Sapelo Research Application Form
Research Application ID: GCE-18-2011 (submitted: 11/02/2011, status: approved)
Provide a brief title for web display
GCE-LTER annual grasshopper monitoring
Investigator Information
On Island Sponsor: GCE SINERR UGAMI GADNR
| Principal Investigator: | Steven C. Pennings | ||
| Home Institution: | University of Houston | ||
| Award Information: | Core monitoring activity of GCE-LTER, $4,920,000 | ||
| Mailing Address: | Department of Biology and Biochemistry | Phone Number: | (713) 743-2989 |
| University of Houston | E-mail Address: | scpennin@central.uh.edu | |
| Houston, Texas 77204-5513 | |||
| Co-investigators: | |||
Briefly describe the project goals and methodology
We monitor grasshopper species composition and abundance on transects in the mid-marsh at 8 GCE-LTER sites to test the hypothesis that end-of-year density varies as a function of abiotic conditions and plant biomass.
Where will the project be located?
GCE-LTER monitoring sites 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, mid-marsh elevations
How will you provide GPS coordinates for study sites?
GPS coordinates are already registered in the GCE-LTER database
What are the expected start and end dates of the project?
Start Date: 10/01/2000 End Date: (ongoing)
How many people will access the site and at what frequency?
One person will visit each site once a year for 0.5 hours.
Keywords that describe your project
What equipment will be deployed in the field?
No permanent infrastructure is deployed in the marsh for these measurements. Transects are randomly located each year in the vicinity of GCE permanent vegetation plots.
Will plants or animals be collected as part of this study?
No
What are the likely impacts of the project on the site?
We cause minor trampling on annual visits. Vegetation regrows before repeat visits (we are not forming trails).
Will the project design include boardwalks? If not, explain why not.
No. We visit the sites only once a year, and this limited visitation rate is not creating trails.
How long will impacts persist after the research is concluded?
Effects of very limited trampling will disappear in less than one year (we do not observe trails on our repeat visits).
Study Area Map:
Files attached to this application
GCE-18-2011_Maps_Pennings_grasshoppers_2011.kml (KML file, 25.74 kb, submitted 03/05/2012)
