Methods Manual
This methods manual contains information describing the collection, entry, and archiving of data collected as part of the SIU NSF Long-term Field Studies project.
Table of Contents
1) Chautauqua Road
2) Touch of Nature
1) Air temperature
2) Soil temperature
3) Light at soil surface
4) Precipitation
5) Plant Cover
6) Plant Biomass
7) Flowering stem height and density
8) Acid precipitation
1) Data file names
2) Parameter files
1) Air temperature
2) Soil temperature
3) Light at soil surface
4) Precipitation
5) Plant Cover
6) Plant Biomass
7) Flowering stem height and density
1) Data File Codes
2) Species Names and Codes (SPECIES.NAM)
List of Data Sets
1) Chautauqua Road
Data Type Data File Name Parameter File Name
Air temperature ATCH96.DAT
atch97.dat
Soil temperature STCH96.DAT
Light at soil surface LICH96.DAT LTFS-L.PRM
lich97.dat
Precipitation PRCH96.DAT
prch97.dat
Plant Cover PCCH96.DAT LTFS-CV.PRM
Plant Biomass PBCH96.DAT LTFS-PB.PRM
Flowering stem height PDCH96.DAT LTFS-DE.PRM
and density
Acid precipitation acid.dat
2) Touch of Nature
Data Type Data File Name Parameter File Name Air temperature ATTN96.DAT Soil temperature STTN96.DAT Light at soil surface LITN96.DAT LTFS-L.PRM Precipitation PRTN96.DAT Plant Cover PCTN96.DAT LTFS-CV.PRM Plant Biomass PBTN96.DAT LTFS-PB.PRM Flowering stem height PDTN96.DAT LTFS-DE.PRM and density
3) Generic
Data Type
Data File Name
Parameter File Name
Species names SPECIES.NAM N/A
1) Air temperature
Air temperatures are taken weekly (Tuesday in 1996, Monday in 1997) using a Fluke 51 K/J digital thermometer and K type air probe from the north west corner post of each plot at Chautauqua Road and at the south west corner at Touch of Nature. Readings are in degrees C. Readings were taken at one meter above the soil surface.
2) Soil temperature
Soil temperatures are taken weekly at the same time air temperature readings. Readings are taken approximately 8-10 cm below the soil surface in the south east corner of each of the 9 subplots within each of the main plots using a type K/J digital thermometer until August and the readings were taken in degrees C. After August, 1996 soil thermometers were used and the readings were in degrees F.
3) Light at soil surface
Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD in umols m2 s-1) is taken monthly using a LiCorr LI-191SA line quantum sensor attached to a LiCorr LI-1000 data logger. The line quantum sensor is placed on the soil surface in the south west corner of each of the 9 subplots within the plots at Touch of Nature and in the north west corner at the Chautauqua Road site. Measurements are made on clear days between 10.00 am and 2.00 pm.
4) Precipitation
Weekly rainfall totals are collected from each of the two sites at the same time as air and soil temperatures. A rain gauge is located at each field site.
5) Plant Cover
Canopy cover by species is estimated in the fall of each year from within a 5m2 circular quadrat centered in each of the 9 subplots within each plot. Cover abundance is estimated using a modified Daubenmire scale (Abrams & Hulbert, 1987 Amer. Midl. Nat.117: 442-445).
6) Plant Biomass
All vegetation is clipped at ground level within four 20 x 50 cm quadrats placed along the north and south (2 north, 2 south) edges of each subplot. The quadrats are placed at least 0.5 m from the edge of the subplot and permanently marked with an aluminium tag placed flush with the soil surface. Sampling is in the fall of each year and after plant cover and flowering stem height and density measurements are complete. Clipped vegetation is dried at 70 - 80 degrees C for > 24 hrs. Samples from Chautauqua Road are sorted to species before weighing. Samples from Touch of Nature are sorted into grass, forb, and woody species catagories before weighing.
7) Flowering stem height and density
Height and density of select species is recorded from with each of the nine subplots per plot in the Fall of each year. At the Chautauqua Road site the height and density of flowering stems of Solidago canadensis, and Sorghum halepense is recorded by counting and measuring the height of all flowering stems in each subplot. In 1996, Cyperus erythrorhizos was also determined within 1 m2 quadrats placed randomly within each subplot. At the Touch of Nature site the density of Festuca elatior, Vernonia missourica, and Seteria faberi was recorded.
8) Acid precipitation
Collection Technique
- polyurethane (or lab quality plastic) containers is rain gauge in the field
- rain depth measured with a ruler or graduated container at weekly intervals
- water collected from the container and transported to lab
- rain gauge container reset in field after rinse with distilled water
- pH tested with a meter or litmus paper within two hours of collection
- water should be at room temperature to measure pH
Note: Do not use metal containers or rain gauges as these alter the pH of the precipitation.
Data File Structure
1) Data file names
All data files are stored in ASCII format and are of the form *.DAT.
The title of a data file consists of three parts. The first 2 (sometimes 4) letters refer to the type of data (e.g., PB = plant biomass), the last two letters before the extension indicates the site (i.e., CT = Chautauqua, TN = Touch of Nature).
2) Parameter files
Parameter files (*.PRM) are ASCII files that are used in conjunction with the programs ENTRYV2 or PVCENTRY to make data files. Parameter files consist of two rows. The first row provides column headings, the second row indicates the type of information that is placed into each column where:
# = empty column
[blank space] = columns for data
/ = column usually empty (can be used if necessary)
. = decimal point within an integer
Data Files
1) Air temperature
No parameter file
Column
Variable name
Variable type
Description
1-6 DATE I6 Date: Day, month, year
9-10 SITE A2 Site: CT = Chautuaqua, TN = Touch of
Nature
15-16 PLOT I2 Plot 1...16 (8 at TN)
20-24 ATEMP F4.1 Air temperature in degrees C
example:
230796 ch 01 32.12
230796 ch 02 31.34
230796 ch 03 32.40
230796 ch 04 30.54
230796 ch 05 32.00
230796 ch 06 30.80
230796 ch 07 31.45
230796 ch 08 30.30
230796 ch 09 31.28
230796 ch 10 32.11
230796 ch 11 33.30
230796 ch 12 33.75
230796 ch 13 32.60
230796 ch 14 33.25
230796 ch 15 32.30
230796 ch 16 33.29
2) Soil temperature
LTFS-S.PRM
DATE SITE PLOT TRT STEMP
## #### ##### ### . ##
Column
Variable name
Variable type
Description
1-6 DATE I6 Date: Day, month, year
9-10 SITE A2 Site: CT = Chautuaqua, TN = Touch of
Nature
15-16 PLOT I2 Plot 1...16 (8 at TN)
22-23 TRT A2 Treatment: Treatment:
CC,CS,CB,AC,AS,AB,1C,1S, or 1B
27-30 STEMP F4.1 Soil temperature in ° C
Example:
060596 tn 1 AS 16.0
060596 tn 1 AB 16.0
060596 tn 1 AC 16.1
060596 tn 1 1S 15.9
060596 tn 1 1B 15.9
060596 tn 1 1C 16.1
060596 tn 1 CS 16.1
060596 tn 1 CB 16.1
060596 tn 1 CC 16.2
3) Light at soil surface
LTFS-L.PRM
DATE SITE PLOT TRT LT
## #### ##### ####/ . ##
Column
Variable name
Variable type
Description
1-6 DATE I6 Date: Day, month, year
9-10 SITE A2 Site: CT = Chautuaqua, TN = Touch of
Nature
15-16 PLOT I2 Plot 1...16 (8 at TN)
22-23 TRT A2 Treatment: Treatment:
CC,CS,CB,AC,AS,AB,1C,1S, or 1B
28-33 LT F6.1 Light at soil surface: PPFD in
umoles s-1 m-2
060596 tn 1 AS 1775.0
060596 tn 1 AB 1776.0
060596 tn 1 AC 1770.0
060596 tn 1 1S 1568.0
060596 tn 1 1B 1734.0
060596 tn 1 1C 1783.0
060596 tn 1 CS 1851.0
060596 tn 1 CB 1552.0
060596 tn 1 CC 1715.0
4) Precipitation
No parameter file
Column
Variable name
Variable type
Description
1-6 DATE I6 Date: Day, month, year
9-10 SITE A2 Site: CT = Chautuaqua, TN = Touch of
Nature
14-18 PPT F5.1 Precipitation total in cm
Example:
060596 tn 48.2
130596 tn 72.6
200596 tn 21.8
270596 tn 25.4
030696 tn 17.5
5) Plant Cover
LTFS-CV.PRM
CODE SPECIES ST DATE PL TR <1 1-2 >2
# # # # # # ## #### ### ########
Use: data entry of plant cover data.
Column
Variable name
Variable type
Description
2-4 CODE I3 Species code
6-22 SPECIES A16 Species name
24-25 ST A2 Site: CT = Chautuaqua, TN = Touch
of
Nature
27-30 DATE I6 Date: MonthYear, e.g., 1096 =
Oct,
1996
32-33 PL I2 Plot number: 1...16
35-36 TR A2 Treatment: CC,CS,CB,AC,AS,AB,1C,1S, or
1B
39 <1 I1 Cover <1m: Daubenmire Scale value
44 1-2 I1 Cover 1-2m: Daubenmire Scale value
44 >2 I1 Cover < 2m: Daubenmire Scale value
6) Plant Biomass
LTFS-PB.PRM
CODE SPECIES ST DATE PL TR SPL BIO
# # # # # # # #/ . //###########
Use: data entry of plant biomass data.
Column
Variable name
Variable type
Description
2-4 CODE I3 Species code
6-22 SPECIES A16 Species name
24-25 ST A2 Site: CT = Chautuaqua, TN =
Touch of Nature
27-30 DATE I6 Date: MonthYear, e.g., 1096 =
Oct, 1996
32-33 PL I2 Plot number: 1...16
35-36 TR A2 Treatment: CC,CS,CB,AC,AS,AB,1C,1S, or
1B
38-40 SPL A3 Subplot: e.g., 5NW
42-48 BIO F7.1 Biomass in g.
7) Flowering stem height and density
LTFS-DE.PRM
CODE SPECIES ST DATE PL TR EST HT
# # # # # # ## ####/ . #######
Use: data entry of flowering stem height data. Note: Flowering stem density can be calculated from the number of flowering stems for which flowering stem height is recorded per quadrat or plot.
Column
Variable name
Variable type
Description
2-4 CODE I3 Species code
6-22 SPECIES A16 Species name
24-25 ST A2 Site: CT = Chautuaqua, TN = Touch of
Nature
27-30 DATE I6 Date: MonthYear, e.g., 1096 = Oct,
1996
32-33 PL I2 Plot number: 1...16
35-36 TR A2 Treatment: CC,CS,CB,AC,AS,AB,1C,1S, or
1B
39 EST A1 Method of estimation: Q= 1m2 quadrat,
P=whole plot
44-48 HT F5.1 Flowering stem height in cm
Example:
176 cyperu erythror CH 1096 01 AS Q 56.6
176 cyperu erythror CH 1096 01 AS Q 63.3
176 cyperu erythror CH 1096 01 AS Q 70.5
176 cyperu erythror CH 1096 01 AS Q 64.3
176 cyperu erythror CH 1096 01 AS Q 67.3
175 sorghu halape CH 1096 01 AS P 148.3
087 solida canad CH 1096 01 AS P 00.0
4) Acid precipitation
No parameter file
Example:
Date..................................pH..........Precipitation (mm)
September 22, 1997..........6.0...............87.0
September 29, 1997..........6.0...............12.0
October 6, 1997................0.0...............----
October 10, 1997..............6.1...............21.2
October 20, 1997..............6.8.................6.8
October 27, 1997..............6.1...............35.7
November 3, 1997.............5.6...............29.0
November 10, 1997...........6.3...............20.0
November 17, 1997...........5.9...............16.4
November 24, 1997...........5.9.................3.6
December 1, 1997.............5.8................24.4
December 8, 1997.............6.2..................8.0
December 12, 1997...........1.3.................----
December 15, 1997...........6.4..................6.0
December 29, 1997...........6.0................19.8
Appendix
1) Data File Codes
Files:
*.DAT Date file
*.PRM Parameter file
Sites (SITE):
CT Chautauqua Road
TN Touch of Nature
Treatment Codes (TRT):
CODE FERTILIZER MOWING
CC C= Control C= Control (no-mowing)
(no-fertilizer)
CS C=Control S=Spring mowing
(no-fertilizer)
CB C= Control B= Spring & Fall mowing
(no-fertilizer)
AC A=Annual C= Control (no-mowing)
AS A=Annual S=Spring mowing
AB A=Annual B= Spring & Fall mowing
1C 1=First Year Only C= Control (no-mowing)
1S 1=First Year Only S=Spring mowing
1B 1=First Year Only B= Spring & Fall mowing
Variable types:
A = Alphanumeric character, e.g., A2 would represent SITE which is CT or TN
I = Integer, e.g, I3 would represent the species code consisting of 3 integers.
F = Fixed decimal value, e.g., soil temp of 32.1 would be F4.1
Subplot (SPL):
5NW, etc
2) Species Names and Codes (SPECIES.NAM)
Species names and codes used in data entry are held in the file SPECIES.NAM
This project was supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation.
Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation.
Contents of this and related web pages are copyrighted
1997 College of Science, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale