Sapelo Research Application Form
Research Application ID: GCE-114-2021 (submitted: 05/18/2021, status: approved)
Provide a brief title for web display
BERM: Belowground Ecosystem Resilency Model sampling
Investigator Information
On Island Sponsor: GCE SINERR UGAMI GADNR
| Principal Investigator: | Jessica L. O'Connell | ||
| Home Institution: | Colorado State University | ||
| Award Information: | (not specified) | ||
| Mailing Address: | Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability | Phone Number: | |
| Campus Delivery 1476 | E-mail Address: | jessica.oconnell@colostate.edu | |
| Fort Collins, CO 80523-1476 | |||
| Co-investigators: | |||
Briefly describe the project goals and methodology
This project will add to the continued development of the Belowground Ecosystem Resiliency Model (BERM), a remote sensing derived tool for estimating belowground biomass for the cosmopolitan salt marsh species, Spartina alterniflora. The goals of this current project are to revisit the BERM study sites evaluated during previous work and to expand to new sites in order to parameterize BERM over a broader suite of biophysical conditions. This will aid in the eventual application of BERM at the scale of the Georgia coast. The methodology is similar to that described for the ongoing GCE-LTER flux marsh vegetation sampling, except that sites will be visited quarterly rather than monthly. Specifically, at each location, 9 plots will be established by marking the corners with field flagging. These plots will correspond with Landsat 8 pixel footprints at each location, with 3 plots per pixel. At each plot, aboveground vegetation characteristics will be measured non-destructively. These characteristics include stem height, stem density, leaf chlorophyll concentration via SPAD sensor, and Leaf Area Index via AccuPar Ceptometer. Foliar N will also be measured at each plot by collecting 3 representative leafs, 3 cm long each, for laboratory analysis. Finally, belowground biomass will be measured destructively via a 7.7 by 30 cm root core collected adjacent to each plot.
Where will the project be located?
See provided uploaded files for spatial locations/coordinates; We intend to sample 9 of these sites but have included some additional sites in case back-up locations are needed.
How will you provide GPS coordinates for study sites?
I will provide a GIS file describing my study sites (ArcGIS shapefile, Google Earth KML/KMZ)
What are the expected start and end dates of the project?
Start Date: 06/16/2021 End Date: (ongoing)
How many people will access the site and at what frequency?
Up to 4 people for 1 day per site every quarter
Keywords that describe your project
What equipment will be deployed in the field?
Temperature sensors will be deployed in the field at some locations and will be retrieved before the completion of the project. Study plots will be marked with field flagging that will also be retrieved before the completion of the project.
Will plants or animals be collected as part of this study?
Yes, 30 cm x 7.7cm cores for belowground biomass will be retrieved (9 each per site visit). A small amount of leaf tissue (3 leaves, 3 cm long) will also be collected at each site visit.
What are the likely impacts of the project on the site?
Impacts will include trampling of plants by walking field technicians, and 7.7 cm wide holes in the soil at the location of each core collection. Impacts are expected to be temporary.
Will the project design include boardwalks? If not, explain why not.
No. Visits to each site are brief (< 3hrs per trip) and infrequent.
How long will impacts persist after the research is concluded?
We expect the marsh to be fully recovered within 2 months after the conclusion of the project.
Study Area Map:
Files attached to this application
GCE-114-2021_Maps_Sapelo_summer21_samplingsites.kmz (Compressed KML file, 8.82 kb, submitted 05/26/2021)
GCE-114-2021_Maps_Sapelo_summer21_samplingsites.zip (Zip archive, 8.53 kb, submitted 05/26/2021)
