Aboveground biomass at control and fertilized plots in a Spartina patens-dominated marsh, Rowley River, Plum Island Ecosystem LTER, MA.

Summary

Short name:

LTE-MP-LPP-biomass

Abstract:

Aboveground biomass is determined destructively during the growing season at a Spartina patens salt marsh on the Rowley River within the Plum Island Ecosystems (PIE) LTER site.

Data set ID:

EML revision ID:

Published on EDI/LTER Data Portal

Citation Suggestion:

Morris, J., Sundberg, K. 2021. Aboveground biomass at control and fertilized plots in a Spartina patens-dominated marsh, Rowley River, Plum Island Ecosystem LTER, MA. Environmental Data Initiative. http://dx.doi.org/10.6073/pasta/e427507f5230b5497ed34cc7acf60a48

Core Areas:

Keywords:

Dates

Date Range:

Thursday, August 24, 2000 to Sunday, October 31, 2021

Publication Date:

Friday, November 12, 2021

People

Owner/Creator:

Jim Morris

Karen Sundberg

Project:

Plum Island Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research (PIE LTER IV, 2016-2022)

Downloads

Data sources:

LTE-MP-LPP-biomass_csv

LTE-MP-LPP-biomass_xls

Methodology

Purpose:

Methods:

General:
This data set is part of a study including three on-going plot-level fertilization sites. The first (LTE-MP-LPA) is in the low marsh at Law's Point along the Rowley River. The second (LTE-MP-LPP) is in the high marsh at Law's Point along the Rowley River. The third (LTE-MP-ORT) is in a brackish water marsh on an upstream tributary of the Parker River. Biomass sampling is slightly different at each site, and is accomplished non-destructively at the LTE-MP-LPA and LTE-MP-ORT sites, and destructively at the LTE-MP-LPP site. Biomass sampling at LTE-ME-ORTwas discontinued after August 2008.

At each site a system of boardwalks was built to incorporate 12 experimental plots (1m2 each). There are 4 treatments (three replicates each) within the boardwalk structure. The 4 treatments are Control, N-fertilized, P-fertilized, N+P fertilized. Additionally, at each site there are 3 control plots and 3 N+P fertilization plots external to the boardwalk structure. These external plots contain porewater samplers, and, in some cases, biomass census plots. In May 2006 the control porewater plots and control census plots at all three sites were moved because of potential contamination from fertilized plots.

Fertilizer is buried at several locations within each treated plot, monthly, from May-September. From 1999-2001 the annual fertilization rate was 30 molN/m2/y and 15 mol P/m2/y. From 2002 to present fertilization rate is 7.5 mol N/m2/y and/or 3.75 mol P/m2/y. N fertilizer was NH4NO3 through 2008, and currently is nitrate/urea/sulfate (34-0-0). P fertilizer is P2O5 (0-44-0).

Sampling Description:
The plant census method at LPP is destructive. One randomly placed 10x10 cm quadrat is clipped approximately monthly from May to October from each plot. Plants are clipped to 1 cm from the marsh surface and placed into a labelled plastic bag. Live and dead plants are separated, and live plants are separated species. Plants are placed into labelled paper bags, dried at 60C and weighed.

LPP census plots were established in August 2000. From 2000-2003, biomass was estimated for all 4 treatments. It is assumed that biomass was clipped from N plots and P plots within the boardwalk even though this was destructive. Biomass was not clipped from the C plots and NP plots within the boardwalk because these were also SET plots. Instead, 3 additional Control and 3 additional NP plots were established that were external to the boardwalk. Beginning in spring 2004, biomass was collected only from the external C and NP plots; biomass collection from the N plots and P plots was discontinued.

Data processing:
All data are entered into an Excel spreadsheet where mean treatment biomass in gdw/m2 are determined.

Maintenance:

Collections occur every month from May through October.
Database is updated once annually, usually in the winter. Study and data collection are ongoing as of Dec 2021.
Version 01: July 11, 2006 Level 3+ EML using Jim Laundre's Excel program
Version 02: January 10, 2007 data and metadata update
Version 03: March 12, 2008 Data and metadata update
Version 04: February 20, 2009 Data and metadata update
Version 05: January 13, 2010 Data and metadata update
Version 06: October 25, 2011 Data and metadata update
Version 07: January 12, 2012, 2011 data and metadata update, using MarcrosExportEML_HTML (working)pie_excel2007.xlsm 1/12/12 11:51AM for QA/QC to EML 2.1.0
Version 08: March 22, 2012 edited missing values for comment variable
Version 09: March 13, 2013, 2012 data and metadata updated to comply with importation to Drupal and LTER PASTA. Research location name and description updated.Used MarcrosExportEML_HTML (working)pie_excel2007.xlsm 3/13/13 12:42 PM for QA/QC to EML 2.1.0
Version 10: April 18, 2014, 2013 data and metadata updated to comply with importation to Drupal and LTER PASTA. Research location name and description updated.Used MarcrosExportEML_HTML (working)pie_excel2007_Sep2013.xlsm 9/30/13 02:57 PM for QA/QC to EML 2.1.0
Version 11: February 11, 2015, data and metadata updates to comply with importation to Drupal and LTER PASTA. Used MarcrosExportEML_HTML (working)pie_excel2007_Jan2015.xlsm 1/15/15 4:26 PM for QA/QC to EML 2.1.0
Version 12: February 24, 2016, data and metadata updates to comply with importation to Drupal and LTER PASTA. Used MarcrosExportEML_HTML (working)pie_excel2007_Jan2015.xlsm 1/15/15 4:26 PM for QA/QC to EML 2.1.0
Version 13: September 20, 2017, data and metadata updates to comply with importation to Drupal and LTER PASTA. Used MarcrosExportEML_HTML (working)pie_excel2007_Jun2017.xlsm 6/15/17 10:23 AM for QA/QC to EML 2.1.0
Version 14: June 22, 2018, data and metadata updated to comply with importation to Drupal and LTER PASTA. Used MarcrosExportEML_HTML (working)pie_excel2007_Jan2018.xlsm 6/21/2018 3:53 PM for QA/QC to EML 2.1.0
Version 15: February 15, 2019, data and metadata updates to comply with importation to DEIMS7 and LTER Data Portal. Used MarcrosExportEML_HTML (working)pie_excel2007_Jan2018.xlsm 6/21/18 3:53 PM for QA/QC to EML 2.1.0
Version 16: October 2, 2020, data and metadata updates to comply with importation to DEIMS7 and LTER Data Portal. Used MarcrosExportEML_HTML (working)pie_excel2007_Sep2020.xlsm 9/17/20 1:11 PM for QA/QC to EML 2.1.0.
Version 17: July 26, 2021, data and metadata updates to comply with importation to DEIMS7 and LTER Data Portal. Used MarcrosExportEML_HTML (working)pie_excel2007_Jul2021.xlsm 7/26/2021 9:04 AM for QA/QC to EML 2.1.0.
Version 18: 12 November 2021, New data and metadata. Used MarcrosExportEML_HTML (working)pie_excel2007_Jul2021.xlsm 7/26/2021 9:04 AM for QA/QC to EML 2.1.0.

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