Monitoring for 10 years reveals a population in decline. Monitoring a perennial plant population over 10 years reveals steadily declining numbers of adults and few seedlings and juveniles. Extending the population decline forward suggests that the population will go extinct in about 5 more years if current trends continue. Monitoring reveals population recovery, following active management. Active management is initiated in Year 10 focused on helping the plant population recover.
Monitoring reveals a steady increase in adult numbers, and an abundance of seedlings and saplings.
Effective Monitoring Practices Time of Year Monitoring is most effective when it is timed to the seasons in which the target species is easiest to locate. For many species, the optimal time is when the species is in flower. For others, the fruiting stage might be most conspicuous. In some species, leaves are unusually colored when young or when they are about to fall. For rare perennial spring wildflowers, monitoring may be best done early in the season before other vegetation grows and obscures the target species.