uid=PIE,o=lter,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org all public read LTE-MP-LAC-elevationmeans.03 Plum Island Ecosystems LTER Program Jim Morris

Dept of Biological Sciences University of SC Columbia SC 29208 USA

Plum Island Ecosystems LTER Program Karen Sundberg

Baruch Marine Field Laboratory University of SC PO Box 1630 Georgetown SC 29442 USA

Plum Island Ecosystems LTER Program

The Ecosystems Center Marine Biological Lab 7 MBL St Woods Hole MA 02543 USA

(508) 289 7485 pie_im@mbl.edu http://ecosystems.mbl.edu/PIE/ Rob Daoust additional investigator 2006 A Surface Elevation Table (SET) is used to measure changes in the elevation of the marsh platform at a Spartina alterniflora-dominated marsh on the Rowley River in the Plum Island Ecosystem (PIE) LTER site, MA. LTER PIE Plum Island Ecosystems Massachusetts Rowley River disturbance organic matter estuary salt marsh Spartina alterniflora elevation surface elevation table (SET) sedimentation erosion table (SET) Northeast United States Acceptance and utilization of PIE-LTER data requires that: The Principal Investigator be sent a notice stating reasons for acquiring any data and a description of the publication intentions. The Principal Investigator of the data set be sent a copy of the report or manuscript prior to submission and be adequately cited in any resultant publications A copy of any resultant publications should be sent to: Principal Investigator Ecosystems Center Marine Biological Laboratory Woods Hole, MA 02543 http://ecosystems.mbl.edu/PIE/data/MAR//LTE-MP-LAC-elevationmeans.html Law's Point on Rowley River, Rowley, MA, site of Spartina alterniflora plot level fertilization. -70.842472 -70.842472 42.731742 42.731742 1999-06-01 2011-10-31 Organisms Studied Genus Spartina Species alterniflora Collections occur approximately every month from May through October. Database is updated once annually, usually in the winter. Study and data collection are ongoing as of Jan 2012. Version 01; new data and metadata Version 02; new data and metadata Version 03: February 2, 2012, updated data and metadata to Oct 2011. Used MarcrosExportEML_HTML (working)pie_excel2007.xlsm 2/1/12 5:00 PM for QA/QC to EML 2.1.0 Data Manager

The Ecosystems Center Marine Biological Lab 7 MBL St Woods Hole MA 02543 USA

(508) 289 7485 pie_im@mbl.edu http://ecosystems.mbl.edu/PIE/ Plum Island Ecosystems LTER

The Ecosystems Center Marine Biological Lab 7 MBL St Woods Hole MA 02543 USA

(508) 289 7485 pie_im@mbl.edu http://ecosystems.mbl.edu/PIE/ General: This data set is part of an on-going LTER project at the Plum Island Ecosystem (PIE) site. The sampling location is in a Spartina alterniflora-dominated marsh at Law's Point between the Rowley River and West Creek in Rowley MA. Sampling Description: Triplicate original-style SET stations were installed in the marsh in June 1999. Each SET consists of a permanently installed benchmark post and a removable arm. The arm has a vertical and a horizontal component. The vertical component fits into the SET benchmark post; the horizontal component reaches out over an experimental subplot and has a square plate at the end through which 9 pins are lowered. Each SET post is associated with two adjacent plots (one control, one NP fertilized; only the control data are included here). Each plot has three subplots. Therefore, each SET benchmark post is positioned such that 27 elevation readings can be taken in each plot (9 readings in 3 subplots). Plots are numbered. Subplots are identified as L, C, or R for left, center and right, when facing the plot (back to the SET post). To measure elevations, the SET arm is locked in place over each subplot, is leveled, and the 9 brass pins are lowered to touch the sediment surface and held in place with a clip. Pin heights are measured from the top of the nut on the plate to the top of the pin, and read into a digital recorder. The recordings are transcribed into one master SET pin height data set. Change in marsh elevation is determined by subtracting pin height at time X from the mean pin height for the subplot at time 0. SET readings occur approximately monthly, from May-October. The horizontal portion of the removable part of the PIE LTER SET can be correctly installed and leveled in several positions: the arm can be extended all the way forward, all the way back, and anywhere in between. All SET measurements are made with the arm all the way back, i.e. with the plate being as close to the SET post as possible and the SET arm being as short as possible. The SET was manufactured by Nolan’s Machine Shop in Lafayette LA; 337-235-5261. Replacement pins or collars can be purchased from Nolan’s. Stainless steel parts (roll pins etc) come from McMaster-Carr. Measuring pins are held in place with badge clips, available at office supply stores. Data Processing: Data are transcribed from a digital recorder to an Excel spreadsheet. Change in marsh elevation is determined by subtracting pin height at time X from the mean pin height for the subplot at time 0. SAS programs are used to determine treatment means and standard error for each month. (SAS System for Windows; release 9.1; SAS Institute, Inc; Cary, NC) Anne Giblin

The Ecosystems Center Marine Biological Lab 7 MBL St Woods Hole MA 02543 USA

(508) 289 7488 agiblin@mbl.edu Lead PI Hap Garritt

The Ecosystems Center Marine Biological Lab 7 MBL St Woods Hole MA 02543 USA

(508) 289 7485 pie_im@mbl.edu Information Manager The Plum Island Ecosystems (PIE) LTER is an integrated research, education and outreach program whose goal is to develop a predictive understanding of the long-term response of watershed and estuarine ecosystems at the land-sea interface to changes in climate, land use and sea level. The principal study site is the Plum Island Sound estuary, its coupled Parker, Rowley and Ipswich River watersheds and the adjacent coastal ocean, the Gulf of Maine. The PIE LTER focuses on how several aspects of global change influence organic matter and inorganic nutrient biogeochemistry and estuarine foodwebs. The inputs of organic matter and nutrients from land, ocean and marshes interact with the external drivers (climate, land use, river discharge, sea level) to dictate the extent and degree of nutrient and organic matter processing and determine the spatial patterns of estuarine productivity and trophic structure. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants OCE-9726921, OCE-0423565. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. The Plum Island Ecosystems (PIE) LTER site, is located in northeastern Massachusetts, 42.72 N, 70.85 W. The PIE LTER lies at the interface of a thinly soiled, formerly glaciated New England land mass and the highly productive Gulf of Maine. Three watersheds comprise the estuarine drainage basin: Parker (155 km2), Rowley (26 km2) and Ipswich (404 km2). The Ipswich River watershed is highly urbanized with Boston "bedroom" communities encroaching in the headwater region while the Parker is less urbanized and retains a higher proportion of forest. -71.2198 -70.7568 42.8276 42.4965 0 100 meter LTE-MP-LAC-elevationmeans.csv Marsh surface elevation data from control plots in a Spartina alterniflora-dominated salt marsh at Law's Point, Rowley River, Plum Island Ecosystem (PIE) LTER, MA. LTE-MP-LAC-elevationmeans.csv 1 \r\n column , http://ecosystems.mbl.edu/PIE/data/MAR/data/LTE-MP-LAC-elevationmeans.csv site site name of sampling station name of sampling station year year year yyyy month month month mm elev change elev change mean change in elevation centimeter real . .=not measured stderr stderr standard error of the mean centimeter real . .=not measured comments comments Information pertaining to individual data points Information pertaining to individual data points