Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER Data Set Details

Jump to Files

GCE-LTER Data Set Summary

Accession:

PLT-GCET-2308

Research Theme:

Plant Ecology (Graduate Thesis Study)

Contributors:

Kyle Runion, Jessica O'Connell, Merryl Alber, Deepak Mishra, Kristin Byrd

Title:

Spartina alterniflora marsh vegetation data along the Georgia coast used in the Belowground Ecosystem Resiliency Model version 2.0

Abstract:

Study plots (1-m2) were established in eight Spartina alterniflora-dominated marshes (7 on Sapelo Island, Georgia, and 1 on Skidaway Island, Georgia). At three sites, plots were sampled once each during May, July, August, September, and October of 2016. At all sites, plots were sampled once each during June, August, and November of 2021, February, May, August, and November of 2022, and February of 2023. One long-term (quarterly 2013 to 2023) GCE LTER sampling site is also included. Nine replicate plots were placed in vegetated marsh along transects that spanned 3 Landsat-8 and -9 pixel footprints, with 3 plots per pixel footprint. In each plot, measurements included plant biomass, plant species, stem density, and height. Aboveground biomass was calculated using allometric relationships between plant height and mass from plant clipping studies. During these surveys, destructive core sampling was also performed in the proximity of the plots (n = 1 per plot) to measure above and below ground biomass. Chlorophyll, foliar N, and Leaf Area Index measurements were taken in the proximity of the plots. This dataset reflects an update to the "PLT-GCED-2106" dataset (doi: 10.6073/pasta/03f4f78c6498aecca34faf4339591129). This project also utilized data from the "PLT-GCEM-1610" dataset doi: 10.6073/pasta/9746c71b35e9f8c544ea12c601c33949). Those data utilized in this project are duplicated here for completeness.

DOI:

10.6073/pasta/4a0b715104849d98320fcc34e7cd63a4

Key Words:

belowground biomass, biomass, chlorophyll, cores, foliar N, leaf area index, marshes, Plant Monitoring, plants, Sapelo Island, Skidaway Island, Spartina, Spartina alterniflora, stem density, stem height

LTER Core Area:

Primary Production

Research Themes:

Plant Ecology

Study Period:

01-May-2013 to 28-Feb-2023

Study Sites:

Sapelo -- Sapelo Island, Sapelo Island, Georgia

» Download Geographic Coverage: Google Earth

Data References:

PLT-GCEM-1610 (Data from PLT-GCEM-1610 was used in this data set), PLT-GCED-2106 (This dataset reflects an update to PLT-GCED-2106)

Research Protocols:

Flux Tower Monthly Vegetation Monitoring Protocol (Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER)

Publications:

Runion, K., Alber, M., Mishra, D., Lever, M.A. and O'Connell, J.L. Poster: Salt Marsh Productivity Modeling Reveals Widespread Declining Belowground Biomass and Potential for Marsh Drowning. Modeling Coastal Marsh Resilience: Advancements, Uncertainties, and Sustainable Solutions. American Geophysical Union 2024 Annual Meeting, December 2024, Washington, D.C.

Runion, K., Alber, M., Mishra, D., Byrd, K. and O'Connell, J.L. 2024. Presentation: Is salt marsh ecosystem resilience driven more by changes in space or time? Interdisciplinary Tools to Advance Ecology. Ecological Society of America 2023 Annual Meeting, August 2023, Portland, OR.

Runion, K., Mishra, D., Alber, M., Lever, M.A. and O'Connell, J.L. 2024. Presentation: Signals of salt marsh drowning are obscured by increasing aboveground canopies. Wetlands. Ecological Society of America 2024 Annual Meeting, August 2024, Long Beach, CA.

Downloads: