Canopyplot: Canopy Cover

Support

Canopyplot is an offline iPhone and iPad field-survey workbook. No sign-in, subscription, or network connection is required for its measurement and export tools.

Start a plot

1. Open Plots and create a project.
2. Record the site, observer, terrain, station codes, and protocol notes.
3. Use the same station design, instrument position, season, and timing when repeatability matters.

Choose the required method

Use Point Grid for fixed hit counts and a Wilson 95% confidence interval. Densiometer preserves four directional counts. Line Intercept merges overlapping crown intervals along a transect. Crown Ellipse estimates projected areas but does not correct overlap between crowns. Follow the protocol required by your organization rather than switching methods to match a preferred result.

Use Photo Lab

Choose one of the bundled training images or select a photo with Apple's system picker. Set Sky Openness for an upward canopy view or Green Fraction for a downward vegetation view. Adjust color separation and minimum brightness until the colored mask visually matches the intended class. Review clipping, deep-shadow warnings, and field conditions before saving a result.

Keep photo observations comparable

Maintain a consistent lens, viewpoint, orientation, exposure practice, season, sky condition, and moisture condition. Gray sky, glare, wet leaves, snow, fine leaf-off branches, and dark conifer needles can all change threshold behavior. The bundled cases are training aids, not calibration references.

Export a review packet

Open Report to create a three-page PDF, CSV table, JSON backup, or a complete packet. Each export preserves method names, units, sample counts, conditions, quality notes, and source links. Share or save the packet with the standard iOS share sheet.

Method references

• USDA Forest Service FIA National Field Guide
• USDA Forest Service line-intercept sampling chapter
• U.S. EPA field operations manual
• Peer-reviewed smartphone hemispherical-photography study
• Peer-reviewed exposure and threshold study

Measurement boundary

Canopy cover, canopy openness, green fractional cover, crown closure, leaf area index, and light transmittance are different quantities. Canopyplot does not certify a survey or replace an approved protocol. The photo complement shown by the app is an image-classification result from one viewpoint, not automatically mapped ground-area cover.

Report a problem

Email support@shadowfetch.com with the device model, iOS or iPadOS version, screen involved, selected method, and steps that led to the issue. Do not attach confidential field records unless you are authorized to share them.