A DATA SET is a series of observations collected by the same methodology. Each data set should have documentation sufficient for someone unfamiliar with the research to replicate the study. Data sets may be broken into subsets (data files) that are discrete in space and time, in that order. The documentation for a data set should include all spatial and temporal subdivisions of the data.

(Data, Abstract, Methods, Variables)

NOTES:

• Add rows to tables or lines to paraghaphs as you need them for entering your data.
• Contact emelendez@lternet.edu, if you have any question.

PERSON(S) COMPLETING THIS FORM: E-MAIL ADDRESS:

DATA SET IDENTIFIER: Rio Mameyes Diatoms 1998-2000

PROJECT TITLE: Diatom Population Dynamics (Spatial and temporal dynamics of freshwater diatoms in the Rio Mameyes, Puerto Rico)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Monthly collections of benthic diatoms are made at four sites in the Rio Mameyes of northeastern Puerto Rico. The sites range from an unpolluted closed canopy headwater stream within the National Forest, to a small, highly polluted coastal plain tributary that drains a golf course and surrounding suburban development. Diatoms are collected by cleaning a standardized area of randomly selected rocks from each site. The identification of the composition and abundance of diatoms in each site will be used to identify species and communities that reflect water quality and community response to floods, low flows, and water pollution.

LTER CORE AREAS: (Annotate all that apply)

Disturbance

Primary Production

LEF LTER 1 RESEARCH TOPIC: (Annotate all that apply)

Disturbance and recovery from Disturbance

Community Structure

We define a data file as a component of a data set. A data set can have only one data file or more. Basically, different data files have different data structures or format.
DATA SET FILES (SUBSETS): AFDW (Ash Free Dry Weight), #diatoms/mm2, area unit of diatoms/mm2, diversity, taxa list. All data sets are organized by study site and date.

Data File No.	Data File Identifier	On-Line Filename	Starting Date	Periodicity of sample	End Period
1	Mameyes Diatoms	Mameyesdiatomdata.txt	May 7, 1998	monthly	June 26, 2001
2	Most common diatoms (summary)	CommonDiatoms.txt	May 7, 1998	monthly	June 26, 2001

RESEARCH LOCATION: Five sites are collected monthly; 1) Bisley 3; 2) Rio Mameyes at Puente Roto, near USGS gage; 3) PR Water Authority intake near Rt. 3 bridge; 4) Mouth of tributary at Rio Mar Golf Course; 5) Rio Mameyes at Rio Mar near tributary and above estuary.

INVESTIGATORS:

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS E-MAIL address

B. Bryan

brynneb@hotmail.com

OTHER RESEARCHERS E-MAIL address

F.N. Scatena

Fscatena@lternet.edu

CONTACT PERSONS E-MAIL address Phone Number (Include area code)

B. Bryan	brynneb@hotmail.com	787 766-5335 Ext. 321
F.N. Scatena	Fscatena@lternet.edu	787 766-5335 Ext. 204

SOURCE OF FUNDING (SPONSOR): USDA Forest Service, LEF LTER

DATA SET ABSTRACT: Survey expeditions of the diatoms of Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands were conducted briefly in the late 1800's and early 1900's,. However, until now no intensive study of changes in freshwater diatom community over time has been undertaken. In conjunction with other measures of quality of water in the Rio Mameyes, i.e. pH, conductivity, temperature, nutrients, periphytic diatoms have been collected monthly for two years in an effort to detect the effects of disturbances such as hurricanes and human demands on a river ecosystem.

DATA SET METHODS:
Field Methods:

Beginning in May 1998, monthly samples were collected from 3 sites along the Rio Mameyes. After Hurricane Georges on September 21, 1998, 2 more sites were added and samples were collected weekly for the following 10 weeks. In January 1999 monthly sampling was resumed.

On each date 9 samples were collected at each site in the wide, deeper sections of the river, and 3 samples were collected from sites that were shallow and narrow. In the wide sections of river, 3 samples each were collected from the right, center, and left of the river. Each sample is represented by the scrapings of a known area of one rock (16 or 32cm2) using a template, a razorblade, a toothbrush, and deionized water to rinse the sample into a labeled bottle. Samples were collected from the same depth on each date (45 cm deep on the left and right sides of the river and 80 cm deep from the center of the river). In the shallower sections of the river samples were collected from approximately 10 cm depth. For more details see Report)

Lab methods:

Samples were kept cool and transferred to the lab where they were preserved with 1-2 ml of Lugol's solution and 1-2 ml of 10% formalin. After at least 8 hours to allow for settling the samples are reduced, volumes recorded, split, and transferred to 25 ml scintillation vials. Part of each sample was saved for later ash-free dry weight analysis and part was saved for enumeration and identification.

Ash-free dry weight:

Preparation for ash-free dry weight was performed according to Standard Methods for Wastewater Analysis. Glass-fiber filters (0.45um) were dried, burned at 450oC, and weighed. Each sample was filtered with suction using a pump. Samples were rinsed thoroughly with DI water to remove traces of formalin and Lugol's solution. (A test was conducted to see if residual Lugols or formalin was left on the samples after incineration at 450^oC with and without rinsing. A significant amount of Lugols remained on samples without rinsing, but was not detected after rinsing.) The sample-laden filters were dried thoroughly for 24 hours at 105^oC, weighed, burned for 6 hours at 450^oC in a muffle furnace, then weighed again. The difference in weight represented the organic component of the sample, i.e. algae, bacteria, detritus. This value was converted to grams per meter2 of river substrate.

Enumeration:

A 1 ml aliquot of the fraction reserved for this analysis was placed in a Sedgewick-rafter counting cell. This was examined at 20X for live and dead cells. The proportion of live to dead cells seen in one vertical strip of the Sedgewick-rafter cell was recorded. In more densely crowded samples a convenient number of fields were scanned (usually 9 to 15 fields). The volume of the sample, the volume of the aliquot analyzed (the fields or the strips), the area of the substrate scraped (a fraction of the whole sample), and the number of cells counted were used to calculate the number of cells per mm2 of river substrate. Estimates of the area covered by each cell were also made.

Identification:

The enumerated aliquot was returned to the sample in a glass scintillation vial. The contents of the vial was then settled for at least 8 hours, reduced via siphoning, resuspended with deionized water, and resettled at least three times to remove preservatives. After the last reduction, an equal volume of nitric acid was added to the sample along with a few grains of potassium dichromate (Patrick, 1967). This was settled for at least 8 hours to dissolve the organic component of the sample and leave only the siliceous shells of diatoms. This was then diluted with DI water, settled, siphoned, and diluted again at least 5 times to return the sample to a neutral acidity. A few drops of shaken sample (not too concentrated to obscure microscopial viewing) was transferred to a #1 cover slip that had been labeled with the sample ID, and dried on a hotplate. A drop of Cargill Meltmount was melted onto a labeled microscope slide and the sample-crusted cover slip was inverted onto this drop and gently pressed flat, when necessary. Slides prepared in this way could be examined at 100x for the fine detail necessary for taxonomic identification. Approximately 900 cells were counted from each site (100-300 per slide). The number of species per number of cells counted was used to determine the diversity present at each site.

RELEVANT REFERENCES:
Bacon, P.R. 1973. Plankton studies in a Caribbean esturarine environment. Caribbean Journal of Science, 11(1-2):81-89

Bourelly, P., E. Manguin. 1952. Algues d'eau douce de la Guadeloupe et dependances. Bacillariophyceae:33-116. 11 pl. Centre National de Recherche Scientifiques. Paris.

Cox, E.J. 1996. Identification of Freshwater Diatoms from Live Material. Chapman & Hall, London. 158 p.

Candelas, G.A. No date. Studies on the freshwater plankton of Puerto Rico. PhD Thesis, University of Minnesota. 129 p.

Cleve, P.T. 1878. Diatoms from the West Indian Archipelago. Beih. K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handl. B 5,8:1-22. 3 plates.

Dixit, S.S. J.P. Smol, J.C. Kingston, and D.F.Charles 1992 Diatoms: Powerful indicators of environmental change. Environmental Science and Technology 26(1):22-33

Foerster, J.W. 1971. The ecology of an elfin forest in Puerto Rico, 14: The algae of Pico Del Oeste. Journal of the Arnold Arboretum, 52(1):86-109

Foged, Niels. 1984. Freshwater and littoral diatoms from Cuba. Bibliotheca Diatomologica: 5:1-243

Garcia, J.R. 1995. Zooplankton and icthyoplankton taxonomic composition and abundance in the vicinity of PREPA power plants in San Juan Bay and Ensenada Boca Vieja, Palo Seco. Final report submitted to Grammatges & Associates.

Hagelstein, R. 1938 The Diatomaceae of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands.Scientific Surveys of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands 8 (3):313-444.

Greville, R.K. 1857. Descriptions of some new diatomaceous forms from the West Indies. Quarterly J. Micr. Sci. 5:7-12. 3 plates

Grunow, A. 1877. New diatoms from Honduras. The Monthly Micro. J. XVIII:165-186. 4 Tafeln.

Janisch, C. G.L. Rabenhorst. 1863. Ueber Meeres-Diatomaceen von Honduras. Rabenhorst Beitrage I:1-16. 4 tafeln. Leipzig.

Krammer K, H. Lange-Bertalot. 1997. Suswasserflora von Mitteleuropa Band 2/1 Bacillariophyceae (Naviculaceae). Gustav Fischer, Jena, Germany. 876 p.

Krammer K, H. Lange-Bertalot. 1997. Suswasserflora von Mitteleuropa Band 2/2 Bacillariophyceae (Bacillariaceae, Epithemiaceae, Surirellaceae). Gustav Fischer, Jena, Germany. 610 p.

Metzeltin, D., H. Lange-Bertalot. 1998. Tropical Diatoms of South America I. Iconographia Diatomologica 5:1-695. Sven Koeltz, Germany.

Mobius, M.A.J. 1888. Ueber einige in Portorico gesammelte Susswasser- und Luft-Algen. Hedwigia 27:221-249.Pl.7-9

Navarro, J.N. 1981a. A survey of the marine diatoms of Puerto Rico. I. Suborders Coscinodiscineae and Rhizosoleniineae. Bot. Marina 24:427-239. 51 figs.

Navarro, J.N. 1981b. A survey of the marine diatoms of Puerto Rico. I. Suborder Biddulphineae: Families Biddulphiaceae, Lithodesmiaciai and Eupodiscaceae. Bot. Marina 24:615-630. 67 figs.

Navarro, J.N. 1982. Marine diatoms associated with mangrove prop roots in the Indian River, Florida, U.S.A. Bibliotheca Phycologica Hirschberg 61:1-151

Navarro, J.N. 1989. Benthic marine diatoms of Caja de Muertos Island, Puerto Rico. Nova Hedwigia 49(3-4): 333-367

Podzorski, A.C. 1985. An Illustrated and Annotated Check-List of Diatoms form the Black River Waterwawys, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. Bibliotheca Diatomologica: 7:1-177

Werner, D. 1977. The Biology of the Diatoms. Botanical Monographs. University of California Press. Vol. 13:1 - 484
 

CROSS-REFERENCES (other data sets related to this one): Weekly water quality samples at Bisley 3, Puente Roto, and The Rt. 3 gage.

SAMPLE LOCATION: Research Laboratory, USDA Forest Service, IITF, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico

STORAGE SITES (of data files): Research Laboratory, USDA Forest Service, IITF, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico

INVESTIGATOR'S ASSIGNED KEYWORDS: Diatoms, periphyton, tropical river ecology, anthropogenic and natural disturbance

LEF LTER OFFICIAL KEYWORDS (See table): Q MAMEYES, RIVER, DISTURBANCE, HUMAN DISTURBANCE, AQUATIC, WEB PAGE

PUBLICATIONS: An Annotated Survey of Common Periphytic Diatoms of the Río Mameyes, Northeast Puerto Rico
September 2001 (Report)

DISSEMINATION: UNRESTRICTED

REASONS TO RESTRICT DATA IN THIS DATA SET BEYOND ITS TWO YEAR POLICY PERIOD*:

*WILL HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY LTER PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: N. BROKAW, A. LUGO

SITES DESCRIPTIONS:

Geographical positional system (GPS) Coordinates for each location:

location	latitude	longitude

VARIABLES (ATTRIBUTES):

FILE NAME OR #ABOVE (all in which the variable appears)	1, 2	1	1
ABBREVIATION (as it appears on the data file)	date	Site	Side
NAME OF VARIABLE
DEFINITION OF VARIABLE	date of observation	location along Mameyes river	position in channel
UNIT
PRECISION
RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES	07-May-98,02-Jun-98,01-Jul-98,05-Aug-98,11-Sep-98,24-Sep-98,29-Sep-98,06-Oct-98,13-Oct-98,20-Oct-98,27-Oct-98,03-Nov-98,10-Nov-98,17-Nov-98,01-Dec-98,07-Dec-98,22-Dec-98,05-Jan-99,02-Feb-99,02-Mar-99,06-Apr-99,06-May-99,08-Jun-99,03-Aug-99,07-Sep-99,05-Oct-99,09-Nov-99,08-Dec-99,11-Jan-00,15-Feb-00,15-Mar-00,11-Apr-00,09-May-00,13-Jun-00,01-Aug-00,05-Sep-00,03-Oct-00,05-Dec-00,09-Jan-01,28-Feb-01,10-Apr-01,26-Jun-01	Intake = water intake at Fortuna TC = (MTC) - Golf Course Channel TRIB = (MTRIB) Urban Tributary BQ3 = Bisley Quebrada 3 PR = (MPR) Puente Roto	C = Center L = Left R = Right 1 = furthest downstream 2 = next position upstream 3 = furthest upstream
DATA TYPE	Date
MISSING DATA CODES	N/A

VARIABLES (ATTRIBUTES):

FILE NAME OR #ABOVE (all in which the variable appears)	1	1	1	1
ABBREVIATION (as it appears on the data file)	AFDW	AU/mm2	Mm2/mm2	#/mm2
NAME OF VARIABLE			mm2 diatoms per mm2 substrate	Density
DEFINITION OF VARIABLE	Ash Free Dry weight (mass)	Area in um2 of cells covering mm2 of substrate/400. (standard unit)	Area in mm2 of cells covering mm2 of substrate	Number of diatom cells per mm2
UNIT	G/m2	mm2
PRECISION	0.001g	0.001mm2	0.001 mm2	1
RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES
DATA TYPE	Real	Real	Real	Integer
MISSING DATA CODES	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

VARIABLES (ATTRIBUTES):

COMPUTATIONAL METHODS:

Variable Name	Formula
AFDW	Weight in grams/area of substrate scraped in m2 (g/m2)
AU/mm2	(Area per cell(um2) x # of cells counted x volume of sample(ml)/(area scraped(mm2 x aliquot examined(ml)))/400
Mm2/mm2	(Area per cell(um2) x # of cells counted x volume of sample(ml)/(area scraped(mm2) x aliquot examined(ml)))/1000000
#/mm2	Number of cells counted x volume of sample(ml)/(area scraped(mm2) x aliquot examined(ml))
% live	Percent live cells/total # cells (live + empty)

FOR DATA MANAGER USE ONLY

Rev. date of this form: 8 June 2000