Botanical surveys are often required by federal, state, or local agencies for projects where changes to the natural landscape have been proposed. These changes may be related to site development, park planning, or habitat restoration. The data provides valuable information to our clients as well as to government agencies when planning projects and making important land use decisions.
Floristic data can be used to assess baseline conditions to determine which plant communities are rare or of higher quality, and which ones have been degraded due to historic disturbance. They can also be used to measure the progress of native plant establishment or to make decisions on how to improve existing habitats, such as removing exotic plant species.
The raSmith ecological team has conducted numerous floristic surveys throughout the upper Midwest, and are able to properly identify most plant species, including many rare species. We have become familiar with a wide variety of vegetation monitoring protocols and plant community classification systems.
Our ecological team acquires and reviews all available background information to understand general site conditions and critical resource issues. We then prepare base maps using the most current GIS technology. Detailed plant community information is collected in the field and plant community boundaries are refined using the latest GPS equipment.
