Plum Island Ecosystems LTER Database

Acceptance and utilization of LTER data requires that:

(1) The Principal Investigator be sent a notice stating reasons for acquiring any data and a description of the publication intentions.
(2) 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.
(3) A copy of any resultant publications should be sent to:

Principal Investigator
Ecosystems Center
Marine Biological Laboratory
7 MBL St.
Woods Hole, MA 02543

Dataset URLs:METADATA: HTML, Rich Text, XML(EML compliant)
DATA: Comma Delimited, Excel file with Metadata and data
Dataset ID:LTE-MP-NAC-biomassmeans.03
Dataset Title:Aboveground biomass data from control plots in a Spartina alterniflora-dominated salt marsh at Goat Island, North Inlet, Georgetown, SC.
Investigator 1: 
First Name:Jim
Last Name:Morris
Address line 1:Dept of Biological Sciences
Address line 2:
Address line 3:University of SC
City:Columbia
State:SC
Zip Code:29208
Country:USA
Investigator 2: 
First Name:Karen
Last Name:Sundberg
Address line 1:Baruch Marine Field Laboratory
Address line 3:PO Box 1630
City:Georgetown
State:SC
Zip Code:29442
Country:USA
Associate Investigators:Warren Hankinson
Keywords:LTER, PIE, Plum Island Ecosystems, South Carolina, North Inlet, primary production, estuary, salt marsh, Spartina alterniflora, aboveground biomass, Southeast United States
Abstract:Aboveground biomass is determined non-destructively at permanent, high marsh, control plots in a Spartina alterniflora-dominated salt marsh in North Inlet, Georgetown, SC.
Contact: Plum Island Ecosystems LTER Information Manager
The Ecosystems Center
Marine Biological Lab
7 MBL St
Woods Hole, MA 02543
Phone (508) 289 7485
Email: pie_im@mbl.edu
Online URL: http://ecosystems.mbl.edu/PIE/
DATA FILE INFORMATION:
Data File URL http://ecosystems.mbl.edu/PIE/data/MAR/data/LTE-MP-NAC-biomassmeans.csv
Data File Name LTE-MP-NAC-biomassmeans
Beginning Date 5/1/1984
End Date 12/31/2011
Number of Data Records 327
Other Files to Reference LTE-MP-LAC-biomassmeans; LTE-MP-LPC-biomassmeans
Availability Status type 1
Quality Control Information
Maintenance Description Collections occur approximately every month. Database is updated seasonally. Study and data collection are ongoing as of Jan 2012.
Log of Changes: Version 01; new data and metadata
Version 02; new data and metadata
Version 03: February 2, 2012, updated data and metadata to Dec 2011. Used MarcrosExportEML_HTML (working)pie_excel2007.xlsm 2/1/12 5:00 PM for QA/QC to EML 2.1.0
 
RESEARCH LOCATION: MAR-NI-PlotGIAlterniflora Site 2
Geographic Description Goat Island, North Inlet, Georgetown, SC; high marsh Spartina alterniflora plot level fertilization  
Location Bounding Box    
West Bounding Coordinate    
East Bounding Coordinate    
North Bounding Coordinate    
South Bounding Coordinate    
OR if single point location    
Latitude 33.3317  
Longitude -79.198  
Elevation    
     
     
 
TAXONOMIC COVERAGE:
Taxonomic Protocols
Organisms studied Spartina alterniflora
 
Methods:General:
This data set is part of an on-going project in a Spartina alterniflora-dominated marsh at the Baruch Marine Field Laboratory in North Inlet, Georgetown, SC.

Sampling Description:
The biomass-estimation method is non-destructive. Two permanent subplots were established in each of 3 control plots along a boardwalk. Each subplot is 10cmx10cm. Several plants in the subplots are tagged with bird ID bands. Approximately monthly, heights of the tagged plants and associated culms are measured to the nearest cm. 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 throughout the growing season. The plant census began in May 1984.

Data processing:
Plant data are entered first into an EXCEL spreadsheet, and eventually transferred to an ACCESS data base. Outputs from ACCESS are processed with two FORTRAN programs. The FORTRAN programs use algorithms to convert the ACCESS data outputs to plant weight, density, births, deaths and growth (Morris and Haskin, 1990). Fortran outputs are entered into SAS programs to calculate means.

References:
(Morris and Haskin, 1990. Ecology 71(6):2209-2217)
(SAS System for Windows; release 8.02; SAS Institute, Inc; Cary, NC)

Data Table

Variable Name Variable Description Units Measurement Scale Code Information Number Type DateTime Format Missing Value Code Missing Value Code Explanation
site name of sampling station   nominal          
year year   datetime     yyyy    
month month   datetime     mm    
mean biomass mean biomass, dry weight gramPerMeterSquared ratio   real   . .=not measured
stderr standard error of the mean biomass gramPerMeterSquared ratio   real   . .=not measured
comments Information pertaining to individual data points   nominal         blank cell