distance
• Select camera-settings suitable for each shot, and then use similar settings on each future occasion,
  especially framing and focal-length. (Aperture and speed will vary, depending on the conditions)

The refinements we've made to the basic method are as follows:

• Take context shots, of the point-of-origin, e.g.:
  • backwards (NNE) and/or including the point-of-origin and a nearby landmark
  • a landscape shot along the tape, including both ends of it, and the horizon
• Take portrait shots (P), and where appropriate, a landscape shot (L) as well
• Frame each of the (P) shots by
  • centring the 1m ribbon (2m ribbon at the top)
  • centring the 5m ribbon (2m ribbon at the bottom)
  • centring the 15m ribbon (incl. the horizon)
  • centring the 15m ribbon, but Landscape format
• Take a vertical shot (V) at each of the point-of-origin (0m), 2m, 5m and 15m points

The Current Vegetation Monitoring Method at Bunhybee

Each time we take photos, we complement them with our own variant of vegetation monitoring.

Briefly, the method is:

• Examine the vegetation at defined points immediately adjacent to the 50m tape
• Score the vegetation at ground level in the first metre of every 5m segment,
  i.e. 0-1m, 5-6m, 10-11m, 15-16m, ..., 45-46m, as follows ...
• Within each of those 10 x 1-metre segments, note on the Vegetation Worksheet:
  • the number of centimetres of each of the following 9 categories of vegetation
    • Natives: G – Grasses, F – Forbs, S – Shrubs, Se – Sedges
    • Exotics: G – Grasses, F – Forbs
    • Other : L – Litter, B – Bare/Rocks, C – Cryptogams (mainly mosses)
  • the average height of native grasses in cm
  • the percentage coverage of the tree canopy

• (Later) Summarise the data from the Vegetation Worksheet onto the Vegetation Assessment.
  This comes up with a percentage across the 10 x 1-metre segments for each category
• Enter the percentages into a spreadsheet, and produce a graph comparing measures over time

Here are our own:

• Guidelines in MS Word, and in PDF
• Worksheet in MS Word, and in PDF

Photo-Point 1 (PP1) – Wet Grassland

Wet Natural Temperate Grassland of the Southern Tablelands Community

This is in the northern Lot, 50m NNW of the main dam
The point-of-origin is marked by a white stake (originally by two flat stones, now lost).
NCT: GDA '94 MGA: Northing 6049509, Easting 736158, Elevation 733m
Us: GPS on 22 Feb 09: S35 40.204 E 149 36.549 Ht 2393 ft (729m) Accuracy +/- 5.6m

SPRING:

PP1 2008 – NCT's Reference Shots 2 Sep 2008 (pp. 35-37 of the Plan of Management):

Originally, Northing 6049509, Easting 736159 (Waypoint 11) – used 2008 and 2010 only

2000-09 was a prolonged drought, with 77% of the long-term average rainfall. The winter preceding these shots (4 months, May-Aug) was very dry, with 100mm cf. almost 200mm long-term. For the details see our Rainfall page.

Positioning Shot	1m-Centred (P)	5m-Centred (P)	15m-Centred (P)
0m Vertical

PP1 2010 – NCT's Shots 27 Sep 2010 14:30 UT+10 [10m tape, plus marker at 15m]

No Positioning shot taken	0-1m	0-5m	0-15m (P)
No vertical shot taken			0-15m (L)

PP1 2010 – Our Shots 27 Sep 2010 14:30 UT+10 [10m tape, plus marker at 15m]

2000-09 was a prolonged drought, with 77% of the long-term average rainfall. The winter preceding these shots (3 months, Jun-Aug) had 120mm cf. 143mm = 84% of average; but May had been a 90%ile month - 119mm cf. 50mm = 238%. For the details see our Rainfall page.

Reverse Shot 28mm, 1/200, F/11	1m-Centred (P) 48mm, 1/250, F/11	5m-Centred (P) 48mm, 1/250, F/11	15m-Centred (P) 48mm, 1/250, F/11
			15m-Centred (L) 48mm, 1/250, F/11
0m Vertical 48mm, 1/200, F/11	2m Vertical 48mm, 1/200, F/10	5m Vertical 48mm, 1/160, F/10	15m Vertical 48mm, 1/200, F/10

PP1 2012 – Our Shots 30 Aug 2012 14:30 UT+10 [50m tape, markers at 2, 5 and 15m]

We lost the marker, and re-established as Northing 6049516, Easting 736168 (Waypoint 43).
We later worked out that we'd accidentally moved about 8m NNE – used from 2012 onwards

After the drought of 2000-09 broke, the 'land of flooding rains' / El Nina delivered in calendar 2010 a total of 1060mm (140%), followed by in 2011 a total of 816mm (108%), and in 2012 Jan-Jul 640mm (150%). During the preceding 10 months, Feb and Mar had been very wet, and the subsequent months marginally below average. But the water-table was high, the dam full, the water-holes in the creek-lines pretty full, and the drainage-lines soft underfoot. For the details see our Rainfall page.

Reverse Shot 24mm, 0.00125, F/20	1m-Centred (P) 48mm, .00125, F/20	5m-Centred (P) 48mm, .001, F/22	15m-Centred (P) 48mm, .001, F/22
Context	1m-Centred (L) 24mm, .00125, F/20	5m-Centred (L) 48mm, .001, F/22	15m-Centred (L) 48mm, .001, F/22
0m Vertical 59mm, .001, F/20	2m Vertical 59mm, .00125, F/18	5m Vertical 106 mm, .00125, F/14	15m Vertical 106 mm, .001, F/14

Plus an out-of-cycle set of shots:

PP1 2014 – Our Shots 10 Sep 2014 15:30 UT+10 [50m tape, markers at 2, 5 and 15m]

Rain in the 4th qtr of 2012 was marginally below average, but 2013 was 900mm (18% above the long-term average), and 2014 Jan-Aug was 8% above average, with 144mm of it in August. Then there was more heavy rain in the days before we did the Photo-Points, so that the ground was sodden, the dam full and the waterlines all actually running, not just full, plus several springs bursting forth. For the details see our Rainfall page.

Context 28mm, 1/250th, F/9.9	1m-Centred (P) 20mm, 1/200th, F/8	5m-Centred (P) 20mm, 1/200th, F/9.1	15m-Centred (P) 20mm, 1/200th, F/9.1
			15m-Centred (L) 32mm, 1/250th, F/9.9
0m Vertical 40mm, 1/160th, F/6.4	2m Vertical 40mm, 1/160th, F/7.0	5m Vertical 40mm, 1/200th, F/8.0	15m Vertical 40mm, 1/250th, F/9.1

PP1 2016 – Our Shots 15 Oct 2016 13:50 UT+10 [50m tape, red markers at 2m and 5,, blue marker at 15m]

We intentionally delayed the reading 3-4 weeks. Spring was a bit late, and we've concluded that there's more information to be had by photographing in early spring than late winter. There was rain in the weeks before we did the Photo-Points, so that the dam and waterlines were full (but no longer flowing much), plus several springs settling down. For the details see our Rainfall page.

Backshot 24mm, 1/250th, F/11	Context 40mm, 1/400th, F/11
2m (P) 35mm, 1/320th, F/10	5m (P) 50mm, 1/320th, F/10	15m (P) 50mm, 1/320th, F/10	15m (L) 50mm, 1/320th, F/10
0m Vertical 50mm, 1/320th, F/10	2m Vertical 50mm, 1/320th, F/10	5m Vertical 50mm, 1/400th, F/11	15m Vertical 50mm, 1/320th, F/11

LATE SUMMER:

PP1 2009 – Our Reference Shots 22 Feb 2009 15:20 UT+11

2000-09 was a prolonged drought, with 77% of the long-term average rainfall. The summer preceding these shots (4 months, Oct-Jan) was dead-average, however, with 272mm. For the details see our Rainfall page.

	1m-Centred (P) 48mm, 1/125 sec - F/8	5m-Centred (P) 48mm, 1/125 sec - F/8	15m-Centred (P) 48mm, 1/125 sec - F/8
	1m-Centred (L) 59mm, 1/500 sec - F/5	5m-Centred (L) 59mm, 1/500 sec - F/5	15m-Centred (L) 59mm, 1/500 sec - F/5
0m Vertical 59mm, 1/125 sec - F/7.1	2m Vertical 59mm, 1/160 sec - F/8	5m Vertical 59mm, 1/200 sec - F/9	15m Vertical 59mm, 1/160 sec - F/8

Photo-Point 2 (PP2) – Dry Grassland

Dry Natural Temperate Grassland of the Southern Tablelands Community

In the northern Lot, 160m north of the main dam, marked by a dead Acacia sapling (50m south of 3 gums inside the northern boundary, 200m west of a lone wattle inside the eastern boundary)
To avoid getting the sapling in the picture, start the tape 18" to the right!
NCT: GDA '94 MGA: Northing 6049603, Easting 736261, Elevation 742m
Us: GPS on 22 Feb 09: S35 40.151 E 149 36.615 Ht 2423 ft (738.5m) Accuracy +/- 7m

Aim at the peak to the right of the dip to the right of the double-peak.

SPRING:

PP2 2008 – NCT's Reference Shots 2 Sep 2008 (pp. 38-39 of the Plan of Management)

2000-09 was a prolonged drought, with 77% of the long-term average rainfall. The winter preceding these shots (4 months, May-Aug) was very dry, with 100mm cf. almost 200mm long-term. For the details see our Rainfall page.

Reverse Shot	1m-Centred (P)	5m-Centred (P)	15m-Centred (P)

PP2 2010 – NCT's Reference Shots 27 Sep 2010 16:00 UT+11

2000-09 was a prolonged drought, with 77% of the long-term average rainfall. The winter preceding these shots (3 months, Jun-Aug) had 120mm cf. 143mm = 84% of average; but May had been a 90%ile month - 119mm cf. 50mm = 238%. For the details see our Rainfall page.

No reverse shot taken	0-2m	0-5m	0-15m (P)
			0-15m (L)
1m Vertical	2m Vertical	5m Vertical	15m Vertical

PP2 2012 – Our Shots 30 Aug 2012 13:40 UT+10 [50m tape, markers at 2, 5 and 15m]

After the drought of 2000-09 broke, the 'land of flooding rains' / El Nina delivered in calendar 2010 a total of 1060mm (140%), followed by in 2011 a total of 816mm (108%), and in 2012 Jan-Jul 640mm (150%). During the preceding 10 months, Feb and Mar had been very wet, and the subsequent months marginally below average. But the water-table was high, the dam full, the water-holes in the creek-lines pretty full, and the drainage-lines soft underfoot. For the details see our Rainfall page.

Reverse Shot 40mm, 0.001, F/22	1m-Centred (P) 48mm, .001, F/22	5m-Centred (P) 48mm, .001, F/22	15m-Centred (P) 48mm, .001, F/22
Context 21mm, .001, F/22	1m-Centred (L) 48mm, .001, F/22	5m-Centred (L) 48mm, .001, F/22	15m-Centred (L) 48mm, .001, F/22
0m Vertical 48mm, .00125, F/20	2m Vertical 48 mm, .00125, F/20	5m Vertical 48 mm, .00125, F/20	15m Vertical 59 mm, .001, F/20

PP2 2014 – Our Shots 10 Sep 2014 14:30 UT+10 [50m tape, markers at 2, 5 and 15m]

Rain in the 4th qtr of 2012 was marginally below average, but 2013 was 900mm (18% above the long-term average), and 2014 Jan-Aug was 8% above average, with 144mm of it in August. Then there was more heavy rain in the days before we did the Photo-Points, so that the ground was sodden, the dam full and the waterlines all actually running, not just full, plus several springs bursting forth. For the details see our Rainfall page.

	1m-Centred (P) 28mm, 1/320th, F/9.9	5m-Centred (P) 35mm, 1/250th, F/9.9	15m-Centred (P) 24mm, 1/250th, F/9.9
			15m-Centred (L) 24mm, 1/250th, F/9.9
0m Vertical 50mm, 1/320th, F/9.1	2m Vertical 50mm, 1/250th, F/9.1	5m Vertical 40mm, 1/250th, F/9.1	15m Vertical 50mm, 1/250th, F/9.1

PP2 2016 – Our Shots 15 Oct 2016 14:30 UT+10 [50m tape, red markers at 2m and 5,, blue marker at 15m]

We intentionally delayed the reading 3-4 weeks. Spring was a bit late, and we've concluded that there's more information to be had by photographing in early spring than late winter. There was rain in the weeks before we did the Photo-Points, so that the dam and waterlines were full (but no longer flowing much), plus several springs settling down. For the details see our Rainfall page.

Backshot 24mm, 1/250th, F/10	Context 35mm, 1/320th, F/10
2m (P) 50mm, 1/400th, F/11	5m (P) 50mm, 1/320th, F/10	15m (P) 50mm, 1/320th, F/11	15m (L) 50mm, 1/320th, F/10
0m Vertical 50mm, 1/320th, F/10	2m Vertical 50mm, 1/320th, F/10	5m Vertical 50mm, 1/320th, F/11	15m Vertical 50mm, 1/400th, F/11

LATE SUMMER:

PP2 2009 – Our Reference Shots 22 Feb 2009 15:25 UT+11

2000-09 was a prolonged drought, with 77% of the long-term average rainfall. The summer preceding these shots (4 months, Oct-Jan) was dead-average, however, with 272mm. For the details see our Rainfall page.

	1m-Centred (P) 59mm, 1/200 sec - F/8	5m-Centred (P) 59mm, 1/160 sec - F/8	15m-Centred (P) 59mm, 1/200 sec - F/9
	1m-Centred (L) 59mm, 1/160 sec - F/8	5m-Centred (L) 59mm, 1/200 sec - F/8	15m-Centred (L) 59mm, 1/200 sec - F/9
0m Vertical 59mm, 1/200 sec - F/9	2m Vertical 59mm, 1/200 sec - F/9	5m Vertical 59mm, 1/200 sec - F/9	15m Vertical 59mm, 1/200 sec - F/10

Photo-Point 3 (PP3) – Dry Grassland Adjacent to Snow-Gums

At the margin of 50% snow-gum cover in the Southern Tablelands Community And selected only after careful deliberation (see right)

This is in the centre Lot, 100m S of the entrance, marked by a tree.
NCT: GDA '94 MGA: Northing xxxx, Easting xxxx, Elevation xxx
Us: GPS on 27 Sep 2010: Northing 6048935, Easting 0735894, Elevation 739m

SPRING:

PP3 2010 – NCT's Reference Shots 27 Sep 2010 12:30 UT+10 [10m tape, plus marker

2000-09 was a prolonged drought, with 77% of the long-term average rainfall. The winter preceding these shots (3 months, Jun-Aug) had 120mm cf. 143mm = 84% of average; but May had been a 90%ile month - 119mm cf. 50mm = 238%. For the details see our Rainfall page.

Reverse Shot Peg 1m SSW of Tree	0-2m	0-5m	0-15m
			0-15m (L)

PP3 2010 – Our Reference Shots 27 Sep 2010 12:30 UT+10 [10m tape, plus marker at 15m]

Reverse Shot 18mm, 1/200, F/8	1m-Centred (P) 33mm, 1/200, F/10	5m-Centred (P) 33mm, 1/200, F/11	15m-Centred (P) 33mm, 1/200, F/10
			15m-Centred (L) 33mm, 1/160, F/10
0m Vertical 33mm, 1/125, F/9	2m Vertical 33mm, 1/125, F/9	5m Vertical 33mm, 1/125, F/9	15m Vertical 33mm, 1/125, F/9

PP3 2012 – Our Shots 30 Aug 2012 12:00 UT+10 [50m tape, markers at 2, 5 and 15m]

After the drought of 2000-09 broke, the 'land of flooding rains' / El Nina delivered in calendar 2010 a total of 1060mm (140%), followed by in 2011 a total of 816mm (108%), and in 2012 Jan-Jul 640mm (150%). During the preceding 10 months, Feb and Mar had been very wet, and the subsequent months marginally below average. But the water-table was high, the dam full, the water-holes in the creek-lines pretty full, and the drainage-lines soft underfoot. For the details see our Rainfall page.

Reverse Shot 28mm, 0.0015625, F/20	1m-Centred (P) 33mm, .00125, F/22	5m-Centred (P) 33 mm, .00125, F/22	15m-Centred (P) 33mm, .00125, F/22
Context 24mm, .0008, F/25	Replacement Tie on the Tree, as the previous one was bursting		15m-Centred (L) 33 mm, .00125, F/22
0m Vertical 40mm, .0015625, F/18	2m Vertical 40 mm, .00125, F/20	5m Vertical 40 mm, .00125, F/20	15m Vertical 48 mm, .00125, F/20

PP3 2014 – Our Shots 10 Sep 2014 12:30 UT+10 [50m tape, markers at 2, 5 and 15m]

Rain in the 4th qtr of 2012 was marginally below average, but 2013 was 900mm (18% above the long-term average), and 2014 Jan-Aug was 8% above average, with 144mm of it in August. Then there was more heavy rain in the days before we did the Photo-Points, so that the ground was sodden, the dam full and the waterlines all actually running, not just full, plus several springs bursting forth. For the details see our Rainfall page.

Context 20mm, 1/200th, F/9.1	1m-Centred (P) 32mm, 1/200th, F/8.0	5m-Centred (P) 20mm, 1/250th, F/9.9	15m-Centred (P) 40mm, 1/250th, F/9.1
			15m-Centred (L) 35mm, 1/250th, F/8.0
0m Vertical 50mm, 1/250th, F/9.1	2m Vertical 35mm, 1/125th, F/7.0	5m Vertical 35mm, 1/200th, F/7.0	15m Vertical 35mm, 1/160th, F/7.0

PP3 2016 – Our Shots 15 Oct 2016 11:00 UT+10 [50m tape, red markers at 2m and 5m, blue at 15m]

We intentionally delayed the reading 3-4 weeks. Spring was a bit late, and we've concluded that there's more information to be had by photographing in early spring than late winter. There was rain in the weeks before we did the Photo-Points, so that the dam and waterlines were full (but no longer flowing much), plus several springs settling down. For the details see our Rainfall page.

Backshot 40mm, 1/320th, F/9	Context 28mm, 1/320th, F/10	Context 20mm, 1/250th, F/10
2m (P) 60mm, 1/400th, F/10	5m (P) 50mm, 1/320th, F/10	15m (P) 50mm, 1/400th, F/10	15m (L) 50mm, 1/400th, F/10
0m Vertical 50mm, 1/400th, F/8	2m Vertical 50mm, 1/320th, F/10	5m Vertical 50mm, 1/320th, F/10	15m Vertical 50mm, 1/320th, F/10

This is a page within the Bunhybee Grasslands Web-Site, home-page here, and site-map here
Contact: Linda or Roger
Created: 23 February 2009; Last Amended: 29 November 2014, 16 October 2016