salt marshes

Aboveground biomass data from a Spartina alterniflora-dominated salt marsh plots in North Inlet, Georgetown, SC.

Abstract: 

Aboveground biomass is determined non-destructively at permanent plots in a Spartina alterniflora-dominated salt marsh in North Inlet, Georgetown, SC. There are five sites. Two sites are low marsh; three sites are high marsh. One site in the high marsh is fertilized with nitrogen and phosphorus.

Core Areas: 

Data set ID: 

120

Keywords: 

Short name: 

LTE-MP-NIN-biomass

Purpose: 

 

Data sources: 

LTE-MP-NIN-biomass_csv
LTE-MP-NIN-biomass_xls

Methods: 

Sampling Description:
The plant census method is non-destructive.  Duplicate sampling quadrats (10cmx10cm, 10cmx15cm or 20cmx20cm) are permanently installed within triplicate m2 plots at each of five sites on the marsh platform in North Inlet, SC.  Three plots at one of the sites are fertilized every other month with NH4NO3 and P2O5 for a final annual application rate of 26.7 mol N/m2/y and 12.3 mol P/m2/y.  Plants within each sampling quadrat are tagged with bird ID bands, and plant heights are measured approximately monthly.  Plant heights are read into a digital recorder.  Descriptions of the locations of the plants within the quadrat are also recorded (e.g. northwest corner or northwest of tag #xxxx).  Plant measurements are always taken with the observer on the same side of the quadrat for ease in tracking plants. 

Numerical Processing:
Plant measurements are entered into an ACCESS database, then transformed to biomass using allometric equations (Morris and Haskin, 1990.  Ecology 71(6):2209-2217) and Fortran programs.   SAS (SAS System for Windows; release 8.02; SAS Institute, Inc; Cary, NC) is used for further analyses.

Elevation:
LTE-MP-NIN-GIHM, ~ 0.5 meters NAVD88
LTE-MP-NIN-GILM, ~ 0.2 meters NAVD88
LTE-MP-NIN-OLHM, ~ 0.4 meters NAVD88
LTE-MP-NIN-OLLM, ~ 0.3 meters NAVD88

Maintenance: 

Collections occur every month. Database is updated once annually, usually in the winter.

Study and data collection are ongoing as of Jan 2017.
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 14, 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 3/14/13 12:02 PM for QA/QC to EML 2.1.0
Version 09: April 21, 2014, 2013 data and metadata updated to comply with importation to Drupal and LTER PASTA.Used MarcrosExportEML_HTML (working)pie_excel2007_Sep2013.xlsm 9/30/13 02:57 PM for QA/QC to EML 2.1.0
Version 10: February 10, 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 11: 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 12: 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

Additional information: 

 

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - salt marshes