Ron Pulliam

University of Georgia Institute of Ecology 710 Biological Sciences Bldg. Athens Georgia 30602-2602 USA

(706) 542-6010 pulliam@sparc.ecology.uga.edu http://cwt33.ecology.uga.edu/piprofiles/pro_pulliam1.html Metapopulation theory posits that suitable habitat may recently be unoccupied because it is isolated and has never been colonized or has been been colonized followed by local extinction and has not yet been recolonized. This research addresses the question of how to identify suitable, unoccupied habitat and distinguish it from unsuitable habitat. We are studying a group of six species of forest understory herbs chosen to represent a broad range of habitat distribution and dispersal characteristics. Our aim is to quantify the fundamental niche of these species (sensu Hutchinson 1957), in terms of variables such as soil moisture and temperature, by developing a set of habitat specific demographic stage transition models (i.e. conditional on such environmental variables) for these species. These models, in combination with data from field surveys of the local distribution of the species, will be used to develop testable predictive maps of the distribution of suitable habitat which can be compared to the observed distribution of the plants. We hypothesize that both dispersal ability and the distribution of suitable habitat are important determinants of the actual distribution of species. The goal of this research is both to further our conceptual understanding of the relationships between habitat requirements and species distributions, and to provide a practical approach to operationalizing the concept of "suitable habitat." In order to quantify the niche requirements of our study species, we are simultaneously tracking their year-to-year demography and the environmental conditions to which they are subject. Environmental variables of interest include soil moisture, soil temperature, light levels, and soil chemistry. Soil moisture will be measured biweekly during the growing season and approximately monthly during the winters to depths of 10 and 30cm at four locations within each study plot, using Coweetas Tektronix TDR unit. Soil temperature will be monitored contimually using a Hobo data logger. Soil chemistry variables we anticipate measuring include pH, N, and C. Subcanopy light levels will be derived using hemispherical photography. The study plots are subdivided into grids of 2x2m cells, marked with orange stake flags. Within these all ramets of our study species are marked with stake flags of various colors and given unique identifying numbers so that their growth and survival can be foloowed from year to year. Variables of interest include plant size or leaf area, flower and fruit production, and recruitment of new ramets. This information, along with the measures of local environmental conditions within study plots, will be used to construct condition-specific demographic stage transition models, providing a meaningful quantitative definition of habitat suitability for our six study species. Coweeta LTER habitat suitability seed dispersal habitat-specific demography Tipularia discolor Hexastylis arifolia Hepatica americanaa Maianthemum racemosum Must adhere to the Coweeta LTER Data Policy (See http://coweeta.ecology.uga.edu/webdocs/3/static/datapolicies.html). http://cwt33.ecology.uga.edu/summaries/summary1002.html Site 1 ("grid 36G"): cocentric with Dr. Allen Yeakleys sites 36G, 36A, 18H, and 18C, respectively. Site 2 ("grid 36A"): cocentric with Dr. Allen Yeakleys sites 36G, 36A, 18H, and 18C, respectively. Site 3 ("grid 7"): is at the top of watershed 2. From 751 turn right onto 751A; follow this to where road maintenance ceases. Site is just south of this point. Site 4 ("grid 12"): is near the intersection of 83 and 752. Site is just south of 752 near where it enters 83, near a steel observation tower. Site 5 ("grid 18H"): cocentric with Dr. Allen Yeakleys sites 36G, 36A, 18H, and 18C, respectively. Site 6 ("grid 18C"): cocentric with Dr. Allen Yeakleys sites 36G, 36A, 18H, and 18C, respectively. Site 7 ("hephex low"): is near Ball Flats, along Hanson Creek just below weir number 12. Site 8 ("hexhi"): is near Reynolds Gap. Take 83 to Reynolds Gap; continue straight past the gate (towards NorthFork/Cold Springs). Site is to left of the road, 50 or 100m beyond intersection. Site 9 ("hephi"): is near Gum Gap. Take 83 and go right on 752. Plot is along Ball Creek about 50m downstream of where it crosses road. 1998-06-01 2003-11-01 Coweeta LTER Information Manager

Institute of Ecology University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602 USA

(828) 524-2128 Ted Gragson

Institute of Ecology University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602 USA

tgragson@earthlink.net principalInvestigator James Vose

Institute of Ecology University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602 USA

jvose@fs.fed.us principalInvestigator Brian Kloeppel

Institute of Ecology University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602 USA

kloeppel@sparc.ecology.uga.edu principalInvestigator The Coweeta LTER Research Program has evolved since 1980 from a site-based to a site- and region-based project examining the effects of disturbance and environmental gradients on biogeochemical cycling, and the underlying watershed ecosystem processes that regulate and respond to those cycles. The objective for the 2002-2008 research is to advance scientific understanding of the spatial, temporal, and decision-making components of land use and land-use change in the southern Appalachian Mountains over the last 200 years, and forecast patterns into the future 30 years. This will be accomplished by addressing ecological and socioeconomic aspects of land-use change while continuing long-term studies of environmental gradients and natural disturbance regimes. The result will be a more complete understanding of ecological dynamics in the southern Appalachian Mountains that makes possible the development of reasonable forecasts of its future ecological state. | The guiding hypothesis for the proposed research is that the frequency, intensity, and extent of land use represents human decision-making in response to socioeconomic and bio-geophysical conditions with consequences that cascade through ecosystems. The research activities are organized into three initiatives: (1) Characterization of the Socio-Natural Template, (2) Ecosystem Responses to the Socio-Natural Template, and (3) Forecasting Ecosystem Responses to Changes in the Socio-Natural Template. The integrated scientific research will provide both a description as well as an explanation of the underlying causes of land use and the consequences of land-use change for southern Appalachian ecosystems and society. It thus recognizes the complexity of land use as a process and the research needs as defined in the LTER Program and the broader scientific community. National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. uid=cwt,o=lter,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org all public read 1002.csv 1002.csv 1 \n \n column , http://cwt33.ecology.uga.edu/data/1002.csv soil moisture soil moisture measured using the Coweeta TDR unit. Rods are in pairs and are 10 and 20cm deep TDRunit real blank Missing Value number leaves number leaves number of green leaves on a ramet at time of census dimensionless real blank Missing Value stem length stem length length of stem of upright herbs (Maianthemum, Polygonatum)from ground to base of terminal leaf in cm centimeter real blank Missing Value leaf length leaf length length of longest leaf centimeter real blank Missing Value leaf width leaf width width at widest point of widest leaf in cm for Goodyera, Hexastylis and Tipularia centimeter real blank Missing Value infl stalks infl stalks presence of stalks 1 yes 0 no blank Missing Value blooms blooms presence of blooms 1 yes 0 no blank Missing Value fruits fruits presence of fruits 1 yes 0 no blank Missing Value