Table 9 - Description of the Physical Site Form Database.

Field Name	Type	Field Width	Description
EstuaryID	Alphanumeric	14	Estuary identifier, unique code, links to other databases
Plot_ident	Alphanumeric	12	Unique identifier for each plot, links to polygons in the physical unit database
Phy_ident	Alphanumeric	13	Physical unit identifier from BC Physical Shore-zone Mapping System (if available).
Date	Alpha	10	Date dd/mm/yr
Time_start	Alpha	4	Start time of the plot survey. Time of day is important for knowing the level of the tide.
Time_end	Alpha	4	End time
Location	Alpha	50	General location of plot in estuary
PhyunitID	Alpha	2	Unique ident code of the mapped polygon in which the plot is placed, determine from the pre-typing and field survey pre-plan
Surveyors	Alpha	30	Surveyor names
Latitude	Numeric	8	GPS latitude (decimal degrees)
Longitude	Numeric	8	GPS longitude (decimal degrees)
PhotoID	Alphanumeric	8	Project number, roll number and frame numbers of photos taken at the plot. Only the unique photo ident code is recorded in the plot database. The description of the photos is retained on the datasheets for further information about the estuary and the plot sites
Elevation	Numeric	3	Elevation above chart datum (zero tide)
Primform_1st	Alpha	2	Primary Form 1
Primform_2nd	Alpha	2	Primary Form 2
Secform_1st	Alpha	6	Secondary Form 1
Secform_2nd	Alpha	6	Secondary Form 2
Secform_3rd	Alpha	6	Secondary Form 3
Strata_1st	Numeric	1	Strata layer 1 (where 1 is the topmost)
Strata_2nd	Numeric	1	Strata layer 2
Depth	Numeric	6	Depth of each strata in meters (eg. .5 = 50cm)
Primmat_1st	Alpha	1	Primary material descriptor
Secmat_1st	Alpha	1	Secondary material descriptor
Percent_1st	Numeric	2	Percent cover of 1st material descriptor
Primmat_2nd	Alpha	1	Primary material descriptor
Secmat_2nd	Alpha	1	Secondary material descriptor
Percent_2nd	Numeric	2	Percent cover of 2nd material descriptor
Primmat_3rd	Alpha	1	Primary material descriptor
Secmat_3rd	Alpha	1	Secondary material descriptor
Percent_3rd	Numeric	2	Percent cover of 3rd material descriptor
Notes	Alpha	255	Other information
Slope	Numeric	2	Slope of subunit in degrees
Level	Numeric	1	Used only when a veneer of sediment overlies a subsurface

Table 10 - Description of the Biological Site Form Database.

Field Name			Type		Width of Field		Description
EstuaryID			Alphanumeric		14		Estuary identifier, unique code, links to other databases.
Plot_ident			Alphanumeric		12		Unique identifier for each plot, links to polygons in the biological unit database.
Bio_ident			Alphanumeric		13		Biological unit identifier from BC Biological Shore-zone Mapping System (if available).
Date			Alpha		10		Date dd/mm/year
Time_start			Alpha		4		Start time of the plot survey. Time of day is important for knowing the level of the tide.
Time_end			Alpha		4		End time.
Location			Alpha		50		General location of plot in estuary.
BiounitID			Alphanumeric		15		Unique ident code of the mapped polygon in which the plot is placed, determine from the pre-typing and field survey pre-plan.
Surveyors			Alpha		30		Surveyor names.
Latitude			Numeric		8		GPS latitude (decimal degrees).
Longitude			Numeric		8		longitude (decimal degrees).
Survey_type			Alpha		6		Full plot or Visual Inspection.
AreaP			Numeric		10		The area of the plot in square metres.
Sseries			Alpha		225		WREC site series or BC Shore-zone Mapping System bio band (see Tables 5 - 6).
WREC			Alpha		3		WREC Class if applicable to the plot (i.e., in the upper elevations of the estuary) WREC class (see Table 5 ).
Aspect			Numeric		3		Aspect of the plot in degrees magnetic, measured from the plot as if it was a point along the across-shore profile, the perpendicular from HHW to the low tide line.
Slope			Numeric		3		Measured slope of the plot in degrees.
Layer_A			Numeric		2		estimated % cover of Total Tree layer (A).
Layer_B			Numeric		2		estimated % cover of Total Shrub layer (B).
Layer_C			Numeric		2		estimated % cover of Total Herb layer (C).
Layer_D			Numeric		2		estimated % cover of Total Moss layer (D).
Dom1			Alpha		7		Species name of the first most dominant species in plot.
Dom1_per			Numeric		2		% cover of the most dominant species.
Dom2			Alpha		7		Species name of the second most dominant species in the plot (if applicable).
Dom2_per			Numeric		2		% cover of the second most dominant species.
Dom3			Alpha		7		Species name of the third most dominant species in the plot (if applicable).
Dom3_per			Numeric		2		% cover of the third most dominant species.
PhotoID			Alphanumeric		8		Project number, roll number and frame numbers of photos taken at the plot. Only the unique photo ident code is recorded in the plot database. The description of the photos is retained on the datasheets for further information about the estuary and the plot sites.
Notes			Alpha		255		Any other brief notes about the plot.
Species1			Alpha		7		Species name of biota observed in the plot
Species1_per			Numeric		2		% cover observed for species 1.
Speciesn			Alpha		7		All species observed in the plot.
Speciesn_per			Numeric		2		% cover observed for each species recorded in the plot.
SampleID			Alphanumeric		8		Used if sample(s) collected in the field.