Study Number: 

1060

Project Title:

Litter decomposition in quadrat treatments along elevation gradient for canopy herbivore input study.

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 Type: Terrestrial
Project Type: Coweeta Core Research
Study Period:

05/1997 -  02/1999
Status/Notes:

Type 1
Funding Sources:

National Science Foundation, DEB-9632854 (Text Version) and DEB-0218001 (Text Version) to Coweeta LTER.
Abstract: Decomposition is frequently measured using litter bags containing known amounts of litter.  A set of litter bags can be sampled over time and the weight loss which is measured serves as an index of decomposition. By measuring litter breakdown rate (decomposition) of the same species of litter along the elevation gradient, we could measure variation among the different elevations due to our treatments and elevation effects. Treatments included frass additions, thrufall additions, greenfall exclusion, all litter excluded, and controls.


Resources for students about terms used in this study:
 Biodiversity in Soil and Leaf Litter - Source: Australian Museum
Movement of organic matter - Source: LTER Network
Canopy Herbivory - Source: Coweeta LTER
Location(s), Described: Canopy gradient plots: 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 Maps: USGS Topographic-based Maps of Research Sites
(Printable for fieldwork)
Methods/Experimental Design: Litter bags were placed in quadrat boxes receiving 5 treatments to simulate inputs from canopy herbivores.  Litter bags contained approximately 1.5 g red oak and 1.0 g red maple. At the end of the study, litter was removed from the bags and weighed to determine mass loss.
Sampling Frequency: These data are for initial and final weights of litter.
Data Columns:

Elevation - Site elevation code, 1=218; 2=427; 3=527
treatment - Treatment code, 1=litter exclusion, 2=greenfall exclusion, 3=frass add, 4=thrufall add, 5=controls
rep - Replicate number
bag # - Bag identification number
Initial Wt - Initial litter weight; grams (g)
plot - Plot number
Final Wt - Final litter weight; grams (g)
Mass lo - Difference between initial and final litter weight; grams (g)
% loss - Percent litter lost, final weight/initial weight
avg % loss - Average percent litter lost for the site (218, 427, 527); final weight/initial weight
% retain - Percent litter retained; inverse of percent lost
avg % retain - Average percent litter retained for the site (218, 427, 527); inverse of percent lost
stdev - Standard deviation for the average percent retained
sterr - Standard error for the average percent retained

 Missing Data Codes: . (Period)
Publications:

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

Reynolds, Barbara C. 2000. Effects of canopy herbivores on soil systems along an elevation gradient. PhD Dissertation. University of Georgia.
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)