LUQ LTER DATA SETS DOCUMENTATION FORM
ON-LINE VERSION
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(Data, Abstract, Methods, Variables)
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| PERSON(S) COMPLETING THIS FORM: | E-MAIL ADDRESS: |
| Barbara A. Richardson | barichardson@clara.co.uk |
| Michael J. Richardson | mjrichardson@clara.net |
DATA SET IDENTIFIER: Canopy Trimming Experiment (CTE) litterbag invertebrate counts and weights data
PROJECT TITLE: CTE
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This long-term experiment will increase the frequency of simulated hurricane effects above background levels to once every six years. The experiment will determine effects of repeated disturbance of the forest canopy and increased detrital inputs to the forest floor on germination, growth, survival, nutrient cycling, soil conditions, and trophic structure. Climate change models predict increased frequency and intensity of Caribbean hurricanes (Emmanuel 1987, Goldenberg et al. 2001), and our goal is to evaluate predictions regarding the effects of an increased rate of hurricane disturbance on tabonuco forest (Sanford et al. 1991). The experiment also is designed to decouple the effects of canopy disturbance (e.g. , light levels, temperature, moisture, etc. ) from those of increased detrital inputs on rates of detrital processing and resultant community and ecosystem processes. Manipulations and measurements of detrital processing, SOM, and soil properties associated with SOM will continue for at least three more funding periods (until 2024). In the short-term, we will use faunal manipulations nested within the canopy trimming experiment to measure the strength of interactions between autotrophic and detrital food webs in the context of hurricane-like disturbance. These results will be directed specifically at parameterizing the Trophic Interaction Model. This experiment also will provide a physical and intellectual focal point for the project participants. The Canopy Trimming Experiment has two parts: 1) a forest canopy manipulation with measurements of coupled changes in microclimate, structure, and biota and their associated impacts on ecosystem processes, and 2) specific manipulations of the biota that assess the importance of components of the food web.
CTE Litterbag Invertebrate Counts and Weights: A long-term experiment to increase the frequency of simulated hurricane effects above background levels to once every six years. The experiment will determine effects of repeated disturbance of the forest canopy and increased detrital inputs to the forest floor on germination, growth, survival, nutrient cycling, soil conditions, and trophic structure. Using leaf litter in litterbags, the aim of this part of the experiment was to examine the response of litter invertebrates to canopy disturbance [e.g., hurricanes], and to distinguish between the effects of canopy removal and detrital inputs. The effects of different litterbag mesh size and litter type [fresh or senescent] was also studied.
LTER CORE AREAS: (Annotate all that apply) (See online list)
| Population Dynamics |
| Disturbance Patterns |
| Organic Matter Accumulation |
LEF LTER 1 RESEARCH TOPIC: Annotate all that apply (See online list)
| Recovery-Spat. Dist. |
| Recovery-Litter Brakedown |
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 File No. | Data File Identifier | On-Line Filename | Starting Date | Periodicity of sample | End Period |
1 |
CTE litterbag invertebrate counts data | CTEinvertebratecounts.txt | August 26, 2005 | 3-monthly | January 22, 2007 |
2 |
CTE litterbag invertebrate weights data | CTEinvertebrateweights.txt | August 26, 2005 | 3-monthly | January 22, 2007 |
RESEARCH LOCATION: Block A: 30+ m West of western edge of Big Grid, on North and South side of Prieta stream, near Vogt old plots. Block B: 30+ m South of Big Grid, all plots along Oxcart Trail. Block C: 30+ m West of SE corner of Big Grid.
| PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS | E-MAIL ADDRESS |
Barbara A. Richardson |
barichardson@clara.co.uk |
| Grizelle Gonzalez | ggonzalez@fs.fed.gov |
| OTHER RESEARCHERS | E-MAIL ADDRESS |
| Michael J. Richardson | mjrichardson@clara.net |
| CONTACT PERSONS | Phone Number (Include area code) | E-MAIL ADDRESS |
| Barbara A. Richardson | 01314478165 | barichardson@clara.co.uk |
SOURCE OF FUNDING (SPONSOR): Grants DEB-0218039 and DEB-0620910 from the National Science Foundation to the Institute for Tropical Ecosystem Studies (ITES), University of Puerto Rico (UPR), and the International Institute for Tropical Forestry USDA Forest Service.
DATA SET ABSTRACT: Identification, number and dry weight of invertebrates recovered from each litterbag.DATA SET METHODS: Litterbags, placed in plots in June 2005 litter were recovered at intervals and invertebrate animals extracted with Tullgren funnels. Animals were collected and preserved for counting, identification and measurement for dry weight calculation.
REFERENCES: Richardson, B.A., Richardson, M.J., Scatena, F.N. and McDowell, W.H. 2000. Effects of nutrient availability and other elevational changes on bromeliad populations and their invertebrate communities in a humid tropical forest in Puerto Rico. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 16, 167–188.
Richardson, B.A., Richardson, M.J. and Soto-Adames, F.N. 2005. Separating the effects of forest type and elevation on the diversity of litter invertebrate communities in a humid tropical forest in Puerto Rico. Journal of Animal Ecology,74, 926–936.
CROSS-REFERENCES (other data sets related to this one): LTERDBAS #137. Litter invertebrate communities at different elevations in the LEF
SAMPLE LOCATION: with B.A. and M.J. Richardson
STORAGE SITES(of data files):
INVESTIGATOR'S ASSIGNED KEYWORDS: invertebrates, biomass, litterbag, diversity, disturbance
LEF LTER OFFICIAL KEYWORDS (See table): CTE blocks, SUBTROPICAL WET, EL VERDE, TABONUCO, DISTURBANCE
PUBLICATIONS: In preparation: Response of forest litter invertebrate communities to experimental canopy loss and detrital deposition in a tropical montane forest subject to hurricanes.
B.A. Richardson1, M.J. Richardson1, G. González2 and A.B. Shiels3
REASONS TO RESTRICT DATA IN THIS DATA SET BEYOND ITS TWO YEAR POLICY PERIOD*:
*WILL HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY AT LEAST ONE LUQ LTER PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: N. Brokaw, J. ZIMMERMAN, A. LUGO
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 DESCRIPTIONS: Block A: Elevation (340-360); aspect SW-facing; Location 30+ m West of western edge of Big Grid, on North and South side of Prieta stream, near Vogt old plots. Block B: Elevation (450-485); aspect W-SW facing; Location 30+ m South of Big Grid, all plots along Oxcart Trail. Block C: Elevation (435-480 m); aspect West-facing; Location 30+ m West of SE corner of Big Grid.
Geographical positional system (GPS) Coordinates for each location:
location |
latitude |
longitude |
| Tabonuco Forest at El Verde | 18.32° N | 65.82° W |
The following table displays the x and y coordinates in Puerto Rico Planar Coordinates:
| BlockPlot | X | Y |
| A1 | 217379 | 54625 |
| A2 | 217437 | 54631 |
| A3 | 217423 | 54720 |
| A4 | 217460 | 54684 |
| B1 | 217824 | 54356 |
| B2 | 217875 | 54344 |
| B3 | 217913 | 54278 |
| B4 | 217970 | 54217 |
| C1 | 217878 | 54476 |
| C2 | 217933 | 54476 |
| C3 | 217998 | 54480 |
| C4 | 218094 | 54544 |
| File Name or # above (all in which the variable appears) | 1,2 |
1,2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| AbbreviationAbbreviation(as it appears on the data file) | BLOCK |
CANOPY |
DEBRIS |
MESH |
LITTER |
| NAME OF VARIABLE | Block identifier |
Canopy treatment |
Debris treatment |
Litter bag mesh size |
Litter type |
| DEFINITION OF VARIABLE | Name given to a grouping of 4-like plots in one of three locations |
Canopy cut or not or treatment after cutting |
Debris added to plot or removed |
Size of litterbag mesh |
Leaves in litter bag fresh |
| UNIT | |||||
| PRECISION | |||||
| RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES | A = West of western edge of Big Grid plot |
CUT, UNCUT; C=CONTROL, CD=CONTROL+DEBRIS, TD= TRIM+DEBRIS, TR=TRIM+REMOVAL |
NO DEBRIS, DEBRIS |
BIG = Large litterbag - 1.8 mm, SMA = Small litterbag - 0.475 mm |
FRE = fresh, SEN = senescent |
| DATA TYPE | alphabetic |
alphabetic |
alphabetic |
alphabetic |
alphabetic |
| MISSING DATA CODES |
VARIABLES (ATTRIBUTES):
| File Name or # above (all in which the variable appears) | 1,2 |
1,2 |
1 |
2 |
1,2 | 1 |
2 |
| AbbreviationAbbreviation(as it appears on the data file) | DATE |
BAG_NO. |
TOTAL |
checkTotal |
SPPName | sppcount |
sppweight |
| NAME OF VARIABLE | Date of litterbag retrieval |
Litterbag number |
Total count of organisms in the litterbag |
Total weight of all the species organisms in that litterbag |
Name of species | Total count of species in the litterbag |
Weight of species in the litterbag |
| DEFINITION OF VARIABLE | Date of litterbag retrieval (in dd/mm/yyyy) |
Litterbag number |
Total count of all organisms in that litterbag |
Total weight of organisms of the specific species in the litterbag | Scientific or common name of species | Total count of the species in that litterbag |
Weight of the species in that litterbag |
| UNIT | grams | grams | |||||
| PRECISION |
|
||||||
| RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES |
|
1-1920 |
|||||
| DATA TYPE | datetime |
integer |
integer |
decimal |
alphabetic | integer |
integer |
| MISSING DATA CODES |
COMPUTATIONAL METHODS:
| Variable Name | Formula |
FOR DATA MANAGER USE ONLY
DATE OF LAST REVIEW: January 5, 2010
DATE OF LAST ENTRY: January 22, 2007
STAGE OF DATA SET MANAGEMENT (dates):
RECEIVED: Nov 24th, 2008 Metadata received: ; Data Received:
ENTERED: Nov 26th, 2008
FILED ON-LINE: (ONLY FOR CTE-PLone site): Nov 26th, 2008
REVIEWED BY RESEARCHER:
FILING MEDIA:
NAME OF DOCUMENTATION FILE: LTERDBAS
RECORD #: 157
DOCUMENT TYPE: binary only
PRIORITY TO BE ENTERED: N/A
Rev. date of this form: 28 July 200/ 15 July 2001/June 9, 2003/March 16, 2004/12 April 2005/ 8 November 2005/ 16 January 2006