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:

Lawrence Walker walker@lternet.edu

Eda C. Melendez-Colom

emelendez@lternet.edu


DATA SET IDENTIFIER: Landslide Revegetation Canopy Measurements & Cover Estimates

PROJECT TITLE: Landslide Revegetation Project

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Landslide are among the most severe rainforest disturbances (Garwood et al. 1979, Hubbell & Foster 1986, Sousa 1984, Waide & Lugo 1992, Walker et al. in press), generating extreme abiotic spatial gradients (Fernández & Myster 1995) and exposing soil and parent material (Guariguata 1990). Landslides contain patches of vegetation surrounded by a matrix of soil or bare substrate (Dalling 1994, Myster & Fernández 1995). In addition, they often undergo recurrent localized disturbance either by resliding or by treefall at the edge of the landslide (Hartshorn 1980), thereby adding new plant preopagules, soil or organic material after the initial slippage. These landslide feature, coupled with interactions between patches of similar soil or vetetation (including seed dispersal, shading, litter deposition and vegetative reproduction), strongly suggets that landslide are a patch-dynamic system (Hupp 1983, Pickett & White 1985).

Changes in the composition and abundance of species within these patches over space and time can be considered successional pathways (Austin 1977, Myster & Pickett 1990). Analysis of the pathways can indicate (i) spatial and temporal variation in initial species richness and rate of species turnover (Myster & Pickett 1994), (ii) important species that define pathways and may suggest key regeneration strategies, (iii) community convergence or divergence, and (iv) the effects of past history and land-use (Myster &Pickett 1990, 1994).

Here we use permanent plot data sampled from 16 landslide to documents temporal successional pathways in landslide patches (without the use of a chronosequence, cf. Guariguata 1990) and address the following questions: (1) What are the successional pathways of landslide and what species define them? How much pathway variation of individual plots is there within these landslides? (2) How similar are pathways among landslide? Is there any evidence that, with time, landslides either converge to a common vegetative enpoint or slow in the rate of successional change?

LTER CORE AREAS: (Annotate all that apply)  
Primary productivity

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

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):
No. Data File Identifier On-Line Filename      
1
(a) {ES 1, ES 2, RB 2} Cover estimates of Habitat Factor lsmeaes1.txt
lsmeaes2.txt
lsmearb2.txt
6/89 to

6/89 (for RB2)

twice a year Ongoing

11/89 (for RB2)

2
(b) {ES 1, ES 2, RB 2} % Canopy Closure lsmebes1.txt
lsmebes2.txt
lsmebrb2.txt
6/89 to

6/89 (for RB2)

twice a year Ongoing

11/89 (for RB2)

3
(c) {ES 1, ES 2, RB 2} Canopy Intercept Profile lsmeces1.txt
lsmeces2.txt
lsmecrb2.txt
6/89 to

6/89 (for RB2)

twice a year Ongoing

11/89 (for RB2)

4
(d) {ES 1, ES 2, RB 2} % Canopy Cover by Species lsmedes1.txt
lsmedes2.txt
lsmedrb2.txt
6/89 to

6/89 (for RB2)

twice a year Ongoing

11/89 (for RB2)

RESEARCH LOCATION: Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF)

INVESTIGATORS:

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS E-MAIL address

Lawrence Walker

walker@lternet.edu

OTHER RESEARCHERS E-MAIL address

Jean Lodge

DJLodge@coqui.net

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

Lawrence Walker

walker@lternet.edu

(702)895-3196

SOURCE OF FUNDING (SPONSOR): LTER - NSF

DATA SET ABSTRACT: The purpose of this data set is to document recovery of vegetation in new landslides in the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF.)

DATA SET METHODS:
(a) % cover estimates of habitat factors
(b) % canopy closure at 4 elevation above surface of ground
(c) canopy intercept profile 14 points above ground before
(d) % canopy cover of each species

a, b, d done on left side of 1x2 meter plot (1m2); then on right side (1m2)
c, done at 5 points starting at middle of right side of plot ending at middle of left side of plot

  REFERENCES:
 
CROSS-REFERENCES (other data sets related to this one): LTERDBAS# 15 (Revegetation of landslides, vegetation > 0.1 m), LTERDBAS# 18 (Revegetation of landslides, vegetation > 1.0 m), Landslide Project Species List.

SAMPLE LOCATION: N/A

STORAGE SITES (of data files): Copies to LEF-LTER Data Management, de Leon, Lodge. Original with Walker

INVESTIGATOR'S ASSIGNED KEYWORDS: Landslide, Succession, LTER, Revegetation, Cecropia, Phytolacea

LEF LTER OFFICIAL KEYWORDS (See table): LANDSLIDE PLOTS, DISTURBANCE, PRIMARY PRODUCTION, SUCCESSION, TREES, PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL

PUBLICATIONS:
Myster, R.W. and L.R. Walker. 1997. Plant successional pathways on Puerto Rican landslides. Journal of Tropical
Ecology 13:165-173.

Walker, L.R. and L.E. Neris*. 1993. Posthurricane seed rain dynamics in Puerto Rico. Biotropica 25:408-418.

Walker, L.R., D.J. Zarin, N. Fetcher, R.W. Myster, and A.H. Johnson. 1996. Ecosystem development and plant succession on landslides in the Caribbean. Biotropica 28:566-576.

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
___ "File" copy only : Data Management will only file an electronic copy of the data file and its documentation
X "Enter" data on-line : Data Management will be in charge of entering the data on computer files (Contact Eda C. Meléndez)

SITES DESCRIPTIONS:
Each of the extensive and intensive landslides has plots 2 X 5 m distributed along transect lines at 10 m intervals from the upper lip of the slide. The intensive slides (ES-1, ES-2, and RB-2 [until 1989], have a 2 X 1 m seedling subplot along the lower edge of the plot)

Geographical positional system (GPS) Coordinates for each location:

location

latitude

longitude

 

VARIABLES (ATTRIBUTES):

FILE NAME OR #ABOVE (all in which the variable appears)

1-4

1-4 1-4 1 1

ABBREVIATION (as it appears on the data file)

Tr

Plot Start Date XX L

XX R

NAME OF VARIABLE

Transect Plot Start Date XX Left, where XX = {Bare Rock, Bare Soil, Little, Wood, Gully, Live Tree Canopy, Dead Tree Canopy, Live Trunk, Dead Trunk, Other Moss} XX Right, where XX = {Bare Rock, Bare Soil, Little, Wood, Gully, Live Tree Canopy, Dead Tree Canopy, Live Trunk, Dead Trunk, Other Moss}

DEFINITION OF VARIABLE

Lines at 10 m intervals from the upper lip of the slide

2 X 5 m areas distributed along transect lines

Start date of survey Estimate per m2 of plant species on habitat type or canopy closure on the scale specified in Range (see bellow) Estimate per m2 of plant species on habitat type or canopy closure on the scale specified in Range (see bellow)

UNIT

   

Percent class

Percent class

PRECISION

 

+ or - one class

+ or - one class

RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES

1-6

1-40

0 = none

+ = <1% cover

1 = 1 - 5%

2 = 5 - 25%

3 = 25 - 50%

4 = 50 - 75%

5 = 75 -100%

0 = none

+ = <1% cover

1 = 1 - 5%

2 = 5 - 25%

3 = 25 - 50%

4 = 50 - 75%

5 = 75 -100% 

DATA TYPE

Numeric Numeric

Date

mm/dd/yy

Alphanumeric

Alphanumeric

MISSING DATA CODES

None None

File 3 0 = blank

File 3 0 = blank

VARIABLES (ATTRIBUTES):

FILE NAME OR #ABOVE (all in which the variable appears)

2 2 3 3 4

ABBREVIATION (as it appears on the data file)

BelowXXm L

Where XX= {0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, 25}

BelowXXm R

Where XX= {0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, 25}

Pt XXM INT

Where XX= (0-0.1,0.1-0.5,
0.5-1,1-1.5,1.5,2,2-2.5,2.5-3,3-4,

4-6, 5(added in Nov 1996), 6-8,8-10,10-12,12-15,15-20,

20-30(added to ES-1 & ES-2 as 20-25 in April 1996 and modified to 20-30 in Nov 1996)}

Species

NAME OF VARIABLE

Bellow XXm left Bellow XXm right Point (pole) Canopy Intercept Interval XX Species Code

DEFINITION OF VARIABLE

Estimate per m2 of plant species on habitat type or canopy closure on the scale specified in Range (see bellow)

Estimate per m2 of plant species on habitat type or canopy closure on the scale specified in Range (see bellow)

5 points starting at middle of right side of plot ending at middle of left side of plot Indication of whethter any plant part of any species touches a pole at 14 intervals specified in Abbreviation (see above)  Six letter code: first 3 letters of the genus and first 3 letters of the species. (used by other projects as well)

UNIT

Percent class Percent class

Presence or absense  

PRECISION

+ or - one class + or - one class

   

RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES

0 = none

+ = <1% cover

1 = 1 - 5%

2 = 5 - 25%

3 = 25 - 50%

4 = 50 - 75%

5 = 75 -100%

0 = none

+ = <1% cover

1 = 1 - 5%

2 = 5 - 25%

3 = 25 - 50%

4 = 50 - 75%

5 = 75 -100%

1, …, 5

+ = present (touches)

0 = absent (no touches)

GggSss

Where Ggg = first three letters of the genus, and Sss = first 3 letters of the species 

DATA TYPE

Alphanumeric Alphanumeric Integer Alphanumeric Alphanumeric

MISSING DATA CODES

blank blank blank 0 = blank  

VARIABLES (ATTRIBUTES):

FILE NAME OR #ABOVE (all in which the variable appears)

4 4 4 4

ABBREVIATION (as it appears on the data file)

%Cover L %Cover R No.woody L No.woody R

NAME OF VARIABLE

Cover Class Left Cover Class Right Number of woody stems Left Number of woody stems Right

DEFINITION OF VARIABLE

Estimate per m2 of plant species on habitat type or canopy closure on the scale specified in Range (see bellow) Estimate per m2 of plant species on habitat type or canopy closure on the scale specified in Range (see bellow) Estimate per m2 of plant species on habitat type or canopy closure on the scale specified in Range (see bellow) Estimate per m2 of plant species on habitat type or canopy closure on the scale specified in Range (see bellow)

UNIT

Percent class Percent class Percent class Percent class

PRECISION

+ or - one class + or - one class + or - one class + or - one class

RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES

0 = none

+ = <1% cover

1 = 1 - 5%

2 = 5 - 25%

3 = 25 - 50%

4 = 50 - 75%

5 = 75 -100% 

0 = none

+ = <1% cover

1 = 1 - 5%

2 = 5 - 25%

3 = 25 - 50%

4 = 50 - 75%

5 = 75 -100% 

0 = none

+ = <1% cover

1 = 1 - 5%

2 = 5 - 25%

3 = 25 - 50%

4 = 50 - 75%

5 = 75 -100% 

0 = none

+ = <1% cover

1 = 1 - 5%

2 = 5 - 25%

3 = 25 - 50%

4 = 50 - 75%

5 = 75 -100% 

DATA TYPE

Alphanumeric Alphanumeric Alphanumeric Alphanumeric

MISSING DATA CODES

blank blank blank blank

VARIABLES (ATTRIBUTES):

FILE NAME OR #ABOVE (all in which the variable appears)

1-4 1

ABBREVIATION (as it appears on the data file)

   

NAME OF VARIABLE

Remarks Slope

DEFINITION OF VARIABLE

Field observations about the tree, plots, or any other field conditions Percent averaged over all plots, estimated to ±5°

UNIT

   

PRECISION

  ±5°

RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES

   10..40, blank

DATA TYPE

Alphanumeric Alphanumeric

MISSING DATA CODES

   

 COMPUTATIONAL METHODS:  
VARIABLE NAME FORMULA OR DESCRIPTION 
   

 

FOR DATA MANAGER USE ONLY

DATE OF LAST REVIEW:  February 9, 2008
DATE OF LAST ENTRY: 8/9/1989, 07/17/03, and 12/16/03...
STAGE OF DATA SET MANAGEMENT (dates):
RECEIVED: 1989
ENTERED: 1989
FILED ON-LINE: 2001
REVIEWED BY RESEARCHER: under constant review (twice a year)
FILING MEDIA:
NAME OF DOCUMENTATION FILE: lterdb36.htm
NAME OF ON - LINE CATALOG: LTERDBAS   
RECORD #: 36
DOCUMENT TYPE: magnetic media (also in paper)
PRIORITY TO BE ENTERED: first

Rev. date of this form: 8 June 2000