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 > 1m tall (9ha grid, El Verde) Percent cover below 3m (9 ha grid, El Verde)
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):
|
Data File No. |
Data File Identifier |
On-Line Filename |
Starting Date |
Periodicity of sample |
End Period |
|
1 |
Wood fall from Hurricane Hugo – 9ha Grid |
June 6, 1990 |
Twice in Dec 17 1990; |
Nov 5, 1993 |
RESEARCH LOCATION: Nine hectare grid located at El Verde, LEF
INVESTIGATORS:
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS E-MAIL address
| Nick Brokaw | nbrokaw@lternet.edu |
OTHER RESEARCHERS E-MAIL address
| Lawrence Walker | Lwalker@lternet.edu |
| D. Jean Lodge | Jlodge@lternet.edu |
| Bruce Haines | Bhaines@lternet.edu |
CONTACT PERSONS E-MAIL address Phone Number (Include area code)
| Nick Brokaw | nbrokaw@lternet.edu | (787)767-0350 |
SOURCE OF FUNDING (SPONSOR): LTER-NSF
DATA SET ABSTRACT: Purpose was to document vegetation damage and recovery following Hurricane Hugo.
DATA SET METHODS:
Visual estimate of cover of the various
parameters
Habitat Measurements:
Cover:
Percent cover is projected from 3 m height downward. Cover classes are: 0 (none),
+ (>0-1%; < 20 x 20 cm), 1(2% - 5%; > 20 x 20 cm but < 44 x 44 cm), 2
(6%-25%;> 44 x 44 cm but < 1 m2), 3 (26% - 50%; > 1 m2 but < 2 m2), 4
(51% - 75%; > 2 m2 but 3 m2), and 5 (76% - 100%; > 3 m2 to 4
m2). Cover is estimated for variables that could affect the growth
or recruitment of woody plants, ie.:
1. Rocks (and boulders)
2. Leaf litter (including dead palm fronds and all downed leaves)
3. Twigs (<1 cm diam.)
4. Live trunks (> 20 cm diam. leaning or fallen over the plot)
5. Live tree canopy (excluding palms, see #8).
6. Dead tree canopy (includes suspended brach-falls)
7. Ferns
8. Grasses
9. Vines
10. Palm fronds (live leaves, excluding basal area of stem)
11. Other (comments and significant cover not included above) Slope is measured
in degrees (right-hand scale) using inclinometers attached to a quarter-meter
square frame. The
measurement is taken with the frame placed near the middline of the plot, looking
uphill.
Aspect is recorded in degrees, facing downhill from the top of the plot.
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): ITES – UPR Data Mngr.'s Cabinet DM 333-01, Drawer #1
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: J. ZIMMERMAN, A. LUGO , D.J. LODGE
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 | 1 | 1 |
|
ABBREVIATION (as it appears on the data file) |
Transect | Plot | Start Date | Slope | Aspect | parameters = {Rock, Bare Soil, Leaf Litter, Twig Litter, Live Trunk, Dead Trunk, Live Tree Canopy, Dead Tree Canopy, Ferns, Grass, Vines, Palm Leafs, Topo} |
|
NAME OF VARIABLE |
Transect identifier | Plot identifier | Starting Date | Slope of plot | Aspect of plot | Visual estimate of cover of the various parameters |
|
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, | First day of measurements conducted in the survey | measured using inclinometers attached to a quarter-meter square frame, with the frame placed near the middline of the plot, looking uphill | aspect recorded facing downhill from the top of the plot |
Percent cover projected from 3 m height downward, estimated for variables that could affect the growth or recruitment of woody plants | |
|
UNIT |
mm/dd/yy | degrees
(right-hand scale) |
degrees | |||
|
PRECISION |
||||||
|
RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES |
{A,...,K} | {1,...,11} | 6/6/90,...,11/5/93 | {0,...45} | {0,...358} | 0
(none), + (>0-1%; < 20 x 20 cm), 1(2% - 5%; > 20 x 20 cm but < 44
x 44 cm), 2 (6%-25%;> 44 x 44 cm but < 1 m2), 3 (26% - 50%; > 1 m2 but
< 2 m2), 4 (51% - 75%; > 2 m2 but 3 m2), and 5 (76% - 100%; > 3 m2 to
4 m2) |
|
DATA TYPE |
alphabetic | integer | date | integer | integer | integer class |
|
MISSING DATA CODES |
COMPUTATIONAL METHODS:
| Variable Name | Formula |
|
|
|
FOR DATA MANAGER USE ONLY
DATE OF LAST REVIEW: May 5, 2005
DATE OF LAST ENTRY: 1990
STAGE OF DATA SET MANAGEMENT (dates):
RECEIVED ENTERED: Sep 10, 1991
FILED ON-LINE REVIEWED BY RESEARCHER: Sep 10, 1991
Jan 24 1991 (J.Lodge)
FILING MEDIA:
NAME OF DOCUMENTATION FILE: lterdb40.htm
NAME OF ON - LINE CATALOG: LTERDBAS
RECORD #: 40
DOCUMENT TYPE: magnetic media
PRIORITY TO BE ENTERED: second
Rev. date of this form: 25 January 2001