Status: 

Ongoing

Title

Vegetation profile and canopy height of Tabonuco, Colorado and Cloud Forests
Summary

DOI: 

10.6073/pasta/21f1225bc088d676c6f2451c02c90649

Short name: 

LUQMetadata21

Data set ID: 

21

Abstract: 

The overall height and the presence of vegetation in different height intervals above ground is recorded above points on a 5 x 5 m grid in three hectare-sized plots in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. One plots each is in tabonuco forest (350 m elevation), colorado forest (650 m) and cloud forest (1000 m). The first records were made shortly before Hurricane Hugo, in 1989. Post hurricane measurements have been made five time to six time in each plot, the most recent been in 1998 for all plots. The results show the damage to forest structure wreaked by Hurricane Hugo, steady recovery of forest structure after Hugo, minor damage by Hurricane Hortense in 1996, and resumption of recovery after Hortense. Maximum canopy height and the vertical distribution of vegetation in the forests are returning to pre-hurricane Hugo values.

Dates
Date Range: 
1989-05-01 00:00:00 to 2017-07-02 00:00:00
People

Owner/Creator: 

Nicholas Brokaw

Contact: 

Nicholas Brokaw

Additional Project roles: 

Name: Eda Melendez-Colom Role: Data Manager
Methodology

Methods: 

Vegetation heigh profile and canopy heights are being constructed from data taken on 5 x 5 m grid systems in the tabonuco forest (in the southwest corner of the 9 ha grid at El Verde), colorado forest (a couple of hundred meters from theshelter nearest the eastern end of the Tradewinds Trail), and in cloud forest (near the trail leading to the plane reck on the Pico del Oeste). The tabonuco grid is 1.08 ha, with 475 grid points; the others are one ha. each, with 451 grid points each. The presence or absence of vegetation (leaves or wood) within height intervals along vertical line above each point in the grid is recorded. Vegetation "hits" on the line are recorded with a pole held vertically and marked at 0.5 m intervals to 3.0 m. The height of the vegetation above 3.0 m is estimated, and checked with an "optical tapemeasure".

Additional information: 

Status: 

Ongoing

Time Period: 

Long-Term
Related

Related publications: 

Disturbance and canopy structure in two tropical forests
Forest structure before and after Hurricane Hugo at three elevations in the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico

Related sites: 

El Verde Research Area 9Ha plots treefall gaps
Rio Espiritu Santo Research Area El Toro/Tradewinds Trail in Palo Colorado forest at headwaters of the Espiritu Santo Brokaw plot
Pico del Este Dwarf Forest
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
Vegetation profile and canopy height census of colorado after Hurricane Hugo File COLORADO-AfterHugowithCensusNumber.csv 1990-01-01 to 2011-01-01
Vegetation profile and canopy height census of cloud after Hurricane Hugo File CLOUD-AfterHugowithCensusNumber.csv 1989-11-01 to 2015-04-12
Vegetation profile and canopy height censuses of tabonuco after Hurricane Hugo File TABONUCO-AfterHugowithCensusNumber..csv 1989-10-01 to 2017-07-02
Vegetation profile and canopy height census of cloud from before Hurricane Hugo File CLOUD-BeforeHugowithCensusNumber.csv 1989-08-01
Vegetation profile and canopy height censuses of colorado from before Hurricane Hugo File COLORADO-BeforeHugowithCensusNumber.csv 1989-06-01
Vegetation profile and canopy height census of tabonuco from before Hurricane Hugo File TABONUCO-BeforeHugowithCensusNumber.csv 1989-05-01