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:
| D.J. Lodge | DJLodge@coqui.net |
|
Eda C. Melendez-Colom |
DATA SET IDENTIFIER: Regeneration after Hurricane Hugo, woody species > 10 cm tall (9Ha grid, El Verde) (9Ha Plots Small Data Set)
PROJECT TITLE: Seedling and Sapling Dynamics
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Studies of seedlings and saplings are and have been conducted on several landslides and plots on the LEF. The primary purposes are to study seedling recruitment and seedling and sapling growth and the effect of hurricane disturbance (specifically Hugo) on these processes as related to the degree of canopy disturbance, and the temporary reduction in shade from the defoliation of the canopy under distinct soil conditions.
9Ha Study
The primary purpose of this study is to look at seedling recruitment, and the growth of seedlings and saplings as it relates to the degree of canopy disturbance caused by Hurricane Hugo. Although all trees down to 1-cm dbh will eventually be identified and measured for the separate 16-ha grid project, the smallest trees will not be measured for at least a year, and seedling will not be included in the 16-ha grid program. The seedling/sapling plots in the 9-ha grid will allow us to follow early responses of seedlings and saplings to increased light. Tree maps for the 16-ha grid which will encompass the 9-ha grid) will eventually be used to determine the proximity of seed-source trees to each plot.
Treefall Pits Study
In this study, I compared seedling and sapling dynamics in soil pits and undisturbed forest floor, were both environment has experienced a temporary reduction in shade from the defoliation of the canopy during Hurricane Hugo (September 1989) but had soil conditions that were distinct. Soil pits were chosen as the microsite within the treefall gap most likely to differ in soil characteristics from the adjacent forest and most likely to alter plant establishment patterns. Soil mounds, important sites of establishment in some temperate forests (Webb 1999), erode quickly under the high rainfall conditions in Puerto Rico and were not considered in this study. I asked the following questions: (1) how does the soil physical environment differ between the soil pit and the forest floor?; (2) do tree species that have N-fixing symbionts influence soil nutrients or species composition of colonizers?, and (3) what are the consequences of uprooting and defoliation for populations of seedlings and saplings and for tree recruitment?
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): only one
|
Data File No. |
Data File Identifier |
On-Line Filename |
Starting Date |
Periodicity of sample |
End Period |
| 1 | Regeneration after Hurricane Hugo of all woody species greater than 10m in lenght in O.5 x 2m plots in the 9Ha grid at El Verde |
9hsmall.txt | June 6, 1990 | every 6 months | November 1, 1994 |
RESEARCH LOCATION: El Verde, LEF
INVESTIGATORS:
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS E-MAIL address
|
Nicholas V. Brokaw |
OTHER RESEARCHERS E-MAIL address
|
B. Haines |
|
| D.J. Lodge | DJLodge@coqui.net |
| L. Walker | walker@nevada.edu |
CONTACT PERSONS E-MAIL address Phone Number (Include area code)
|
L. Walker |
758-4523 |
SOURCE OF FUNDING (SPONSOR): LTER - NSF
DATA SET ABSTRACT: Purpose is to document vegetation damage and recovery following Hurricane Hugo
DATA SET METHODS: All woody specie >10 cm tall in O.5 x 2m plot tagged and height and basal diameter measured every 6 months (see detailed protocol).
Summary of Plot Establishment:
Sixty 2x2 m seedling and sapling plots were established during May of 1990 in the 9-ha grid by Francisco Calderon and Eduardo Flores. Plots are associated with appoximately every other grid pole, as described in the separate protocol instructions. Plots are representative of habitat frequencies, topographic locations and aspect, but plots with > 50% bare boulders, stream beds or trails were rejected. The corners of each plot are marked with 2 1/2 foot long PVC poles with fuchsia pink tops. Nylon string was tied around the perimeter. The inner corner of the plot is set 1+1 m away (usually N and E) from the grid pole to avoid foot traffic, and is marked with an aluminum tag saying: Brokaw 9-ha seed/sap plot, LTER, June 1990 plus the grid pole number. A 1/2 x 2m seedling subplot has been marked with nylon cord, beginning at the inner corner and oriented N-S. Flagging leading to plots is orange.
REFERENCES:
CROSS-REFERENCES (other data sets related to this one): LTERDBAS 37: Regeneration after Hurricane Hugo, woody species > 10 cm tall (9Ha grid, El Verde) (9Ha Plots Small Data Set); LTERDBAS 38: Regeneration after Hurricane Hugo, woody species > 1 m tall (9Ha grid, El Verde) (9Ha Plots Large Data Set); LTERDBAS 39: Regeneration after Hurricane Hugo woody species > 1m tall (9ha grid, El Verde)(Wood fall from Hurricane Hugo 9Ha Grid) (9Ha Plots Wood Data Set); LTERDBAS 40: Regeneration after Hurricane Hugo woody species > 1m tall (9ha grid, El Verde) Percent cover below 3m (9 ha grid, El Verde); LTERDBAS 113: Seedling and sapling dynamics of treefall pits and undisturbed florest floor in El Verde, Puerto Rico
SAMPLE LOCATION: N/A
STORAGE SITES (of data files): Terrestrial Ecology, CEER, Data Mngr.'s Cabinet DM333-01, Drawer #1, on floppy
INVESTIGATOR'S ASSIGNED KEYWORDS: hurricane damage; forest recovery; LTER; revegetation
LEF LTER OFFICIAL KEYWORDS (See table): 9HA GRID, TABONUCO, HURRICANE, TREEFALL, TREES, PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL
PUBLICATIONS:
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 |
|
FILE NAME OR #ABOVE (all in which the variable appears) |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
ABBREVIATION (as it appears on the data file) |
TransectPlot | SpeciesCode | TagID | StartDate |
|
NAME OF VARIABLE |
Transect-plot identifier | Species Code | Tag Identifier | Starting Date |
|
DEFINITION OF VARIABLE |
Sixty 2x2 m seedling and sapling plots, associated with appoximately every other grid pole and representative of habitat frequencies, topographic locations and aspect (Format: A#: {A,...,K}{1,...,11}) | A six letter code consisting of the first three letters of the genus and the first threee letters of the species | All woody species greater than 10 cm in height in the 1/2 X 2 mm subplot (excluding vines but including palms) tagged with orange flagging tape at the stem base. The seedling number sequence in each plot begins with 1 and goes as high as 1000. A palm is included if the leaflets reach 10 cm or more in height. An aluminum tag is added if the plant reaches 1 m in height. | First day of measurements conducted in the survey |
|
UNIT |
||||
|
PRECISION |
||||
|
RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES |
6/6/90,...,11/1/94 | |||
|
DATA TYPE |
alphabeticnumeric | alphabetic | alphabeticnumeric | datetime |
|
MISSING DATA CODES |
VARIABLES (ATTRIBUTES):
|
FILE NAME OR #ABOVE (all in which the variable appears) |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
ABBREVIATION (as it appears on the data file) |
Height | BasalDiam | 10cmHt | Comment |
|
NAME OF VARIABLE |
Seedling Height | Seedling Basal Diameter (dbh) | Number of woody seedlings less than 10 cm tall | Remarks |
|
DEFINITION OF VARIABLE |
Measured along the longest stem axis in non-palms. For shrubs that branch at the base, each stem greater than 1 m tall receives a separate tag, each bearing the same plant number but differentiated by the addition of a unique letter (eg. 42A, 42 B, and 42C). Palm height recorded as the height of the tallest palm leaflets / the height of bifulcation of the newest leaf bases. | Mesured with calipers above any basal swelling. Switch to measure dbh when the plant grows 1 cm dbh. The first time dbh is measured, both basal diameter and dbh are recorded and stem is painted just bellow the dbh measurement point. | Number of woody seedlings less than10 cm tall recorded by species within the .5 X 2 m subplot | Remarks about phenology (flowering, fruiting), herbivory, stem damage, etc. |
|
UNIT |
centimeter | centimeter | number | |
|
PRECISION |
.1 | .1 | ||
|
RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES |
||||
|
DATA TYPE |
decimal | decimal | integer | alphanumeric |
|
MISSING DATA CODES |
blank | blank | blank | blank |
FOR DATA MANAGER USE ONLY
DATE
OF LAST REVIEW:
June 19, 2008
DATE OF LAST ENTRY:
STAGE OF DATA SET MANAGEMENT (dates):
RECEIVED 1991
ENTERED: FILED
ON-LINE 2000
REVIEWED BY RESEARCHER 1999
FILING MEDIA:
NAME OF DOCUMENTATION FILE: lterdb37.htm
NAME OF DATA FILE:
NAME OF ON - LINE CATALOG: LTERDBAS
RECORD #: 37
DOCUMENT TYPE: data set (magnetic media)
PRIORITY TO BE ENTERED: second
Rev. date of this form: 8 June 2001