LUQ DATA SET METADATA

Long-Term
Ongoing

Data Files and Variables

Data File Identifier Data File Collected
Vegetation profile and canopy height of cloud from before Hurricane Hugo
text/plain iconCLOUD-B.txt
 08/01/1989
Vegetation profile and canopy height of cloud after Hurricane Hugo 1
text/plain iconCLOUD-A1.txt
 11/01/1989
Vegetation profile and canopy height of cloud after Hurricane Hugo 2
text/plain iconCLOUD-A2.txt
 04/01/1991
Vegetation profile and canopy height of cloud after Hurricane Hugo 3
text/plain iconCLOUD-A3.txt
 01/01/1993
Vegetation profile and canopy height of cloud after Hurricane Hugo 4
text/plain iconCLOUD-A4.txt
 10/01/1994
Vegetation profile and canopy height of cloud after Hurricane Hugo 5
text/plain iconCLOUD-A5.txt
 09/01/2009
Vegetation profile and canopy height of colorado from before Hurricane Hugo
text/plain iconCOLOR-B.txt
 06/01/1989
Vegetation profile and canopy height of colorado after Hurricane Hugo 1
text/plain iconCOLOR-A1.txt
 01/01/1990
Vegetation profile and canopy height of colorado after Hurricane Hugo 2
text/plain iconCOLOR-A2.txt
 05/01/1991
Vegetation profile and canopy height of colorado after Hurricane Hugo 3
text/plain iconCOLOR-A3.txt
 01/01/1993
Vegetation profile and canopy height of colorado after Hurricane Hugo 4
text/plain iconCOLOR-A4.txt
 10/01/1994
Vegetation profile and canopy height of colorado after Hurricane Hugo 5
text/plain iconCOLOR-A5.txt
 05/01/1998
Vegetation profile and canopy height of cloud after Hurricane Hugo 5
text/plain iconCOLOR-A6.txt
 01/01/2011
Vegetation profile and canopy height of tabonuco from before Hurricane Hugo
text/plain iconTABON-B.txt
 05/01/1989
Vegetation profile and canopy height of tabonuco after Hurricane Hugo 1
text/plain iconTABON-A1.txt
 10/01/1989

Measurements:

Site of measurement
Point of measurement
Presence or absence of vegetation within the 0 to 0.5m height interval
Presence or absence of vegetation within the 0.5 to 1m height interval
Presence or absence of vegetation within the 1 to 1.5m height interval
Presence or absence of vegetation within the 1.5 to 2.0m height interval
Presence or absence of vegetation within the 2.0 to 2.5m height interval
Presence or absence of vegetation within the 2.5 to 3m height interval
Presence or absence of vegetation within the 3 to 4m height interval
Presence or absence of vegetation within the 4 to 6m height interval
Presence or absence of vegetation within the 6 to 8m height interval
Presence or absence of vegetation within the 8 to 10m height interval
Presence or absence of vegetation within the 10 to 12m height interval
Presence or absence of vegetation within the 12 to 15m height interval
Presence or absence of vegetation within the 15 to 20m height interval
Presence or absence of vegetation within the 20 to 25m height interval
Presence or absence of vegetation from the 25m height limit or higher
maximum tree height
midpoint of the highest class recorded

Project

21
Vegetation profile and canopy height of Tabonuco, Colorado and Cloud Forests

Research Sites:

El Verde Research Area 9Ha plots treefall gaps
El Toro/Tradewinds Trail in Palo Colorado forest at headwaters of the Espiritu Santo Brokaw plot
Pico del Este Dwarf Forest

Abstract

The overall height and the presence of vegetation in different height intervals above ground is recorded above points on a 5 x 5 m grid in three hectare-sized plots in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. One plots each is in tabonuco forest (350 m elevation), colorado forest (650 m) and cloud forest (1000 m). The first records were made shortly before Hurricane Hugo, in 1989. Post hurricane measurements have been made five time to six time in each plot, the most recent been in 1998 for all plots. The results show the damage to forest structure wreaked by Hurricane Hugo, steady recovery of forest structure after Hugo, minor damage by Hurricane Hortense in 1996, and resumption of recovery after Hortense. Maximum canopy height and the vertical distribution of vegetation in the forests are returning to pre-hurricane Hugo values.

Methods:

Vegetation heigh profile and canopy heights are being constructed from data taken on 5 x 5 m grid systems in the tabonuco forest (in the southwest corner of the 9 ha grid at El Verde), colorado forest (a couple of hundred meters from theshelter nearest the eastern end of the Tradewinds Trail), and in cloud forest (near the trail leading to the plane reck on the Pico del Oeste). The tabonuco grid is 1.08 ha, with 475 grid points; the others are one ha. each, with 451 grid points each. The presence or absence of vegetation (leaves or wood) within height intervals along vertical line above each point in the grid is recorded. Vegetation "hits" on the line are recorded with a pole held vertically and marked at 0.5 m intervals to 3.0 m. The height of the vegetation above 3.0 m is estimated, and checked with an "optical tapemeasure".

List of Publications:

Forest structure before and after Hurricane Hugo at three elevations in the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico

Owner:

Nicholas Brokaw

Contact(s):

Nicholas Brokaw

Researcher's Keywords:

tabonuco forest
colorado forest
Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF)
Luquillo
Puerto Rico
Greater Antilles
Caribbean
Sites
Sites Projects Programs
canopy height
Forest Structure
Habitat Forest-structure

LTER Vocab Keywords:

canopies
substrates

LTER Core Area(s):

primary production

Complete Metadata:

more