Status: 

Completed

Title

Physical environment of the Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot (LFDP), Puerto Rico
Summary

DOI: 

10.6073/pasta/c0b8fef481d7bf2825341b3839b085a0

Short name: 

LUQMetadata47

Data set ID: 

47

Abstract: 

This file contains data that describe the physical and environmental attributes of the LFDP. The attributes include elevation, topography type, and percentage slope. All data are given for the 20 m by 20 m quadrat scale. Information on soils are taken form an interpolation of the soil map produced by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Department of Agriculture (Soil Survey 1995). Other information from the elevation of each of the corner posts defining the quadrats.The National Science Foundation requires that data from projects it funds are posted on the web two years after any data set has been organized and “cleaned”. The data from each census of the LFDP will be updated at intervals as each survey of the LFDP shows errors in the previous data collection. After posting on the web, researchers who are not part of the project are then welcome to use the data. Given the enormous amount of time, effort and resources required to manage the LFDP, obtain these data, and ensure data accuracy, LFDP Principal Investigators request that researchers intending to use this data comply with the requests below. Through complying with these requests we can ensure that the data are interpreted correctly, analyses are not repeated unnecessarily, beneficial collaboration between users is promoted and the Principle Investigators investment in this project is protected.

Dates
Date Range: 
1990-02-01 00:00:00 to 1991-01-01 00:00:00
People

Owner/Creator: 

Jess Zimmerman

Contact: 

Jess Zimmerman
Jill Thompson

Additional Project roles: 

Name: Eda Melendez-Colom Role: Data Manager
Name: Charlotte Taylor Role: Associated Researcher
Name: Diana Garcia-Montiel Role: Associated Researcher
Name: Edwin Everham Role: Associated Researcher
Name: D. Jean Lodge Role: Associated Researcher
Name: Marcheterre Fluet Role: Associated Researcher
Name: Robert B. Waide Role: Associated Researcher
Methodology

Methods: 

Plot number, quadrat, column and row, describe the position of each 20 x 20 m quadrat within the grid structure of the 16 ha plot. The quadrat naming convention is described in the variable list and is the same as in Condit (1998). Xm and Ym are the distance east (X) and north (Y) respectively measured in meters from the southwest corner of the 16 ha plot to the southwest corner of each quadrat. Exposure class is based upon aspect, and was classified by the exposure of each quadrat to primarily NE winds. NE = 4, E and N = 3, NW and SE = 2, W and S = 1, SW = 0 Topographic class - topographic exposure class 1 - valley, 2 - bench (a slope of < 15%), 3 - slope (>= 15%), 4 - ridge. These were derived from the digital elevation model and were not ground truthed. Canopy cover class was classified into 4 types based upon the percentage canopy cover seen in aerial photographs of the plot area taken in 1936. Marchterre Fluet did the analysis of the aerial photographs, taken in 1936, at Harvard University

Status: 

Completed

Time Period: 

Short-Term
Related

Related publications: 

Disturbance and canopy structure in two tropical forests
The H for DBH
Land use history, environment, and tree composition in a tropical forest
Responses of tree species to hurricane winds in subtropical wet forest in Puerto RIco: implications for tropical tree life histories

Related sites: 

Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot (LFDP)
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
Physical environment of the Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot, Puerto Rico (20m scale) File LFDPEnvironment20.csv 1990-02-01 to 1991-01-01