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:HTL-SO-BIRD.01
Dataset Title:Averages of the three highest counts per decade for selected birds in Plum Island Sound.
Investigator 1: 
First Name:Robert
Last Name:Buchsbaum
Address line 1:Massachusetts Audubon, North Shore
Address line 2:Endicott Regional Center
Address line 3:356 Grapevine Road
City:Wenham
State:MA
Zip Code:01984
Country:USA
Associate Investigators:
Keywords:LTER, PIE, Plum Island Ecosystems, Massachusetts,birds, macrofauna, fauna
Abstract:
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/HTL/data/HTL-SO-Bird.dat
Data File Name HTL-SO-Bird
Beginning Date 1/1/1930
End Date 12/31/1999
Number of Data Records 4
Other Files to Reference
Availability Status Type 1
Quality Control Information
Maintenance Description
Log of Changes:
 
RESEARCH LOCATION: Site 1 Site 2
Geographic Description Various locations in Plum Island Sound Estuary  
Location Bounding Box    
West Bounding Coordinate -70.9290141  
East Bounding Coordinate -70.7418556  
North Bounding Coordinate 42.7972222  
South Bounding Coordinate 42.677702  
OR if single point location    
Latitude    
Longitude    
Elevation    
     
     
 
TAXONOMIC COVERAGE:
Taxonomic Protocols
Organisms studied
 
Methods:We used two major sources of data for our evaluation of birds on Plum Island from the 1930s through the 1990s. For the 1990s we analyzed the results of bird surveys conducted by the Brookline Bird Club in the refuge during 1990, 1991, and 1993. These surveys were conducted weekly during migration periods (March to May and mid-July to October), and biweekly during the remainder of the year. We would like to thank the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and the Brookline Bird Club for making the results of their bird surveys available to us for this project. To provide a historical comparison, we analyzed the journals of ornithologist Ludlow Griscom who kept notes on the birds he observed on field trips throughout the state during the 1930s, the 1940s, and the 1950s. Many of Griscom's weekly trips were to Essex County and Plum Island. Griscom's journals are currently housed in their original forms at the Peabody/Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.

Based on our evaluation of the adequacy of data, we included four shorebirds (black-bellied plover, greater yellowlegs, semipalmated plover, and semipalmated sandpiper), six waterfowl (American black duck, common loon, green-winged teal, mallard, red-breasted merganser, and white-winged scoter), one gull (Bonaparte's gull), and one tern (common tern) in our analysis. We evaluated the highest number of birds observed each year at Plum Island during any one survey, and developed averages for the maximum number of birds observed during the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1990s. Comparisons were then based on the three highest peak migration numbers during each decade for each species.

Data Table

Variable Name Variable Description Units Measurement Scale Code Information Number Type DateTime Format Missing Value Code Missing Value Code Explanation
DECADE decade of observational data   nominal         blank cell
Common Loon average maximum number of observations for Common Loon number ratio   real     blank cell
Green-winged Teal average maximum number of observations for Green-winged Teal number ratio   real     blank cell
American Black Duck average maximum number of observations for American Black Duck number ratio   real     blank cell
Red-breasted Merganser average maximum number of observations for Red-breasted Merganser number ratio   real     blank cell
White-winged Scoter average maximum number of observations for White-winged Scoter number ratio   real     blank cell
Black-bellied Plover average maximum number of observations for Black-bellied Plover number ratio   real     blank cell
Bonaparte's Gull average maximum number of observations for Bonaparte's Gull number ratio   real     blank cell
Common Tern average maximum number of observations for Common Tern number ratio   real     blank cell
Comments comments about data   nominal         blank cell