Status: 

Completed

Title

Long-Term Elevation Plots (LTEP) (Altitudinal transects vegetation data along three rivers in the Luquillo Experimental Forest)
Summary

DOI: 

10.6073/pasta/f16d6abda0898726ecdfe07c4f12afaa

Short name: 

LUQMetadata123

Data set ID: 

123

Abstract: 

The composition of plant communities changes with elevation in the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF). The goal of this project is to document the patterns of these changes, and in particular, to determine whether the distributions of individual species are independent of one another, or whether they are related, in either a congruent or a hierarchical manner. Thirty-two permanent vegetation plots, each 50m by 20m are being established in the LEF, with 5 plots along the Icacos river, 11 along the Mamayes river and 16 along the Sonadora stream. The plots were established at every 100m in elevation, starting at 200m above sea level. All woody, free-standing stems greater than 1cm dbh were marked, identified and mapped into 5x5 subquadrats. We anticipated that gradient analysis will show whether the distributions of species are coincident or independent, enabling us to evaluate whether separate, genuine plant communities exist in the LEF. Because the plots are permanent, we also expected that they allow us to better evaluate how different vegetation types, at different elevations, respond to large scale disturbances, especially hurricanes.

Dates
Date Range: 
2001-09-17 00:00:00 to 2002-07-31 00:00:00

Publication Date: 

2011-06-07 00:00:00
People

Owner/Creator: 

Jess Zimmerman

Contact: 

Jess Zimmerman
John Barone

Additional Project roles: 

Name: Eda Melendez-Colom Role: Data Manager
Name: John Barone Role: Associated Researcher
Name: Nicholas Brokaw Role: Associated Researcher
Name: John Thomlinson Role: Associated Researcher
Methodology

Methods: 

Thirty two 50m by 20m permanent plots were established in the Luquillo Experimental Forest. Twenty-four plots were located by one of three rivers, the Sonadora, Icacos, and Mamayes. Plots were located at 50m intervals along the rivers. To locate a plot, the elevation of a site was determined using a GPS receiver while standing in the river, and the plot was established by moving into the forest from the river, and staking out a corner at that elevation, as soon as we were out of the immediate riparian zone. The long axis of each plot runs parallel to the contours of the slope. Using a field tape, each plot was divided into ten 10mx10m quadrats (in two rows of five), and then each quadrat was further subdivided into four 5mx5m subquadrats. Every free-standing woody stem greater than 1 cm dbh was marked, using a individually numbered metal tag tied to the plant using green horticulture tape. The diameter of the stem was measured at 130cm above the ground, and the stem was identified to species. The numbers for each plot were independent, starting over at 1. At the conclusion of each plot four corner posts were left in the ground, with a metal tag tied to its top, to help with re-location.

Status: 

Completed

Time Period: 

Short-Term
Related

Related publications: 

Forest structure before and after Hurricane Hugo at three elevations in the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico
Separating the effects of forest type and elevation on the diversity of litter invertebrate communities in a humid tropical forest in Puerto Rico
A complex metacommunity structure for gastropods along an elevational gradient
Earthworm communities along an elevation gradient in Northeastern Puerto Rico
Effects of nutrient availability and other elevational changes on bromeliad populations and their invertebrate communities in a humid tropical forest in Puerto Rico
Forest recovery in abandoned cattle pastures along an elevation gradient in north eastern Puerto Rico
Global warming, elevational ranges and the vulnerability of tropical biota
Linking shrimp assemblages with rates of detrital processing along an elevational gradient in a tropical stream

Related sites: 

Rio Icacos Research Area Elevational plots transect point 550
Rio Icacos Research Area Elevational plots transect point 600
Rio Icacos Research Area Elevational plots transect point 650
Rio Icacos Research Area Elevational plots transect point 700
Rio Icacos Research Area Elevational plots transect point 750
Quebrada Sonadora Research Area Elevational plots transect point 250
Quebrada Sonadora Research Area Elevational plots transect point 300
Quebrada Sonadora Research Area Elevational plots transect point 350
Quebrada Sonadora Research Area Elevational plots transect point 400
Quebrada Sonadora Research Area Elevational plots transect point 450
Quebrada Sonadora Research Area Elevational plots transect point 500
Quebrada Sonadora Research Area Elevational plots transect point 550
Quebrada Sonadora Research Area Elevational plots transect point 600
Quebrada Sonadora Research Area Elevational plots transect point 650
Quebrada Sonadora Research Area Elevational plots transect point 700
Quebrada Sonadora Research Area Elevational plots transect point 750
Quebrada Sonadora Research Area Elevational plots transect point 800
Quebrada Sonadora Research Area Elevational plots transect point 850
Quebrada Sonadora Research Area Elevational plots transect point 900
Quebrada Sonadora Research Area Elevational plots transect point 950
Quebrada Sonadora Research Area Elevational plots transect point 1000
Rio Mameyes Research Area Elevational plots transect point 400
Rio Mameyes Research Area Elevational plots transect point 450
Rio Mameyes Research Area Elevational plots transect point 500
Rio Mameyes Research Area Elevational plots transect point 550
Rio Mameyes Research Area Elevational plots transect point 600
Rio Mameyes Research Area Elevational plots transect point 650
Rio Mameyes Research Area Elevational plots transect point 700
Rio Mameyes Research Area Elevational plots transect point 750
Rio Mameyes Research Area Elevational plots transect point 800
Rio Mameyes Research Area Elevational plots transect point 850
Rio Mameyes Research Area Elevational plots transect point 900
Categories

Core Areas: 

Researcher's Keywords: 

LTER Keywords: 

Table 4 Long-Term Classification: 

2006 Proposal Classification: 

Program: 

EML is valid: 

Yes

EML Link: 

Download EML

Variables Descriptions Data File Date Rangesort ascending
Sites summary: Coordinates and Elevation of the Elevational Plots File ElevationalRiverDataCoord.csv 2001-09-17 to 2002-07-31
Mameyes transect data of the Elevational Plots File ElevationalRiverDataMameyes2.csv 2001-09-17 to 2002-07-31
Icacos transect data of the Elevational Plots File ElevationalRiverDataIcacos2.csv 2001-09-17 to 2002-07-21
Sonadora transect data of the Elevational Plots File ElevationalRiverDataSonadora2.csv 2001-09-07 to 2002-07-31