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:

L.L.Woolbright lwoolbright@lternet.edu
Eda C. Melendez-Colom emelendez@lternet.edu

DATA SET IDENTIFIER: Frog abundance infertilization plots

PROJECT TITLE: Frog Population Dynamics

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: El Verde Station, located in the tabonuco forest zone on the NW side of the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF), has hosted numerous scientific efforts since the 1960s. Thus, a great deal of information exists concerning anuran populations at the site over the past 30 years. Although past surveys did not use consistent techniques, they clearly document the general status of the anuran community of the area. I began working at El Verde in the 1970s and have collected data on the anuran community primarily in the 1980s and 1990s. Until recently, these surveys also lacked a consistent sampling protocol, although they clearly document declines in species richness in comparison to earlier records.

Most Puerto Rican Eleutherodactylus are terrestrial frogs that breed for prolonged periods of time in more or less continuous habitat. Because their life cycle lacks a free living larvae stage, reproductive behavior is not tied to bodies of water and they do not have the large aggregations typical of many aquatic breeders. For these reasons, assessing their population status requires examining fairly large areas of habitat. I began systematically sampling the anuran community on a 12 ha grid at the Bisley watersheds in 1989 and a second 16 ha grid at El Verde in 1993. These efforts have provided a comprehensive data set that can be used to evaluate future changes in the anuran community in this forest.

LTER CORE AREAS: (Annotate all that apply)  
Population Dynamics

LEF LTER 1 RESEARCH TOPIC: (Annotate all that apply)  
Spatial & temporal distribution of population 

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 Fertilization allBlocksdata.txt June 13, 1993  once June 27, 1993 

RESEARCH LOCATION: MRCE plots at El Verde site

INVESTIGATORS:

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS E-MAIL address

Larry Woolbright

Lwoolbright@siena.edu

OTHER RESEARCHERS E-MAIL address

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

Larry Woolbright

Lwoolbright@siena.edu

(518) 783-2440

SOURCE OF FUNDING (SPONSOR): NSF

DATA SET ABSTRACT: Population estimates and body sizes of E. coqui were collected on fertilization, litter removal, and control plots.

DATA SET METHODS: Mark-recapture. Adult coquies (725 mm SVL) were and measured with dial calipers. Each was toedipped, individually in some plots, by cohorts or others. Sex and reproductive condition were noted. Juveniles were counted.

REFERENCES:

CROSS-REFERENCES (other data sets related to this one): LTERDBAS25: Frog transect data, LTERDBAS30: Frog grid data (Bisley), LTERDBAS44: Frog population plots (El Verde + Bisley), LTERDBAS45: Frog spatial distribution data (El Verde + Bisley), LTERDBAS76: Frog abundance in fertilization plots, LTERDBAS150: Pattern morphology for frogs captured at 9 locations in northeastern Puerto Rico over a 25-year period from 1978 to 2002

SAMPLE LOCATION:

STORAGE SITES (of data files): ITES - UPR; Data Management File Cabinet DM-001- Drawer #1

INVESTIGATOR'S ASSIGNED KEYWORDS: Amphibia, Anura, leptodactylidae, Eleutherodactylus coqui, population density, demography, productivity

LEF LTER OFFICIAL KEYWORDS (See table): MRCE, TABONUCO, POPULATION DYNAMICS, AMPHIBIANS, PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL

PUBLICATIONS:
Woolbright, L.L. 1997. Local extinctions of anuran amphibians in the Luquillo Experimental Forest of Northeastern Puerto Rico. Journal of Herpetology 31(4):572-576.

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: N. BROKAW, A. LUGO

SITES DESCRIPTIONS:

Geographical positional system (GPS) Coordinates for each location:

location

latitude

longitude

 

VARIABLES (ATTRIBUTES):

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

1 1 1 1 1

ABBREVIATION (as it appears on the data file)

RECNUM MRCEBLOCKPLOT TREATMENT SEX FROGID

NAME OF VARIABLE

Record number MRCE Plot Block Number Treatment Sex of frog Frog ID (Identification)

DEFINITION OF VARIABLE

A number assigned by the LUQ infromation manager to facilitate data quality control and hte change of data file structure.. All records have a value in this field. MRCE fertilization plot plot identifier using the same nopnmenclature as the original MRCE proyect. Each contain the corresponding MRCE Proyect's data variable -Block-; a Roman number representing a 20x20 m square with 10x10 m inner measurement plots. Type of block treatment. The three treatments are , and Sex of captured frog, It is left blank if the sex could not be determined. This codes the reproductive status, pattern morph, and toc-clip of each animal marked. The codification is as follows: A1 2345 b where A represents the reproductive status: male - female; 1 represents a pattern morph ( 9- wild type mottled; 11-vertebral stripe; 16-dorsalatesal stripes; 5-spots; 6-interocular bar; 1-smooth monocolor; 2-5=toe numbers); the 4 digit represent the 4 feet (2-left hand; 3-right; 4-left foot; 5-each ranges from 1-4 where its left most toe and 4 is right most); b means thumbs;
Blank-is an optional and determined series representing no thumbs clipperd; T- is an optional and determined series meaning a tumb was found clipped on left foot
O-is an optional and determined series meaning a thumb was found clipped on right foot.

UNIT

         

PRECISION

         

RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES

1 to 2960 BLOCK I = block names I in the MRCE project; BLOCK II = block names II in the MRCE project; BLOCK III = block names III in the MRCE project. All records have a value in this field.

Fertilization = fertilized with a complete mixture of supplemental nutrients that are spread on the plots every three months; Litter Removal = plots in which all hurricane debris (and standing stocks of litter) was removed from the forest floor within one month of the hurricane; Control = plots in which no tratment is performed
(See LTERDBAS#111 for an explanation of these values). All records have a value in this field.

F = female, M = male

 

DATA TYPE

integer

alphabetical

alphabetical alphabetical alphanumeric

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)

DATE1 DATE2 DATE3 DATE4

NAME OF VARIABLE

Recapture data for day 1

Recapture data for day 2

Recapture data for day 3

Recapture data for day 4

DEFINITION OF VARIABLE

This shows whether each animal was seen on each night with an optional addition number shows reproductive state. Recapture data gathered on 06/14/1993 when blocknumber is Block Iand Treatment is Control; Recapture data gathered on 06/13/1993 when blocknumber is Block Iand Treatment is Litter Removal or Fertilization; Recapture data gathered on 06/7/1993 when blocknumber is Block II for all Treatment; Recapture data gathered on 06/22/1993 when blocknumber is Block III for all Treatment; When left blank, the frog was not captured. Note: a "c" was used in earlier data files for 1990. This shows whether each animal was seen on each night with an optional addition number shows reproductive state. Recapture data gathered on 06/17/1993 when blocknumber is Block Iand Treatment is Control; Recapture data gathered on 06/14/1993 when blocknumber is Block Iand Treatment is Litter Removal or Fertilization; Recapture data gathered on 06/8/1993 when blocknumber is Block II and Treatment is Control or Control New or Fertilization; Recapture data gathered on 06/9/1993 when blocknumber is Block II and Treatment is Litter Removal; Recapture data gathered on 06/23/1993 when blocknumber is Block III for all Treatment. This shows whether each animal was seen on each night with an optional addition number shows reproductive state. Recapture data gathered on 06/18/1993 when blocknumber is Block Iand Treatment is Control; Recapture data gathered on 06/17/1993 when blocknumber is Block Iand TREATMENT is Litter Removal or Fertilization; Recapture data gathered on 06/9/1993 when blocknumber is Block II and TREATMENT is Control or Control New; Recapture data gathered on 06/10/1993 when blocknumber is Block II and TREATMENT is Litter Removal or Fertilization; Recapture data gathered on 06/27/1993 when blocknumber is Block III for all Treatment. This shows whether each animal was seen on each night with an optional addition number shows reproductive state. Recapture data gathered on 06/20/1993 when blocknumber is Block Iand Treatment is Control; Recapture data gathered on 06/18/1993 when blocknumber is Block Iand Treatment is Litter Removal or Fertilization; Recapture data gathered on 06/10/1993 when blocknumber is Block II and Treatment is Control or Control New; Recapture data gathered on 06/18/1993 when blocknumber is Block II and Treatment is Litter Removal or Fertilization.

UNIT

       

PRECISION

       

RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES

X1 = frog was captured that night and sex uncertain; X2 = frog was captured that night with baggy throat if a male or eggs visible but small if female; X3 = frog was captured that night and found calling if male or with grand – large eggs visible if female.      

DATA TYPE

alphanumeric alphanumeric alphanumeric alphanumeric

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)

DATE5 BODYSIZE COMMENTS DATACOLLECTORS

NAME OF VARIABLE

Recapture data for day 5

Body size Sub-Total indicator Data collectorsm or observers

DEFINITION OF VARIABLE

This shows whether each animal was seen on each night with an optional addition number shows reproductive state. Recapture data gathered on 06/18/1993 when blocknumber is Block II and Treatment is Control or Control New. The body size from tip of snout to posterior tip of urostyle, taken with frog pressed flat against a notebook. Instrument measures to 0.1 mm sizes recorded to 0.5 mm measurement repeatable to ± 1.0 mm. Body sizes ranges from 25.0 (Arbitrary cut-off adult status) to largest posible sizes of 50mm + Indicates when values represents sub-totals Observers, people that obtained the data

UNIT

 

millimeter

   

PRECISION

       

RANGE OR LIST OF VALUES

  25 to 50    

DATA TYPE

alphanumeric

real

alphanumeric alphabetic

MISSING DATA CODES

       

COMPUTATIONAL METHODS:
Variable Name Formula



FOR DATA MANAGER USE ONLY

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: March 18, 2010
DATE OF LAST ENTRY: 1993

STAGE OF DATA SET MANAGEMENT (dates):
RECEIVED ENTERED: 1990

FILED ON-LINE: April 23, 2001

REVIEWED BY RESEARCHER

FILING MEDIA:
NAME OF DOCUMENTATION FILE: lterdb76.htm

NAME OF ON - LINE CATALOG: LTERDBAS

RECORD #: 76

DOCUMENT TYPE: paper and magnetic media

PRIORITY TO BE ENTERED:

Rev. date of this form: 8 June 2000