Kenneth A. Kershaw, Quantitative and Dynamic Ecology, American Elsevier, 1964

THE USE OF PERMANENT QUADRATS TO SHOW THE CHANGE OF ABUNDANCE OF FESTUCA (SHADED) AND HIERACIUM (H) IN ENCLOSED (A) AND CONTROL (B) PLOTS

The detailed mapping of vegetation is obvious a very laborious and time-consuming operation and its use is normally reserved for the detailed study of small areas of vegetation made over a period of years. The mapped areas are in the form of 'permanent quadrats'. Permanent quadratrs are established and carefully marked out in such a manner as to enable the exact position to be located again in subsequent years. Each individual plant, or shoot, or clump of shoots is recorded accurately. This enables a composite picture of change in vegetation with time to be built up.