Before you go out
Ensure that you have all the equipment you need and are familiar with appropriate health and safety guidance.
Prior to commencing the survey
1. Confirm that the site is suitable for a MTR survey. Think again if:
the suffixes of confidence for the survey and comparability are C and/or III there has been a recent temporal perturbation (eg spate or weed-cutting) flows are high and/or the water is turbid
there is heavy/steady rain and/or windy conditions an alternative method is more appropriate.
2. Select/locate the survey length.
Use the sketch/location map if the survey length has been surveyed before.
If this is a new site, select the most appropriate survey length, giving consideration to the factors influencing the MTR.
The survey length is 100m long: measure (or pace) out and mark. For its width, see the definition of the ‗channel‘.
Exceptions to surveying the full survey-length are:
if the river is very wide and/or deep and it is impractical to survey the full width, then a 5m wide (minimum) strip down one side of the channel may be surveyed instead (downstream length to be on the discharge side)
if an effluent tracks along one bank for at least 500m, then a 5m wide (minimum) strip down that side of the channel can be surveyed, provided that a full-width survey is undertaken first;
if a mature island is located within the survey length when assessing the impact of a discharge, then only the side on which the discharge enters should be surveyed;
if there is a deep or rapid area(s), not exceeding 20% of an otherwise wadeable site, which is impractical to survey using a boat and a camera/bucket, then this may be left as a ‗black hole‘ (mark clearly on the map and discount from all plant cover and physical attribute estimates except width). if it is impossible to find two comparable 100m sites near to the discharge being assessed, then 50m reaches of similar character may be surveyed, provided the river is at least 10m wide.
3. Complete the site and survey details on the standard field recording sheets.
The Survey
4. Aim to traverse the channel 4 times in every 10m length of river, either by wading or by boat as appropriate. In narrow, non-wadeable sites, the survey can be undertaken from the bank.
5. Assess and record all macrophytes present within the survey length, and their individual percentage cover class (SCV), using the standard field recording sheet.
This includes: all macrophytes likely to be submerged for more than 85% of the time; both scoring and non-scoring plants.
Do not record macrophytes overhanging but not rooted in the channel area, nor detached macrophyte material except for floating species. Include macrophytes on artificial structures only if a similar structure is present at both sites being compared.
Take particular care to look out for small patches of species, which may otherwise be missed. Only use grapnels to retrieve specimens for identification.
If you are unsure about the identification of a species, take a representative sample back to the laboratory to confirm identification: this is especially important for bryophytes, filamentous algae,
Callitriche and Ranunculus species. Use of Ranunculus species indeterminate #1 and #2 is allowed
provided identification notes on made under ‗Comments‘ and a sample retained in the herbarium. Collect herbarium material if required (herbarium should include all regularly encountered species). Use one of the recommended methods to estimate the percentage cover of individual species. The standard abundance scale for 100m surveys is the 9-point Scale C.
6. Estimate the overall percentage cover of macrophytes in the survey length. Use as a double-check on the total of the percentage covers of individual species, but remember that the overall cover can be less than the total of the individual percentage covers if there are layers of macrophytes overlying each other.
7. Assign a measure of confidence in the survey (A, B or C: see definition).
8. Assess and record the physical character of the survey length, using the standard field recording sheet. Record either actual percentages and/or categories/classes in a manner which allows comparison with previous surveys. Record percentages to integer values (the nearest percentage point).
If a feature is absent, record this as 0% (category 0): do not leave data entry spaces/boxes unfilled. If a feature is present at less than 0.5%, then ignore unless that particular habitat type contains the only occurrence of a scoring species, in which case note it under ‗Comments‘ and mark its position on the sketch map.
‗Width‘ means the channel width for which macrophyte species have been recorded. Use one of the recommended methods for measuring or estimating width.
The shading for each bank is recorded separately. The percentage recorded for shading from each bank should relate to the whole channel width, not just half the width. The percentage of the channel affected by shading is recorded, NOT the length of bank on which vegetation causing shade stands. The percentage of the channel recorded as shaded is that shaded when the sun is directly overhead - midday.
9. Draw a sketch map of the survey length, using the standard field recording sheet. The purpose of this map is to enable a future surveyor to re-locate the survey length.
If starting from the upstream end of the survey length, the left side of the paper corresponds to the left bank. If starting from the downstream end, turn the map upside down.
Use the list on the back of the recording sheet as a guide as to what to record.
Relocation features include any permanent features such as fences, hedges, walls, bridges etc. It may also be useful to mark (on a separate location map if necessary), the position of suitable parking and access, as this may also help re-location.
10. Take a photograph of the survey length to record its general character. The use of a polarising filter to reduce surface reflection is recommended.
Write the date and an identifying code or site name and river name on a small blackboard or wipe- clean board and place this in the photograph. Record the identifying code on the record sheet.
11. If the results from the survey are to be compared with those from another site, assign a measure of confidence for comparability of the survey lengths (I, II or III: see definition).
12. Before you leave the site, check that all the data entry boxes/spaces on the field recording sheets have been completed, and that you have drawn a sketch map and taken a photograph.
Back at the Laboratory
Remember to keep representative specimens in a herbarium or ‗voucher collection‘, for future reference or confirmation.