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:

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DATA SET IDENTIFIER: Bisley Tower (TOWER I) Meteorological Station

PROJECT TITLE: Meteorology and Hydrology at Bisley

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Several meteorological parameters are being measured at Bisley since 1993. Correlations between elevation and stream-runoff and rainfall, elevation and air and soil temperature, and between trhoughfall and vegetation types have been found. These relationships are used inhydrologic and nutrient budgets as well as in environmental models .

Rainfall and Stream-runoff

Long-term rainfall and discharge data from the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF) were analysed to develop relationships between rainfall, stream-runoff, and elevation. These relationships were then used with a Geographic Information System (GIS) to determine spatially-averaged, mean annual hydrologic budgets for watersheds and forest types within the study area. Model estimates indicate that a total of 3864 mm/yy (444 hm3) of rainfall falls on the forest in an average year. The Tabonuco, Colorado, Palm and Dwarf Forest types receive an estimated annual rainfall of 3537, 4191, 4167, and 4849 mm/yy, respectively. Of the average annual rainfall input, 65% (2526
mm/yr) is converted to runoff and the remainding 35% (1338 mm.yr) is lost from the system by evapotranspiration and other abstractions. In comparison to other tropical forests, the LEF as a whole has more evapotranspiration
than many tropical montane forests but less evapotranspiration than many
lowland tropical forests.

Throughfall

Changes in the quantity and quality of precipitation as it passes through vegetative cover are important components of both hydrologic and nutrient budgets.

Throughfall over any period depends on the balance between precipitation, evaporation and canopy storage (Horton, 1919; Leonard, 1967; Rutter et al., 1972). If the watershed is divided into different vegetation types based on similarity in throughfall and steamflow, the total throughfall over the watershed can be expressed as:

(1) Pg = Sum( T n A n )+ Sum (Sm Dm)

Where Pg = total throughfall reaching the ground, Tn = canopy throughfall from vegetation type n, An = area of vegetation type n, Sm = stemflow from stem type m and Dm = number of stems in type m.

Using eqn. (1) to estimate total watershed throughfall becomes a problem of determining the minimum number of vegetation types necessary to describe the system at the required level of accuracy. In one of our studies, measured throughfall was compared with actual canopy and stem conditions to estimate the percentages of throughfall for different time periods was calculated by weighting the average throughfall and stemflow measured in representative areas of each vegetation type by the total area of that vegetation group.

Measurements reported here were made in two of the Bisley Research Watershed of the U.S. Forest Service. These adjacent watersheds drain 13.0 ha of highly dissected mountainous terrain that range in elevation from 265 to 455 m. Both watersheds are covered by Tabonuco type forests and were selectively logged at various
times between 1860 and 1940 (Scatena, 1988).

The dominant tree in the watersheds in the Tabonuco ( Dacryodes excelsa ) which often comprises as much as 35% of the canopy ( Wadsworth, 1970). Structurally the forest has three dominant layers, a discontinuous emergent strata, a continuous upper stratum at 20 m, and an understory layer. Leaves are mesophyllous and often covered with epiphytic growth.

Air and Soil Temperature

The relationship between mean air temperature and elevation is a required parameter for some environmental
models such as Zelig. Mean air and soil temperature measurements of 10 sites located along a windward
elevation gradient from 153 to 1011 meters were used to develop relationships between mean air and soil temperature of and elevation. The regressions performed showed a linear relationship between both air and soil mean temperature and elevation. The equations:

(2) Mean Air Temperature (in C) = 26.4 -(0.00558 * elevation in meters) and

(3) Mean Soil Temperature (in C) = 25.6 - (0.00543 * elevation in meters)

best fit these relationships. The equation that best fits the mean soil temperature - elevation relationship includes all the stations. In contrast, the best equation for the mean air temperature - elevation relationship excluded both station located at Sabana.

LTER CORE AREAS: Annotate all that apply (See online list)

LEF LTER 1 RESEARCH TOPIC: (Annotate all that apply) (See online list)

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	Bisley Tower daily meteorological data	BisleyTower.txt	2/11/1993	Daily	ongoing

See Data Charts

RESEARCH LOCATION: Bisley Tower I located at Lat. 18.5 18' 51.893" N Lon. 65.5 44' 41.694" W, Altitude (sea level) 310.m

INVESTIGATORS:

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS	E-MAIL ADDRESS:
Fred Scatena	fscatena@lternet.edu

OTHER RESEARCHERS	E-MAIL ADDRESS:

CONTACT PERSONS	Phone Number (Include area code)	E-MAIL ADDRESS:
Fred Scatena	fscatena@lternet.edu	(215) 898-6907

SOURCE OF FUNDING (SPONSOR): International Institute of Tropical Forestry, Río Piedras, P.R., (IITF) - NSF LTER

DATA SET ABSTRACT: Electronic sensors are placed at the field location to support other activities.

DATA SET METHODS: For a detailed description of the program variables, its options and parameters refer to :
Campbell Scientific, Inc. 1989, PC208 Datalogger Support Software Instruction Manual. (Window version) Logan, Utah.
or call:
Campbell Scientific, Inc.
815 W. 1800 N.
LOGAN, UTAH 84321-1784
Tel. (801) 753-2342
Fax# (801) 750-9540
WEB SITE: http://www.campbellsci.com
E-MAIL: info@csius.com

REFERENCES:

SAMPLE LOCATION: N/A

STORAGE SITES(of data files): IITF Sabana Station, Luquillo, Puerto Rico; ITES, Data Manager's File DM-002 , Drawer #1

INVESTIGATOR'S ASSIGNED KEYWORDS: Bisley, weather climate, meteorology, meteorological monitoring, modeling

LEF LTER OFFICIAL KEYWORDS (See table): BISLEY TOWERS, TABONUCO, CLIMATE

PUBLICATIONS:
García-Martinó, A.R.*, G.S. Warner, F.N. Scatena, and D.L. Civco. 1996a. Rainfall, runoff, and elevation relationships in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico. Caribbean Journal of Science 32:413-424.

Scatena, F.N. and M.C. Larsen. 1991. Physical aspects of Hurricane Hugo in Puerto Rico. Biotropica 23:317-323.

Also see: Melendez-Colom, Eda C. 1999. Regression relationships of air temperature and elevation along an elevation gradient in the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF), Puerto Rico. http://luq.lternet.edu/data/lterdb90/data/bistempdata/Bis-temp.htm  

DISSEMINATION:

RESTRICTED ___ UNRESTRICTED _X__

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: Lat. 18.5 18' 51.893" N (Min: 18.5 18' 51.873"N; Max: 18.5 18' 51.906"N; Std Dev 0.320) Lon. 65.5 44' 41.694" W (Min: 65.5 44' 41.705"W; Min: 65.5 44' 41.683"W; Std Dev 0.168) Altitute (sea level) 310.341 m (Min: 308.866; Min: 311.542; Std Dev 0.715).

Geographical positional system (GPS) Coordinates for each location:

Note: From May 21 to June6, 2007, The Total Daily Radiation (TOTGLOBALRAD_MJOULPERDAY) was temporarily unavailable due to QA/QC procedures.

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COMPUTATIONAL METHODS:

FOR DATA MANAGER USE ONLY

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: April 3, 2008

DATE OF LAST ENTRY: December 31, 2006

STAGE OF DATA SET MANAGEMENT (dates):
RECEIVED:March 6, 1997
ENTERED: March 31, 1997
FILED ON-LINE: March 31, 1997
REVIEWED BY RESEARCHER:

FILING MEDIA:
NAME OF DOCUMENTATION FILE: lterdb90.htm
NAME OF DATA FILE: BITWDTDY.XLS; TOWELOG#.XLS; BIHRTWDT.XLS
NAME OF ON - LINE CATALOG: LTERDBAS
RECORD #: 90
DOCUMENT TYPE: digital 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