Photopoint monitoring
Photopoints are permanent or semi-permanent sites set up from where you can take a series of photographs over time, which can be compared to show short or long-term physical change at each location. The pictures for comparison are taken at the same location, with the same direction, angle, focus points and preferably camera settings. Photographic records provide a permanent visual record of change on your property without reliance on memory or taking physical measurements, and are used to support other monitoring efforts where you are collecting data.
Taking photographs at photopoints on your property can be the simplest way to monitor short- and/or longer-term change that is the result of management decisions, climatic conditions/impacts and natural events. It is a relatively quick, simple and reliable monitoring method.
Photographic records accompanied by information on management actions, climate and natural events enable you to show and explain to interested parties how and possibly why particular locations have changed. Images from photopoints can provide a valuable supporting record if you are monitoring:
- pasture condition, pasture species and yearly pasture use
- ground cover, organic litter, shrub cover, recruitment of woody plants, tree canopy cover and health, and vegetation density
- native vegetation area and wetland area
- native plant richness, large trees, fallen woody material and in-stream habitat
- impacts on native vegetation and wetlands
- farm water flow, gully erosion, hill slope erosion and wind erosion
- saline land and deep-rooted perennials
- weed cover and species
- effects of fire, drought, flood, dieback and feral animals.
Download the following files for more information.
- Land Manager’s Monitoring Guide—Photopoint Monitoring (PDF, 1.0M)*
- Data sheet templates (PDF, 44K)*
- Data sheet templates (Excel, 55K)‡
* Requires Adobe Reader
‡ Requires Microsoft Office files viewer
Last updated 7 September 2010