Study Number: 

1030

Project Title:

Soil chemistry along the canopy gradient.

Investigator(s):

Barbara C. Reynolds  E-Mail | Tel. 706.542.1837 | Biographical Sketch
 Mark D. Hunter  Biographical Sketch  (Retired)
Affiliated Institution(s): University of North Carolina - Asheville (Reynolds)
University of Georgia (Hunter)
Address: Department of Environmental Studies
University of North Carolina - Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina 28804 USA

Institute of Ecology
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia 30602  USA
Study Category: Terrestrial
Project Type: Coweeta Core Research
Study Period:

10/1996 - 05/1999
Date Type:

Type 1
Funding Source(s):

National Science Foundation, DEB-9632854 (Text Version) and DEB-0218001 (Text Version) to Coweeta LTER.
Abstract: Resin bags were buried at 10 plots on three canopy gradient sites at Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory and the resin bag extracts were analyzed for nitrate (NO3), ammonium (NH4) and phosphate (PO4). Values will be compared with throughfall chemistry and frass weights to determine if there are any correlations due to canopy herbivory. For more information see Reynolds and Hunter, 2001 in Publications section below.


 Resources for students about terms used in this study:
Canopy Herbivory - Source: Coweeta LTER
Throughfall - PhysicalGeography.net
Frass Experiments in Costa Rica - Source: Polytech High School
Location(s), Described: Watershed 18, Canopy site 218; Watershed 27, Canopy sites 427 and 527 (photographs)).

See Project Summary Sheet 1048 and Terrestrial Gradient Sites: Characteristics (photographs) for detailed information about plot locations and physical descriptions, respectively.
Location(s), Download GPS: ArcView Shape Files (shp.):  UTM, NAD83, Zone 17 | Lat/Lon
Location(s), Online Map(s): USGS Topographic-based Maps of Research Sites
(Printable for fieldwork)
Methods/Experimental Design: Resin bags were buried in the field for one or two months at 10 plots on three canopy gradient sites. Separate bags were used for anions and cations. Bags were brought back to the lab where they were kept refrigerated until extraction in 1 molar KCL. Extracts were analyzed for NO3, NH4, and PO4. All were determined colorimetrically by an Alpkem Flow Injection Analyzer.
Sampling Frequency: One or two months.
Data Columns: WS - Watershed
Site - Site number
sample # - Sample number
NH4 - Ammonium; milligrams per Liter (mg/L)
sample # - Sample number
NO3 - Nitrate; milligrams per Liter (mg/L)
PO4 - Phosphate; milligrams per Liter (mg/L)
avg NO3 - Average nitrate; milligrams per Liter (mg/L)
Publications:

Hunter, Mark D., Catherine R. Linnen, and Barbara C. Reynolds. 2003. Effects of endemic densities of canopy herbivores on nutrient dynamics along a gradient in elevation in the southern Appalachians. Pedobiologia, 47: 231-244.

Hunter, Mark D. 2001. Insect population dynamics meets ecosystem ecology: effects of herbivory on soil nutrient dynamics. Agricultural and Forest Entomology, 3: 77-84.

Reynolds, Barbara, C. and Mark Hunter. 2001. Responses of soil respiration, soil nutrients, and litter decomposition to inputs from canopy herbivores. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 33: 1641-6152.

Reynolds, Barbara, C., Mark D. Hunter, and D.A. Crossley, Jr. 2000. Effects of Canopy Herbivory On Nutrient Cycling In A Northern Hardwood Forest In Western North Carolina. Selbyana, 21(1.2): 74-78.

Additional publications and research data from investigator(s) of this study:
Reynolds - Global search
Hunter - Global search
Data Restrictions: Users must adhere to the Coweeta LTER Data Policy.
Metadata: EML Format (XML Schema) | Information about EML
Data Downloads: Microsoft® Excel (.xls)
 Text Comma Delimited (.csv)
 DBase (.dbf)