LAIDLAW Research Pilot
The VHP Model
The Visible Habitat Profile measures three features of a forest plot: native woody richness, coarse woody debris volume, and identifiable surface-litter depth. It compares each against New England forest data to tell you whether your plot is Low, Typical, or High for that feature.
Workflow
The VHP is designed to move from field measurement to interpretation in a simple sequence.
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Read the Field Measurement Instructions: Start here to learn how to establish a 20 × 20 m plot and measure native woody richness, coarse woody debris, and identifiable surface-litter depth.
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Record measurements in the field: Use the VHP Field App or Field Data Sheet to record species, deadwood crossings, and litter readings as you work. The app works offline and completes the required calculations automatically. If you prefer paper, use the Field Datasheet instead.
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Transfer completed plot results to the Plot Workbook: The app exports completed plot data for transfer to the VHP Plot Workbook. If you use the paper datasheet, enter the measurements into the workbook manually. The workbook brings results from multiple plots together and places each measurement within its Low, Typical, or High reference range.
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Use the Interpretation Guide: The Practitioner Interpretation Guide explains what the three measurements represent, how to understand Low, Typical, and High results, and what factors may be worth looking at more closely when considering forest management.
Field Measurement Instructions
The how-to. Covers selecting plot locations before you leave, laying out the 20 × 20 m plot, and taking each of the three measurements: native woody species richness, coarse woody debris by line-intercept, and identifiable surface-litter depth. Includes the equipment checklist and the protocol for a second observer repeating a plot.
VHP Field Tracker App
A free, offline app for recording the three VHP measurements in the field. Install it on your phone’s home screen and use it without a signal. Everything stays on your device, with no account and nothing uploaded. Enter species, coarse woody debris crossings, and litter readings as you work. The app completes the calculations and exports files that can be pasted directly into the VHP Plot Workbook.
Install on your phone:
Open this page on the phone you'll use in the field, then tap the button above.
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iPhone (Safari): tap the Share icon at the bottom, scroll down, tap "Add to Home Screen."
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Android (Chrome): tap the ⋮ menu at the top right, tap "Install app" or "Add to Home screen."
Open it once from the home screen icon while you still have signal. After that it works with no signal, and your data stays on your phone.
Field Data Sheet
The paper form to carry on a clipboard. One per plot, with a second sheet for Observer 2 where a plot is repeated. Space for plot details, the native species list, up to twelve coarse woody debris crossings and the five litter readings. It records raw values only; the Plot Workbook does the calculations afterwards.
Plot Workbook
The Excel workbook that turns your raw field observations into results. Enter what you recorded — the native species count, the five litter readings, and each coarse woody debris crossing — and the workbook does the rest. It calculates coarse woody debris volume and mean litter depth, and places each of the three measurements in its Low, Typical or High reference range. A summary sheet shows patterns across all your plots.
Practitioner's Interpretation Guide
What the numbers mean once you have them. Explains how each measurement compares to its reference range, what a Low, Typical or High result suggests about the habitat, and which features may warrant closer management attention.