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:MON-EX-PRNWR-Salt-Marsh-Birds.02
Dataset Title:Census data on salt marsh birds using 100 m radius counting circles for the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
Investigator 1: 
First Name:Nancy
Last Name:Pau
Address line 1:Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
Address line 2:6 Plum Island Turnpike
Address line 3:
City:Newburyport
State:MA
Zip Code:01950
Country:USA
Associate Investigators:Robert Buchsbaum
Keywords:LTER, PIE, Plum Island Ecosystems, population dynamics, salt marsh birds, Massachusetts, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
Abstract:This file contains census data on salt marsh birds using 100 m radius counting circles for the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge from 2001-2009 using 100 m radius counting circles
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/MON/data/MON-EX-PRNWR-Salt-Marsh-Birds.dat
Data File Name MON-EX-PRNWR-Salt-Marsh-Birds
Beginning Date 6/28/2001
End Date 8/16/2009
Number of Data Records 3304
Other Files to Reference MON-EX-PRNWR-Breeding-Birds.xls; MON-EX-PRNWR-Volunteer-Birds.xls
Availability Status Type 1
Quality Control Information
Maintenance Description Data managed by USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC) staff as part of a large database on National Wildlife Refuges across the country.
Log of Changes: This replaces an earlier dataset that covered 1999-2001 (MON-EX-PRNWR-Salt-Marsh-Birds.01, knb-lter-pie.58.3) . PWRC considers this current dataset to be a more reliable estimation of bird numbers at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge than the previous dataset.
Version 02 created 22Feb2011.
 
RESEARCH LOCATION: Site 1 Site 2
Geographic Description Counting circles located on salt marsh habitats adjacent to Plum Island Sound and within the boundaries of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.  
Location Bounding Box    
West Bounding Coordinate -70.841  
East Bounding Coordinate -70.81  
North Bounding Coordinate 42.797  
South Bounding Coordinate 42.724  
OR if single point location    
Latitude    
Longitude    
Elevation    
     
     
 
TAXONOMIC COVERAGE:
Taxonomic Protocols Field identification of marsh birds to genus and species
Organisms studied
 
Methods:Standard breeding bird censuses with 100 m radius counting circles. Observing periods divided into 0-3 min, 3-5 min, and 5-10 minutes for comparison with other censuses. For 3-5 min period, only additional birds not recorded in the 0-3 period are recorded. For 5-10 min period, only additional birds not recorded in the 0-5 min period are recorded. Birds recorded either visually or by sound. Counting circle boundaries set a minimum of 200 m from each other. Observer distinguished between birds within 50 m of the center point, birds from 50-100 m, and those beyond 100 m. Counts carried out from late May through August over a three-year period. Placement of circles within vegetated salt marsh habitat.

NOTES AND COMMENTS:
Temperature inconsistently recorded
Variable description clarification-
Beaufort scale: whole numbers from 1-12 with increasing wind based on observations of trees, waves, etc. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale)

AlphaCode- Four-letter codes, based on English names, broadly following the rules and strategies adopted by the U.S. Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL), http://www.birdpop.org/AlphaCodes.htm.

Data Table

Variable Name Variable Description Units Measurement Scale Code Information Number Type DateTime Format Missing Value Code Missing Value Code Explanation
PtName Code name of individual counting circles   nominal         blank cell
SurveyDate The date of the survey   datetime     dd-mmm-yyyy   blank cell
SurveyTime Time EST, 24 hour   datetime     hh:mm   blank cell
Obs Name of person making observations   nominal         blank cell
TempC Temperature at beginning of survey (oC). A blank space indicates that no reading was taken degree interval   real     blank cell
Sky Estimation of the percent of cloud cover using National Weather Service sky codes percent ratio   real     blank cell
WindSp Estimation of wind speed using Beaufort Scale   ordinal 0=calm | 1=light air | 2=light breeze | 3=gentle breeze | 4=moderate breeze | 5=fresh breeze | 6=strong breeze | 7=moderate gale | 8=gale | 9=strong gale | 10=storm | 11=violent storm | 12=hurricane force       blank cell
AlphaCode AOU (American Ornithologists' Union) four letter code for that species, http://www.birdpop.org/AlphaCodes.htm   nominal         blank cell
Common name common species name   nominal         blank cell
Scientific name Genus and species name   nominal         blank cell
CtTotal sum of all birds counted on the marsh number ratio   whole     blank cell
PresAbsTotal sum of all birds on marsh + flyovers number ratio   whole     blank cell
date_created date of data entry   datetime     dd-mmm-yyyy   blank cell
NumBird_0_3min0_50m Number of individuals of that species seen within the 50 m counting circle during the first 3 minutes of entering the circle number ratio   whole     blank cell
NumBird_0_3min50_100m Number of individuals of that species seen or heard between 50 and 100 m within counting circle during the first 3 minutes of entering the circle. number ratio   whole     blank cell
NumBird_0_3minGt100 Number of individuals of that species seen outside the 100 m counting circle within the first 3 minutes of entering the circle number ratio   whole     blank cell
NumBird_3_5min0_50m Additional individuals seen within 50 m circle between 3-5 minutes of entering circle number ratio   whole     blank cell
NumBird_3_5min50_100m Additional individuals observed or heard from between 50 and 100 m within counting circle between 3-5 minutes of entering circle number ratio   whole     blank cell
NumBird_3_5minGt100 Additional individuals seen outside the 100m circle between 3-5 minutes of entering circle number ratio   whole     blank cell
NumBird_5_10min0_50m Additional individuals seen within 50 m circle between 5-10 minutes of entering circle number ratio   whole     blank cell
NumBird_5_10min50_100m Additional individuals observed or heard from between 50 and 100 m within counting circle between 5-10 minutes of entering circle number ratio   whole     blank cell
NumBird_5_10minGt100 Additional individuals seen outside the 100m circle between 5-10 minutes of entering circle number ratio   whole     blank cell
NumBird_Fly Birds observed flying over the circle during the 10 minute count but not included as part of the census number ratio   whole     blank cell