Long-term monitoring, permanent plots and the Heisenberg's uncertainty principle

Abstract

The value of a monitoring programme for the management of ecological resources, and interpretation of the role of environmental drivers, relies on its ability to detect change. Semboli et al. 2014 (Applied Vegetation Science 17: 737-743, this issue) show that the simple act of repeated measuring significantly affects species composition in permanent tropical forest plots, but not species richness, species evenness or tree demography. The value of a monitoring program for the management of ecological resources, and interpretation of the role of environmental drivers, relies in its ability to detect change. Semboli et al. (2014, this issue) show that the simple act of repeated measuring significantly affects species composition in permanent tropical forest plots, but not species richness, species evenness or tree demography.