LUQ LTER DATA SETS DOCUMENTATION FORM
ON-LINE VERSION
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:
PERSON(S) COMPLETING
THIS FORM: E-MAIL ADDRESS:
| Jill Thompson |
DATA SET IDENTIFIER: Census of species, diameter and location
at the Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot (LFDP), Puerto Rico
PROJECT TITLE: Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot - Community Structure and Disturbance in a Tropical Forest.
The Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot (LFDP), previously known as the Hurricane Recovery Plot (Zimmerman et. al. 1994) and the Luquillo long-term ecological research grid (Soil Survey 1995), is a 16-ha forest plot (SW corner 18° 20’ N, 65° 49’ W) located near El Verde Field Station. The plot is 500 m N-S and 320 m E-W and is divided into 400 20 x 20 m quadrats, with each quadrat sub divided into 16 5 x 5 m sub-quadrats. The field station and LFDP are in the Luquillo Mountains of northeastern Puerto Rico, approximately 35 km southeast of San Juan. Information from the LFDP contributes to the efforts of the Center for Tropical Forest Science (CTFS, Smithsonian) network of large tropical forest plots in order to improve our understanding of tropical forest and to predict its future. Large plots (typically 50 ha) are required to cover local environmental variation, include sufficient numbers of individuals of both the common and rare species, and to determine plant spatial relationships. Population monitoring is required over many years to elucidate tree life histories, species interactions and population changes in order to determine the forest response to environmental changes and disturbance.
LFDP CENSUS HISTORY.
The LFDP was established in 1990 and the censuses are carried out in accordance with CTFS protocol (Condit 1998) with only minor variations. The first assessment of stems >= 10 cm D130 (diameter at breast height [DBH] of 130 cm from the ground) consisting of stems damaged by Hurricane Hugo (September 1989) was carried out from August 1990 to September 1991 (Everham 1996). The first complete census of all stems >=1 cm D130 lasted from August 1990 to September 1993. This first census was divided into three surveys with the first survey (August 1990 to February 1992) comprising all free standing (excluding lianas) woody stems >= 10 cm D130. The second survey (overlapping the third survey) consisted of checks on a small number of quadrats in which a few large stems >= 10 cm D130 were found that had been "missed" during the first survey. The third survey of woody stems >= 1 cm <10 cm D130 was carried out between April 1992 and September 1993. During Census 1 surveys 2 and 3 stems were found that were >=10 cm D130 and, therefore, were most likely to have been present in the forest at the time of Census 1 survey 1. In addition in Census 2 (November 1994 to October 1996), stems were found >=3 cm D130 (>=5 cm D130 for Cecropia schreberiana and Schefflera morototoni) which may have been missed in Census 1. In order to include these "missed" stems in the appropriate census and survey we calculated what diameter the stem would have been at the time the quadrat in which it was located was initially assessed. These "missed" stems were allocated to earlier censuses and census surveys based either upon the actual growth rate of that stem, if more than one measurement was available, or the median growthrate for that species. The median growthrate was calculated for two size classes of stems >=1, <10 cm, or >=10 to 30 cm D130. Using the most appropriate growthrate the diameter of the "missed" stem was extrapolated back in time to estimate the stem diameter at the correct survey time in Census 1. If the calculated diameter matched the size class for an earlier survey the stem was allocated to it with its estimated diameter. Information for stems >=10 cm D130 damaged during Hurricane Hugo was combined with data for stems >=10 cm D130, in census 1 survey 1 together with "missed" stems recorded in later surveys to reconstruct the forest as it was at the time of Hurricane Hugo. The reconstruction to represent the forest at the time of Hurricane Hugo did not include diameter extrapolations back to September 1989, but to the time at which the appropriate size class of stems were measured between August 1990 and September 1993. The palm Prestoea acuminata was allocated to earlier census surveys based upon the height of the point of measurement and additional observations. Further details on the procedures for allocating these "missed" stems to the appropriate census surveys can be found in the descriptions in the relevant data files. The last corrections to the Census 1 this data were made in May 2001.
In all censuses individual stems of the specified size were tagged, identified and measured for D130. On multiple stemmed plants, all stems were individually tagged and the group of stems representing an individual plant was recorded. In the first and second census stems >=10 cm D130 were mapped. Following CTFS protocol we are conducting the censuses at 5 year intervals. The second census (November 1994 to October 1996) consisted of only one survey with all stems >=1 cm D130 censused at the same time, although only stems >=10 cm D130 were mapped. The third census (funded by the Andrew Mellon Foundation) started in July 2000 and is expected to finish in April 2002. In this third census, in addition to mapping stems >=10 cm D130, we are also mapping the location of stems >=1 cm D130.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
We are grateful for the work of many people who helped inventory the LFDP. In particular, technicians: R. DeLeon, J. Bithorn, M. Aponte, A.-L. Méndez, M. Estades, A. Estrada, S. Matta, plant taxonomist B. Boom, and data manager Eda Melendez. Many volunteers, too numerous to mention, were also a tremendous help with the census. We thank the United States Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Conservation Service, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA for the soil survey. The International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF) gave us access to their historical records and timber cruise surveys, and we thank Dr. Frank Wadsworth and Octavio Jodan who helped interpret them. John Thomlinson helped prepare the digital maps of stem locations and the soil map. The aerial photographs were analyzed at The Harvard Forest, Harvard University.
|
Population Dynamics |
|
Disturbance Patterns |
|
Primary Productivity |
|
Data File No. |
Data File Identifier |
On-Line Filename |
Starting Date |
Periodicity of sample |
Period |
|
1 |
LFDP census 1 species, diameter and location. |
August 1990 |
once |
February 1992 ( May 2001, including data corrections) |
|
|
2 |
LFDP census 1 species, diameter and location. |
August 1990 |
once |
February 1992 ( May 2001, including data corrections) |
|
|
3
|
LFDP census 2species, diameter and location. | LFDP_CENSUS2.txt | November 1994 | once | October 1996 (May 2001, including data corrections) |
|
4
|
LFDP census 2species, diameter and location. | LFDP_CENSUS2a.txt | November 1994 | once | October 1996 (May 2001, including data corrections) |
Note: If for some reason you have problems accessing and downloading the data through the forms, send us a message to emelendez@lternet.edu in which you give us a brief statement of the purpose to use the data.
INVESTIGATORS:
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS E-MAIL address
|
Jill Thompson |
|
|
Jess Zimmerman |
|
|
Nicholas Brokaw |
OTHER RESEARCHERS
E-MAIL address
|
Robert B. Waide |
|
|
Wyn M. Everham III |
|
|
D. Jean Lodge |
|
|
Charlotte M. Taylor |
|
|
Diana Garcia-Monteil |
|
|
Marcheterre Fluet |
|
|
Jill
Thompson |
Jill@coqui.net |
787-380-3220 |
|
Nicholas Brokaw |
1-787-764-0000 x 4940 |
DATA SET ABSTRACT:
We calculated the diameter the stem would have had, if it had been recorded at the same time the quadrat it was located in was assessed, in the appropriate survey for that stem size. To extrapolate the stem size back in time, we used the actual growth rate of that individual stem if more than one measurement was available. If only one diameter measurement was available we used the median growth rate for that species in the appropriate size class (median growthrate of stems <10 cm, or median for stems >=10, <30 cm D130). In our publications we will combine data sets LFDP_census1 and LFDP_census1a to make Census 1 and to reconstruct the forest for stems >= 10 cm D130 at the time of Hurricane Hugo.
We have divided the data into two separate files to ensure
that when stem diameters are compared to future censuses the diameter data in
LFDP_census1a is not used to calculate growth rates. The dates in LFDP_census1a
show the date at which the real diameter was measured in survey 2 or 3 and not
the time that the calculated diameter (Fdiam sur1/s2/s3) represents for the
quadrat in which the stem was located. Blank in the date field in LFDP_census1a
means that the tree was first measured in Census 2 and the diameter given (Fdiam
sur1/s2/s3) was extrapolated back in time to Census 1. The last corrections
to the Census 1 data were made in May 2001.
The National Science Foundation requires that data from projects it funds are posted on the web two years after any data set has been organized and “cleaned”. The data from each census of the LFDP will be updated at intervals, as each survey of the LFDP shows errors in the previous data collection. After posting on the web, researchers who are not part of the project are then welcome to use the data. Given the enormous amount of time, effort and resources required to manage the LFDP, obtain these data, and ensure data accuracy, LFDP Principal Investigators request that researchers intending to use this data comply with the requests below. Through complying with these requests we can ensure that the data are interpreted correctly, analyses are not repeated unnecessarily, beneficial collaboration between users is promoted and the Principal Investigators’ investment in this project is protected.
· Submit to the LFDP PIs a short (1 page) description of how you intend to use the data;
· Invite LFDP PIs to be co-authors on any publication that uses the data in a substantial way (some PIs may decline and other LFDP scientists may need to be included);
· If the LFDP PIs are not co-authors, send the PIs a draft of any paper using LFDP data, so that the PIs may comment upon it;
· In the methods section of any publication using LFDP data, describe that data as coming from the “Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot, part of the Luquillo Experimental Forest Long-Term Ecological Research Program”;
· Acknowledge in any publication using LFDP data the “The Luquillo Experimental Forest Long-Term Ecological Research Program, supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the University of Puerto Rico, and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry”;
· Supply the LFDP PIs with 10 reprints of any publication using LFDP data;
·
Accept that the LFDP PIs can not guarantee that the LFDP data
you intend to use has not already been submitted for publication or published.
DATA
SET METHODS: The LFDP censuses are carried out according to CTFS protocol
(Condit 1998) with minor exceptions. All
stems >= 1 cm D130 (diameter at 130 cm above the ground [DBH]) are measured for diameter,
tagged, identified and mapped. Stems <5 cm diameter were measured with calipers
and stems >= 5 cm were measured with diameter tape. There are three notable
differences between this data set and the CTFS protocol. In addition we also recorded Heliconia carribea culms and tree fern
Cyathea arborea and fern Nephelea portoricensis. A full protocol is available on request.
NEWSPP is the species code after the stem was re-identified
during the second census. This code represents the first three letters of the
genus and first three for the species in most cases. Exceptions occur when species have changed their names, or when
confusion between species may arise using this 6 letter code. Full species names
are listed in another file (see other data sets below)
Palm height sur1/s2/s3, is the height at which the diameter
on the Prestoea acuminata previously
called Prestoea montana (PREMON).
Palms do not usually increase in diameter with time and in order to incorporate
this important component of this forest the palms are measured in a slightly
different manner than tree stems. When the newest frond of a palm arises at
a height of 130 cm from the ground the palm is entered into the census and the
diameter is measured between the leaf scars on the "bole" of the last
two fronds that have fallen off. Measuring
above this would involve measuring around fronds that would fall off at a later
date. The height at which this diameter measurement
was taken was recorded as "palm height". Older palms that have a bole that extends above
130 cm from the ground always have their diameter measured at this height. Errors
in the data recording meant that for many palms in Census 1 survey 1 no palm
heights were recorded. Where this is
the case I have inserted -130 to indicate that the diameter measurement was
most likely recorded at 130 cm from the ground. For some palms I used supplementary data to
allocate palms to the appropriate survey when the palm height information was
not recorded. These codes -100, and
-101 do not indicate any palm height measurement.
Condit, R. 1998. Tropical Forest census Plots. Springer, Berlin
Everham, E. M. III 1996. Hurricane disturbance and recovery: An empirical and simulation study of vegetation dynamics in the Luquillo Experimental Forest. PhD. State University of New York.
Soil Survey Staff. 1995. Order 1 Soil Survey of the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Grid, Puerto Rico. United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
Zimmerman, J. K., E. M. Everham, III, R. B. Waide, D. J. Lodge, C. M. Taylor, and N. V. L. Brokaw. 1994. Responses of tree species to hurricane winds in subtropical wet forest in Puerto Rico: implications for tropical tree life histories. Journal of Ecology 82:911-922.
CROSS-REFERENCES
(other data sets related to this one): LTERDBAS46:
Elevation at grid points on the Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot (LFDP), Puerto
Rico; LTERDB47: Physical
environment of the Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot (LFDP), Puerto Rico, LTERDB57:
Tree damage by Hurricane Hugo at the Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot (LFDP), Puerto
Rico, LTERDB60:
Tree Map for Census at the Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot (LFDP), Puerto
Rico; LTERDB62: Canopy height profile starting 1992, 1994 and
1996 of the Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot (LFDP), Puerto Rico; LTERDB118: Species
names and codes of the Luquillo Forest
Dynamics Plot (LFDP), Puerto Rico; LTERDB119:
Census of species, diameter and location at the Luquillo Forest Dynamics
Plot (LFDP), Puerto Rico;
SAMPLE LOCATION: N/A
STORAGE SITES (of data files):
Paper and computer files at ITES; Computer files at El Verde Field Station
INVESTIGATOR'S ASSIGNED KEYWORDS: Luquillo Forest Dynamics
Plot, LFDP, Hurricane Recovery Plot, plant community composition, plant diversity,
Luquillo Experimental Forest, El Verde Field Station, Puerto Rico
PUBLICATIONS:
Brokaw, N. and Thompson. J. (2000). The H for DBH. Forest Ecology and Management 129, 89-91.
García-Montiel, D. C. (In press). La presencia humana en los bosques neotropicales húmedos. In M. Guariguata and G. Kattan, editors. Ecología de Bosque Lluvioso Neotropical. Editorial Agroamérica, San José, Costa Rica.
Thompson, J., N. Brokaw, J. K. Zimmerman, R. B. Waide, E. M. Everham, III, D. J. Lodge, C. M. Taylor, D. García-Montiel, and M. Fluet. (In press). Land use history, environment, and tree composition in a tropical forest. Ecological Applications.
Thompson, J., Brokaw, N., Zimmerman, J.K., Waide, R.B., Everham, E.M.. and Schaefer, D.A. (2000). The Luquillo forest dynamics plot. (In press). R. Condit, and J. Lafrakie (eds) Tropical forest diversity and dynamism: results from a network of large plots. Smithsonian Institution.
Zimmerman,
J. K., E. M. Everham, III, R. B. Waide, D. J. Lodge, C. M. Taylor, and N. V.
L. Brokaw. 1994. Responses of tree species to hurricane winds in subtropical wet
forest in Puerto Rico: implications for tropical tree life histories. Journal of Ecology 82:911-922.
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: J. ZIMMERMAN, A. LUGO , D.J. LODGE
FILING:
_X_ "File" copy only :
Data Management will only file an electronic copy of the data file and
its documentation
___ "Enter" data on-line : Data
Management will be in charge of entering the data on computer files (Contact Eda C.
Meléndez)
SITES DESCRIPTION:
The LFDP is within the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF, established
in 1956) which is coterminous with the Caribbean National Forest and covers
11,330-ha of the Luquillo mountains (Brown et
al. 1983). There are four different
forest types within the LEF including tabonuco, colorado, palm-brake, and dwarf
forest. These forest types are associated
with different soil types and are roughly stratified by elevation (Brown et
al. 1983). The LFDP lies within the tabonuco forest that
is named after a dominant tree, Dacryodes
excelsa Vahl (Burseraceae). Tabonuco
forest develops best on low, protected, well-drained ridges below 600 m a.s.l.
Mean canopy height in tabonuco forest is about 20 m, with tallest trees
to c. 35m. Few trees in the LFDP exceed 1 m D130. The
forest in Puerto Rico is subject to hurricane damage and canopy height is lower,
and canopy structure is broken, in the years after hurricanes.
CLIMATE
The climate is classified as tropical montane in Walsh’s (1996) tropical climate system, and as subtropical wet in the Holdridge life zone system (Ewel and Whitmore 1973). Annual rainfall at El Verde averages just over 3500 mm yr-1 (1975-1999). On average there is no month with <200 mm of rain, although a drier season occurs from January through April. The highest rainfall recorded at El Verde between 1975 and 2001 (370 mm in less than 12 hours) fell on 17 April 1997. There are also severe droughts, such as in 1994, when less than 70% of the average annual rain fell, and many small streams in the forest stopped flowing entirely for two months. Daily average maximum air temperature is 25.2 °C, minimum is 20.5 °C, and average is 22.8 °C (Brown et al. 1983, and also see weather data on this web site). Severe hurricanes struck the LFDP forest area in 1928, 1932, 1989 and 1998.
Geographical positional system (GPS) Coordinates for each location:
| location |
latitude |
longitude |
|
South West Corner of plot |
18°
19' 26" North |
65°
49' 3" West |
|
FILE NAME OR #ABOVE (all in which the variable appears) |
1,
2 |
1,
2 |
|
ABBREVIATION (as it appears on the data file) |
Tag |
Date sur1/s2/s3 |
|
NAME OF VARIABLE |
Tag |
Date stem diameter recorded in census 1. Including survey 1, survey 2
and survey 3 |
|
DEFINITION OF VARIABLE |
Unique
number for each stem. |
Date in form month/day/year |
|
UNIT |
None |
month/day/year |
|
PRECISION |
N/A |
+ or - 2 weeks |
|
RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES |
From
-127736 to 139316 with many numbers not used |
From
6/27/90 to 9/29/93 with many dates not used. For combined files LFDP_CENSUS1
and LFDP_CENSUS1a |
|
DATA TYPE |
Integer |
Date |
|
MISSING DATA CODES |
None |
Blank.
Only in file LFDP_CENSUS1a.TXT a blank means stem first recorded in Census
2 |
VARIABLES (ATTRIBUTES):
|
FILE NAME OR #ABOVE (all in which the variable appears) |
1,
2 |
1,
2 |
|
ABBREVIATION (as it appears on the data file) |
Quad |
Subquad |
|
NAME OF VARIABLE |
Quadrat code number |
Subquadrat number |
|
DEFINITION OF VARIABLE |
Code
represents the 20 x 20 m quadrat based upon its position in the rows and
columns of the 16 ha grid. The first 2 digits form the column number counting
quadrats from West to East and the second two digits form the row number
counting quadrats South to North. Leading zeros are not displayed so quadrats
in columns 1-9 have only 3 digits |
Code
representing the position each of the 16 5m by 5 m subquadrat within each
20 m x 20 m quadrat. The code consists of 2 numbers. The first is the number of the subquadrat counting from the southwest
corner of the quadrat to the east. The second is the number of the subquadrat
counting from the southwest corner to the north. See arrangement below |
|
UNIT |
None |
None |
|
PRECISION |
N/A |
N/A |
|
RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES |
0101
first quadrat in southwest corner to 2525 last quadrat in North East corner |
NW 14 24 34 44 NE 13 23 33 34 12 22 32 42SW 11 21 31 41 SE |
|
DATA TYPE |
alphanumeric |
alphanumeric |
|
MISSING DATA CODES |
None |
None |
|
FILE NAME OR #ABOVE (all in which the variable appears) |
1,
2 |
1,
2 |
|
ABBREVIATION (as it appears on the data file) |
Main stem |
NEWSPP |
|
NAME OF VARIABLE |
Main stem |
New species name |
|
DEFINITION OF VARIABLE |
The main stem tag number is the number for an individual plant. Numbers
in this field show that the stem with a tag number, in the same row of
data is attached to the stem with this main stem number. |
A 6 letter code for the species name for this individual. First three
letters are the first three letter of the genus and the second three letters
the first three letters of the species name. Variations to this rule are
possible. See species list file LFDP_species. The species identifications
include corrections made after census 2. |
|
UNIT |
None |
None |
|
PRECISION |
N/A |
N/A |
|
RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES |
N/A |
N/A |
|
DATA TYPE |
Integer |
Alphanumeric |
|
MISSING DATA CODES |
A blank
means that either the stem in this row of data is either a main stem itself
so it does not have a main stem number in this field. Or alternatively
that this stem represents an individual plant that does not have multiple
stems. |
Blank
means no species identification was possible. Dead means tree was dead
and no species identification was possible.
ING? Means Inga species not determined. |
VARIABLES (ATTRIBUTES):
|
FILE NAME OR #ABOVE (all in which the variable appears) |
1,
2 |
|
ABBREVIATION (as it appears on the data file) |
No. culms sur 3 |
|
NAME OF VARIABLE |
Number of culms recorded in survey 3 |
|
DEFINITION
OF |
No
of culms of Heliconia sp or Musaseae sp. recorded in Census 1 survey 3 |
|
UNIT |
none |
|
PRECISION |
N/A |
|
RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES |
1-43 |
|
DATA TYPE |
Integer |
|
MISSING
|
Blank probably means the species was a woody stem so no count was recorded. Blank for HELCAR or MUSSPP means not recorded. |
================
VARIABLES (ATTRIBUTES):
|
File Name or # above (all in which the variable appears) |
LFDP_CENSUS2 and LFDP_CENSUS2a |
LFDP_CENSUS2 and LFDP_CENSUS2a |
|
Abbreviation (as it appears on the data file) |
Tag |
Date Census 2 |
|
NAME OF VARIABLE |
Tag |
Date stem diameter recorded in census 2. |
|
DEFINITION OF VARIABLE |
Unique number for each stem. |
Date in form month/day/year |
|
UNIT |
None |
month/day/year |
|
PRECISION |
N/A |
+ or - 2 weeks |
|
RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES |
From -127736 to 139316 with many numbers not used |
From 10/26/94 to 6/12/97 with many dates not used. For combined files LFDP_CENSUS2 and LFDP_CENSUS2a |
|
DATA TYPE |
Integer |
Date |
|
MISSING DATA CODES |
None |
Blank, should not be any |
CONTINUE VARIABLES:
|
File Name or # above (all in which the variable appears) |
LFDP_CENSUS2 and LFDP_CENSUS2a |
LFDP_CENSUS2 and LFDP_CENSUS2a |
|
Abbreviation (as it appears on the data file) |
Quad |
Subquad |
|
NAME OF VARIABLE |
Quadrat code number |
Subquadrat number |
|
DEFINITION OF VARIABLE |
Code represents the 20 x 20 m quadrat based upon its position in the rows and columns of the 16 ha grid. The first 2 digits form the column number counting quadrats from West to East and the second two digits form the row number counting quadrats South to North. Leading zeros are not displayed so quadrats in columns 1-9 have only 3 digits |
Code representing the position each of the 16 5m by 5 m subquadrat within each 20 m x 20 m quadrat. The code consists of 2 numbers. The first is the number of the subquadrat counting from the southwest corner of the quadrat to the east. The second is the number of the subquadrat counting from the southwest corner to the north. See arrangement below |
|
UNIT |
None |
None |
|
PRECISION |
N/A |
N/A |
|
RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES |
0101 first quadrat |