Canopy cover and shade determinations in Riparian zones

Three instruments commonly used to measure stream canopy cover were evaluated: the clinometer, a modified spherical convex densiometer Model A, and a hemispherical image system. The hemispherical image system was also used to model shade. At each of five locations throughout Oregon, canopy cover above a stream was measured from the center of the stream along a series of transects. Vegetation along the reaches sampled ranged from a densely vegetated coastal forest stand to a sparsely vegetated eastern Oregon meadow. When techniques were compared within each site, canopy cover measured with the clinometer was similar to that measured with hemispherical imagery. The densiometer measurements, however, were typically lower than, though still highly correlated with, those derived from hemispherical images and from the clinometer. Because of site-specific factors, the differences between all methods were significant in the Willamette and John Day Provinces. Canopy cover and shade were not equivalent for the streams studied.