In peak season (mid-late July), sections of tussocks were taken from a number of sites along a latitudinal gradient from Eagle Creek to Prudhoe Bay. 10 x 10 cm sections of 8 tussocks were cut out from tussocks, below the rhizomes. The 8 tussocks were haphazardly selected along a transect which was appraoximately 10 m from long term flwering surveys by G. Shaver. Tussocks selected were on average 2 m apart. Tussocks were taken back to a laboratory at Toolik Lake where they were harvested.

Harvests followed methods of Shaver et al (1985). Starting at a haphazardly selected point in the tussock section, individual tillers were pulled out. If they were mature tillers, all senesced portions were clipped off and the green leaf was set aside for later drying and weighing. If they were V1 tillers (a daughter tiller with green leaves) or V0 tillers (a daughter tiller with only white tissue) they were counted but not set aside for drying. The same applied to tillers that had fully elongated flowers and tillers that had flower buds for the next season. This continued until 20 mature vegetatitive tillers had been counted. The 20 tillers were dried (3 days , 60°C) and weighed.

Shaver, . G. R., Fetcher, N., & Chapin III, F. S. (1986). Growth and flowering in Eriophorum vaginatum: annual and latitudinal variation. Ecology 67:1524-1535.