I. Data Set Descriptors A. Title: Steven C. Pennings. 2021. Plant allometry at GCE sampling sites 1-10 in October between 2002 and 2020.. Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER Data Catalog (data set PLT-GCEM-2011; http://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/data/PLT-GCEM-2011) B. Accession Number: PLT-GCEM-2011 C. Description 1. Originator(s): Name: Steven C. Pennings Address: Department of Biology and Biochemistry University of Houston Houston, Texas 77204-5513 Country: USA Email: scpennin@central.uh.edu 2. Abstract: The relationship between height and mass (allometry) was measured for plants collected from Georgia Coastal Ecosystems sampling sites 1-10 in October between 2002 and 2020. This dataset includes data from previous allometry measurements (PLT-GCEM-0211b and PLT-GCEM-0711b) and data from 2 additional species measured at site 8 in 2020. Shoots or leaves (Juncus) were collected adjacent to permanent plots in each marsh zone by clipping at the soil surface. Dead leaves were removed from shoots. Height, flowering status (Spartina, Typha and Panicum species only), number of leaves (Spartina species and Zizaniopsis), and dry mass were measured for each plant. The allometric relationships determined in this study will allow annual GCE plant monitoring data to be converted from height to mass. This study may be repeated in the future to examine temporal trends in relation to environmental changes. 3. Study Type: Monitoring 4. Study Themes: Plant Ecology 5. LTER Core Areas: Primary Production 6. Georeferences: geographic coordinates as data columns 7. Submission Date: Mar 16, 2021 D. Keywords: allometry, Angiospermae, Bolboschoenus robustus, Cyperaceae, Embryophyta, GCE, Georgia, Georgia Coastal Ecosystems, height, Juncaceae, Juncus, Juncus effusus, Juncus roemerianus, leaves, Lilianae, LTER, Magnoliopsida, marshes, mass, permanent plots, plant biomass, plant communities, plant cover, Plantae, plants, Poaceae, Poales, Primary Production, primary productivity, Sapelo Island, Schoenoplectus americanus, Schoenoplectus pungens, Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani, shoot height, Spartina, Spartina alterniflora, Spartina cynosuroides, Spermatophytina, Streptophyta, Tracheophyta, Typha angustifolia, Typha domingensis, Typhaceae, USA, Viridaeplantae, Viridiplantae, Zizaniopsis, Zizaniopsis miliacea II. Research Origin Descriptors A. Overall Project Description 1. Project Title: Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER - IV 2. Principal Investigators: Name: Merryl Alber Address: Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens, Georgia 30602-3636 Country: USA Email: malber@uga.edu 3. Funding Period: Feb 01, 2019 to Jan 31, 2025 4. Objectives: The GCE-LTER project has four goals. 1) Track environmental and human drivers that can cause perturbations in our focal ecosystems. This will be accomplished this through continuing long-term measurements of climate, water chemistry, oceanic exchange, and human activities on the landscape. 2) Describe temporal and spatial variability in physical, chemical, geological and biological characteristics of the study system (coastal wetland complexes) and how they respond to external drivers. This will be accomplished through field monitoring in combination with remote sensing and modeling. 3) Characterize the ecological responses of intertidal marshes to disturbance. This will be accomplished by ongoing monitoring and experimental work to evaluate system responses to major perturbations in three key marsh habitats (changes in inundation and predator exclusion in Spartina-dominated salt marshes; increases in salinity in fresh marshes; changes in runoff in high marshes), by implementing standardized experimental disturbances along salinity and elevation gradients, and by tracking responses to natural disturbances. 4) Evaluate ecosystem properties at the landscape level (habitat distribution, net and gross primary production, C budgets) and assess the cumulative effects of disturbance on these properties. The project will also develop relationships between drivers and response variables, which can be used to predict the effects of future changes. This will be accomplished through a combination of data synthesis, remote sensing and modeling. 5. Abstract: The Georgia Coastal Ecosystems (GCE) Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program, based at the University of Georgia Marine Institute on Sapelo Island, Georgia, was established in 2000 to study long-term change in coastal ecosystems. Estuaries (places where salt water from the ocean mixes with fresh water from the land) and their adjacent marshes provide food and refuge for fish, shellfish and birds; protect the shoreline from storms; help to keep the water clean; and store carbon. The GCE LTER researchers study marshes and estuaries to understand how these ecosystems function, to track how they change over time, and to predict how they might be affected by future changes in climate and human activities. They accomplish this by tracking the major factors that can cause long-term change in coastal areas (e.g. sea level, rainfall, upstream development), and measuring the effects of these factors on the study site. They also conduct focused studies to assess how key marsh habitats will respond to major changes expected in the future, including large-scale experiments to evaluate the effects of a) increases in the salinity of the water that floods freshwater marshes (mimicking drought and/or sea level rise), b) changes in water runoff from land into the upland marsh border (mimicking drought or upland development), and c) exclusion of larger organisms in the salt marsh (mimicking long-term declines in predators). During this award they will initiate additional studies to systematically evaluate how coastal wetlands respond to disturbances. Disturbances, or disruptions in the environment, are particularly important to understand in the context of long-term background changes such as increasing sea level, and GCE researchers are working to assess the cumulative effects of multiple disturbances on the landscape. The GCE education and outreach program works to share an understanding of coastal ecosystems with teachers and students, coastal managers, citizen scientist and the general public. 6. Funding Source: NSF OCE 1832178 B. Sub-project Description 1. Site Description a. Geographic Location: GCE1 -- Eulonia, Georgia, USA GCE2 -- Four Mile Island, Georgia, USA GCE3 -- North Sapelo, Sapelo Island, Georgia, USA GCE4 -- Meridian, Georgia, USA GCE5 -- Folly River, Georgia, USA GCE6 -- Dean Creek, Sapelo Island, Georgia, USA GCE7 -- Carrs Island, Georgia, USA GCE8 -- Alligator Creek, Georgia, USA GCE9 -- Rockdedundy Island, Georgia, USA GCE10 -- Hunt Camp, Sapelo Island, Georgia, USA Coordinates: GCE1 -- NW: 081 25 42.53 W, 31 32 48.30 N NE: 081 24 38.64 W, 31 32 48.30 N SE: 081 24 38.64 W, 31 32 02.27 N SW: 081 25 42.53 W, 31 32 02.27 N GCE2 -- NW: 081 19 08.26 W, 31 33 09.19 N NE: 081 17 34.24 W, 31 33 09.19 N SE: 081 17 34.24 W, 31 32 00.97 N SW: 081 19 08.26 W, 31 32 00.97 N GCE3 -- NW: 081 13 59.70 W, 31 32 48.72 N NE: 081 11 44.38 W, 31 32 48.72 N SE: 081 11 44.38 W, 31 30 54.68 N SW: 081 13 59.70 W, 31 30 54.68 N GCE4 -- NW: 081 22 14.71 W, 31 27 48.72 N NE: 081 21 26.12 W, 31 27 48.72 N SE: 081 21 26.12 W, 31 26 54.31 N SW: 081 22 14.71 W, 31 26 54.31 N GCE5 -- NW: 081 21 15.89 W, 31 26 33.14 N NE: 081 19 37.92 W, 31 26 33.14 N SE: 081 19 37.92 W, 31 25 03.50 N SW: 081 21 15.89 W, 31 25 03.50 N GCE6 -- NW: 081 17 58.28 W, 31 23 38.66 N NE: 081 15 51.76 W, 31 23 38.66 N SE: 081 15 51.76 W, 31 22 15.61 N SW: 081 17 58.28 W, 31 22 15.61 N GCE7 -- NW: 081 29 36.59 W, 31 20 55.59 N NE: 081 28 33.24 W, 31 20 55.59 N SE: 081 28 33.24 W, 31 20 03.71 N SW: 081 29 36.59 W, 31 20 03.71 N GCE8 -- NW: 081 25 34.58 W, 31 19 04.11 N NE: 081 24 38.28 W, 31 19 04.11 N SE: 081 24 38.28 W, 31 18 14.63 N SW: 081 25 34.58 W, 31 18 14.63 N GCE9 -- NW: 081 20 48.23 W, 31 21 29.31 N NE: 081 19 35.38 W, 31 21 29.31 N SE: 081 19 35.38 W, 31 20 21.02 N SW: 081 20 48.23 W, 31 20 21.02 N GCE10 -- NW: 081 17 43.82 W, 31 29 49.29 N NE: 081 15 32.07 W, 31 29 49.29 N SE: 081 15 32.07 W, 31 27 44.35 N SW: 081 17 43.82 W, 31 27 44.35 N b. Physiographic Region: GCE1 -- Lower coastal plain GCE2 -- Barrier island GCE3 -- Barrier island GCE4 -- Lower coastal plain GCE5 -- Barrier island GCE6 -- Barrier island GCE7 -- Lower coastal plain GCE8 -- Lower coastal plain GCE9 -- Barrier island GCE10 -- Barrier island c. Landform Components: GCE1 -- Intertidal salt marsh bordering maritime forest GCE2 -- Intertidal salt marsh GCE3 -- Intertidal salt marsh, mud flat, and maritime forest GCE4 -- Intertidal salt marsh bordering maritime forest GCE5 -- Intertidal salt marsh GCE6 -- Intertidal salt marsh, sand beach, maritime forest GCE7 -- Freshwater tidal marsh, devegetated fields GCE8 -- Brackish tidal marsh GCE9 -- Intertidal salt marsh GCE10 -- Intertidal salt marsh bordering maritime forest d. Hydrographic Characteristics: GCE1 -- Site contains the upper reaches of the Sapelo River, and is subject to 2-3m semi-diurnal tides GCE2 -- Site contains the Sapelo River and associated tidal creeks, and is subject to 2-3m semi-diurnal tides GCE3 -- Site includes Sapelo Sound and portions of Blackbeard Creek, and is subject to 2-3m semi-diurnal tides GCE4 -- Site includes Hudson Creek and is subject to 2-3m semi-diurnal tides GCE5 -- Site contains the Folly River and borders Doboy Sound, and is subject to 2-3m semi-diurnal tides GCE6 -- Site contains Dean Creek and borders Doboy Sound, and is subject to 2-3m semi-diurnal tides GCE7 -- Site contains Hammersmith Creek and borders the South Champney River, and is subject to 2-3m semi-diurnal tides GCE8 -- Site contains the Altamaha River, and is subject to 2-3m semi-diurnal tides GCE9 -- Site contains Crooked Creek and borders the Little Mud River, and is subject to 2-3m semi-diurnal tides GCE10 -- Site borders the Mud River and contains tidal creeks and the upper reach of the Duplin River, and is subject to 2-3m semi-diurnal tides e. Topographic Attributes: GCE1 -- Flat, with elevations ranging from 0-3m above mean low tide GCE2 -- Flat, with elevations ranging from 0-3m above mean low tide GCE3 -- Flat, with elevations ranging from 0-3m above mean low tide GCE4 -- Flat, with elevations ranging from 0-3m above mean low tide GCE5 -- Flat, with elevations ranging from 0-3m above mean low tide GCE6 -- Flat, with elevations ranging from 0-3m above mean low tide GCE7 -- Flat, with elevations ranging from 0-3m above mean low tide GCE8 -- Flat, with elevations ranging from 0-3m above mean low tide GCE9 -- Flat, with elevations ranging from 0-3m above mean low tide GCE10 -- Flat, with elevations ranging from 0-3m above mean low tide f. Geology, Lithology and Soils: GCE1 -- unspecified GCE2 -- unspecified GCE3 -- unspecified GCE4 -- unspecified GCE5 -- unspecified GCE6 -- unspecified GCE7 -- unspecified GCE8 -- unspecified GCE9 -- unspecified GCE10 -- unspecified g. Vegetation Communities: GCE1 -- Vegetation is 3/4 Juncus and 1/4 Spartina alterniflora, and upland area is heavily forested. GCE2 -- Spartina alterniflora all tall or medium. GCE3 -- Short and tall Spartina alterniflora, very small amounts of Juncus. GCE4 -- Vegetation is 1/4 Juncus, 3/4 medium and tall Spartina alterniflora. GCE5 -- Dominated by short and medium Spartina alterniflora, with areas of taller S. alterniflora near several small creeks. GCE6 -- Vegetation is mostly short and tall Spartina alterniflora, with small amounts of Juncus and Borrichia. GCE7 -- dominated by Zizaniopsis GCE8 -- Fringe of tall Spartina alterniflora and S. cynosuroides at creek banks. High marsh has narrow band of medium height S. alterniflora backed by vast expanses of Juncus. GCE9 -- Low marsh is tall Spartina alterniflora, high marsh has a small amount of medium Spartina alterniflora and lots of Juncus. Some hammocks with upland vegetation. GCE10 -- Vegetation mostly tall and medium Spartina alterniflora, with some Juncus present. Upland heavily forested. h. History of Land Use and Disturbance: GCE1 -- Oct 01, 2000: Permanent plots were established in two nominal marsh zones based on marsh structure -- creek zone and high marsh -- and eight plots were randomly located in each zone and marked with stakes. Oct 01, 2001: Plots were examined for signs of disturbance by wrack inundation, animal activity, and creek bank erosion. No significant disturbance was observed, and no plots were replaced. GCE2 -- Oct 01, 2000: Permanent plots were established in two nominal marsh zones based on marsh structure -- creek zone and high marsh -- and eight plots were randomly located in each zone and marked with stakes. Oct 01, 2001: Plots were examined for signs of disturbance by wrack inundation, animal activity, and creek bank erosion. Plot C6 was disturbed by wrack and Plots C3 and C4 were disturbed by creekbank slumping. Not plots were lost and none were replaced. GCE3 -- Oct 01, 2000: Permanent plots were established in two nominal marsh zones based on marsh structure -- creek zone and high marsh -- and eight plots were randomly located in each zone and marked with stakes. Oct 01, 2001: Plots were examined for signs of disturbance by wrack inundation, animal activity, and creek bank erosion. No significant disturbance was observed, and no plots were replaced. GCE4 -- Oct 01, 2000: Permanent plots were established in two nominal marsh zones based on marsh structure -- creek zone and high marsh -- and eight plots were randomly located in each zone and marked with stakes. Oct 01, 2001: Plots were examined for signs of disturbance by wrack inundation, animal activity, and creek bank erosion. No significant disturbance was observed, and no plots were replaced. GCE5 -- Oct 01, 2000: Permanent plots were established in two nominal marsh zones based on marsh structure -- creek zone and high marsh -- and eight plots were randomly located in each zone and marked with stakes. Oct 01, 2001: Plots were examined for signs of disturbance by wrack inundation, animal activity, and creek bank erosion. No significant disturbance was observed, and no plots were replaced. GCE6 -- Oct 01, 2000: Permanent plots were established in two nominal marsh zones based on marsh structure -- creek zone and high marsh -- and eight plots were randomly located in each zone and marked with stakes Oct 01, 2001: Plots were examined for signs of disturbance by wrack inundation, animal activity, and creek bank erosion. The following plots were lost due to catastrophic disturbance and replaced with new plots as indicated: zone 1, plot 3 (not replaced). GCE7 -- Oct 01, 2000: Permanent plots were established in two nominal marsh zones based on marsh structure -- creek zone and high marsh -- and eight plots were randomly located in each zone and marked with stakes Oct 01, 2001: Plots were examined for signs of disturbance by wrack inundation, animal activity, and creek bank erosion. No significant disturbance was observed, and no plots were replaced. GCE8 -- Oct 01, 2000: Permanent plots were established in two nominal marsh zones based on marsh structure -- creek zone and high marsh -- and eight plots were randomly located in each zone and marked with stakes Oct 01, 2001: Plots were examined for signs of disturbance by wrack inundation, animal activity, and creek bank erosion. The following plots were lost due to catastrophic disturbance and replaced with new plots as indicated: zone 1 plots 5, 6, 7, 8 (added new plots 15, 16, 17, 18). New plots were not in exactly the same locations as lost plots, and so have new numbers. GCE9 -- Oct 01, 2000: Permanent plots were established in two nominal marsh zones based on marsh structure -- creek zone and high marsh -- and eight plots were randomly located in each zone and marked with stakes. Oct 01, 2001: Plots were examined for signs of disturbance by wrack inundation, animal activity, and creek bank erosion. The following plots were lost due to catastrophic disturbance and replaced with new plots as indicated: zone 1, plot 4 (added new plot 14). New plots were not in exactly the same locations as lost plots, and so have new numbers. GCE10 -- Oct 01, 2000: Permanent plots were established in two nominal marsh zones based on marsh structure -- creek zone and high marsh -- and eight plots were randomly located in each zone and marked with stakes Oct 01, 2001: Plots were examined for signs of disturbance by wrack inundation, animal activity, and creek bank erosion. No significant disturbance was observed, and no plots were replaced. i. Climate: Climate summary for Sapelo Island, Georgia, based on NWS data from 1980-2010: Daily-aggregated Values: Mean (sample standard deviation) mean air temperature: 20.09°C (7.28°C) minimum air temperature: 15.02°C (7.96°C) maximum air temperature: 24.82°C (6.98°C) total precipitation: 3.26mm (10.3mm) Yearly-aggregated Daily Values: Mean (sample standard deviation) total precipitation (1980-2010): 1124mm (266mm) 2. Experimental or Sampling Design a. Design Characteristics: Shoots or leaves (Juncus) were collected adjacent to permanent plots in each marsh zone (creek bank and high marsh) by clipping at the soil surface. Dead leaves were removed from shoots prior to analysis. b. Permanent Plots: Permanent plots were established in the marsh areas at each GCE sampling site in October, 2000. Each site was divided into two nominal zones based on marsh structure -- creek zone and high marsh -- and eight plots were randomly located in each zone and marked with stakes. Plots are visually inspected prior to each annual survey for signs of disturbance by wrack inundation, wildlife activity, and creekbank erosion. Plots lost due to catastrophic disturbance are replaced with new plots in different locations within the same marsh zone, which are assigned distinct plot numbers. (See history of plot disturbance in the site description section for details). c. Data Collection Duration and Frequency: Plants were selected randomly during a single sampling period. Beginning of Observations: Oct 14, 2002 End of Observations: Oct 08, 2002 3. Research Methods a. Field and Laboratory Methods: Method 1: Plant Measurement -- The taxon, shoot height, and flowering status was recorded for plants collected adjacent to the GCE permanent plots. For Juncus roemerianus and Juncus effusus leaves, only height and mass were recorded. For Zizaniopsis, only height, leaves and mass were recorded (no plants were flowering). Method 2: Dry Mass -- Plant samples were dried at 60°C for 3 days and then weighed to determine dry mass. b. Protocols: Method 1: none Method 2: none c. Instrumentation: Method 1: none Method 2: Drying oven Manufacturer: Fisher Scientific (Model: 750G) Electronic balance Parameter: mass d. Taxonomy and Systematics: Method 1: not specified Method 2: none e. Speclies List: f. Permit History: Method 1: none Method 2: none 4. Project Personnel a. Personnel: Steven C. Pennings b. Affiliations: University of Houston, Houston, Texas III. Data Set Status and Accessibility A. Status 1. Latest Update: 25-Mar-2021 2. Latest Archive Date: 16-Mar-2021 3. Latest Metadata Update: 25-Mar-2021 4. Data Verification Status: New submission B. Accessibility 1. Storage Location and Medium: Stored at GCE-LTER Data Management Office Dept. of Marine Sciences Univ. of Georgia Athens, GA 30602-3636 USA on media: electronic data download (WWW) or compact disk 2. Contact Person: Name: Adam Sapp Address: Department of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens, Georgia 30602 Country: USA Email: asapp@uga.edu 3. Copyright Restrictions: not copyrighted 4. Restrictions: This information is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (see: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The consumer of these data ("Data User" herein) has an ethical obligation to cite it appropriately in any publication that results from its use. The Data User should realize that these data may be actively used by others for ongoing research and that coordination may be necessary to prevent duplicate publication. The Data User is urged to contact the authors of these data if any questions about methodology or results occur. Where appropriate, the Data User is encouraged to consider collaboration or co-authorship with the authors. The Data User should realize that misinterpretation of data may occur if used out of context of the original study. While substantial efforts are made to ensure the accuracy of data and associated documentation, complete accuracy of data sets cannot be guaranteed. All data are made available "as is." The Data User should be aware, however, that data are updated periodically and it is the responsibility of the Data User to check for new versions of the data. The data authors and the repository where these data were obtained shall not be liable for damages resulting from any use or misinterpretation of the data. a. Release Date: Affiliates: Mar 16, 2021, Public: Mar 16, 2023 b. Citation: Data provided by the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research Project, supported by funds from NSF OCE 1832178 (data set PLT-GCEM-2011) c. Disclaimer: The user assumes all responsibility for errors in judgement based on interpretation of data and analyses presented in this data set. 5. Costs: free electronic data download via WWW, distribution on CD may be subject to nominal processing and handling fee IV. Data Structural Descriptors A. Data Set File 1. File Name: PLT-GCEM-2011_1_0.CSV 2. Size: 1139 records 3. File Format: ASCII text (comma-separated value format) 3a. Delimiters: single comma 4. Header Information: 5 lines of ASCII text 5. Alphanumeric Attributes: upper case 6. Quality Control Flag Codes: I = invalid value (out of range), Q = questionable value 7. Authentication Procedures: not specified 8. Calculations: 9. Processing History: Software version: GCE Data Toolbox Version 3.9.9b (06-Mar-2019) Data structure version: GCE Data Structure 1.1 (29-Mar-2001) Original data files processed: PLT-GCEM-0211b.TXT (967 records) PLT-GCEM-0711.TXT (121 records) submission.txt (51 records) Data processing history: 19-Nov-2002: new GCE Data Structure 1.1 created ('newstruct') 19-Nov-2002: 967 rows imported from ASCII data file 'PLT-GCEM-0211b.TXT' ('imp_ascii') 19-Nov-2002: 10 metadata fields in file header parsed ('parse_header') 19-Nov-2002: data structure validated ('gce_valid') 19-Nov-2002: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 19-Nov-2002: imported Data, Dataset, Project, Site, Study, Status, Supplement metadata descriptors from the GCE Metabase ('imp_gcemetadata') 19-Nov-2002: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 07-Apr-2003: edited structure data ('ui_datagrid'): changed 'Shoot_Height' row 716 from 11 to 110 07-Apr-2003: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 30-Oct-2003: imported Data, Dataset, Project, Site, Study, Status, Supplement metadata descriptors from the GCE Metabase ('imp_gcemetadata') 30-Oct-2003: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 08-Nov-2005: imported Dataset, Project, Site, Study, Status, Supplement metadata descriptors from the GCE Metabase ('imp_gcemetadata') 08-Nov-2005: updated 66 metadata fields in the Data, Dataset, Project, Site, Status, Study, Supplement sections ('imp_gcemetadata') 09-Nov-2011: manually edited data set metadata ('ui_editmetadata') 09-Nov-2011: variable type of column Zone edited ('ui_editor') 15-Nov-2011: imported Dataset, Project, Site, Study, Status, Supplement metadata descriptors from the GCE Metabase ('imp_gcemetadata') 15-Nov-2011: updated 57 metadata fields in the Dataset, Project, Site, Status, Study, Supplement sections ('imp_gcemetadata') 18-Nov-2011: imported Dataset, Project, Site, Study, Status, Supplement metadata descriptors from the GCE Metabase ('imp_gcemetadata') 18-Nov-2011: updated 57 metadata fields in the Dataset, Project, Site, Status, Study, Supplement sections ('imp_gcemetadata') 16-Mar-2021: edited structure data ('ui_datagrid'): changed 'Species_Code' row 364 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 365 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 366 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 367 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 368 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 369 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 370 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 371 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 372 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 373 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 374 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 375 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 376 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 377 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 378 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 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'Species_Code' row 826 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 827 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 828 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 829 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 830 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 831 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 832 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 833 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 834 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 835 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 836 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 837 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 838 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 839 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 840 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 841 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 842 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 843 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 844 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 845 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 846 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 847 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 848 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 849 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 850 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 851 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 852 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 853 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 854 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 855 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 856 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 857 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 858 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 859 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 860 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 861 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 862 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 863 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 864 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 865 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 866 from 'A2' to 'A1', changed 'Species_Code' row 867 from 'A2' to 'A1' 16-Mar-2021: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 16-Mar-2021: 121 rows added at the bottom of the data set from 'Plant allometry at GCE sampling site 8 in October, 2007' ('datamerge') 16-Mar-2021: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 16-Mar-2021: automatically assigned study date metadata descriptors based on the range of date values in date/time columns (add_studydates) 16-Mar-2021: 51 rows added at the bottom of the data set from 'Plant allometry at GCE sampling site 8 in October, 2007' ('datamerge') 16-Mar-2021: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 16-Mar-2021: automatically assigned study date metadata descriptors based on the range of date values in date/time columns (add_studydates) 16-Mar-2021: Q/C Criteria of column Year changed from 'x<2002='Q';x>2002='Q'' to 'x<2002='Q';x>2020='Q'';Precision of column Plant_Mass changed from 1 to ('ui_editor') 16-Mar-2021: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Year, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 16-Mar-2021: updated 1 metadata fields in the Dataset sections ('addmeta') 16-Mar-2021: imported Dataset, Project, Site, Study, Status, Supplement metadata descriptors from the GCE Metabase ('imp_gcemetadata') 16-Mar-2021: updated 57 metadata fields in the Dataset, Project, Site, Status, Study, Supplement sections ('addmeta') 25-Mar-2021: edited structure data ('ui_datagrid'): changed 'Zone' row 1089 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1090 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1091 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1092 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1093 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1094 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1095 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1096 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1097 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1098 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1099 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1100 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1101 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1102 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1103 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1104 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1105 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1106 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1107 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1108 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1109 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1110 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1111 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1112 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1113 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1114 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1115 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1116 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1117 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1118 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1119 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1120 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1121 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1122 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1123 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1124 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1125 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1126 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1127 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1128 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1129 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1130 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1131 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1132 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1133 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1134 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1135 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1136 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1137 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1138 from 2 to 1, changed 'Zone' row 1139 from 2 to 1 25-Mar-2021: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 25-Mar-2021: updated 6 metadata fields in the Data sections ('addmeta') 25-Mar-2021: updated 15 metadata fields in the Status, Data sections to reflect attribute metadata ('updatecols') 25-Mar-2021: parsed and formatted metadata ('listmeta') B. Variable Information 1. Variable Name: column 1. Year column 2. Month column 3. Day column 4. Site column 5. Zone column 6. Species_Code column 7. Shoot_Height column 8. Flowering_Status column 9. Leaf_Count column 10. Plant_Mass 2. Variable Definition: column 1. Year of observation column 2. Month of observation column 3. Day of observation column 4. GCE LTER sampling site column 5. Nominal marsh zone column 6. Plant species code column 7. Height of the plant shoot above the substrate column 8. Presence or absence of inflorescence column 9. Number of green leaves present on the plant at the time of collection column 10. Dry mass of the living plant material 3. Units of Measurement: column 1. YYYY column 2. M column 3. D column 4. none column 5. none column 6. none column 7. cm column 8. none column 9. count column 10. g 4. Data Type a. Storage Type: column 1. integer column 2. integer column 3. integer column 4. integer column 5. integer column 6. string column 7. floating-point column 8. integer column 9. integer column 10. floating-point b. Variable Codes: Species_Code: A1 = Spartina alterniflora, A2 = Spartina cynosuroides, A3 = Juncus Roemerianus, A4 = Zizaniopsis miliacea, A5 = Scirpus spp, A6 = Panicum spp, A7 = Typha spp Flowering_Status: 1 = flowering, 0 = not flowering, missing = not scored Zone: 1 = Creekbank, 2 = Mid-marsh c. Numeric Range: column 1. 2002 to 2020 column 2. 10 to 10 column 3. 7 to 20 column 4. 1 to 10 column 5. 1 to 2 column 6. (none) column 7. 15 to 331 column 8. 0 to 1 column 9. 1 to 45 column 10. 0.05 to 111.5 d. Missing Value Code: 5. Data Format a. Column Type: column 1. numerical column 2. numerical column 3. numerical column 4. numerical column 5. numerical column 6. text column 7. numerical column 8. numerical column 9. numerical column 10. numerical b. Number of Columns: 10 c. Decimal Places: column 1. 0 column 2. 0 column 3. 0 column 4. 0 column 5. 0 column 6. 0 column 7. 0 column 8. 0 column 9. 0 column 10. 2 6. Logical Variable Type: column 1. datetime (discrete) column 2. datetime (discrete) column 3. datetime (discrete) column 4. nominal (discrete) column 5. coded value (discrete) column 6. coded value (none) column 7. data (continuous) column 8. logical (discrete) column 9. data (discrete) column 10. data (continuous) 7. Flagging Criteria: column 1. x<2002="Q";x>2020="Q" column 2. x<1="I";x>12="I" column 3. x<1="I";x>31="I" column 4. x<1="I";x>10="Q" column 5. x<1="I";x>2="I" column 6. none column 7. x<0="I";x>400="Q" column 8. x<0="I";x>1="I" column 9. x<0="I" column 10. x<0="I" C. Data Anomalies: At site 1, small Juncus were not weighed accurately. Measurements may need to be repeated. V. Supplemental Descriptors A. Data Acquisition 1. Data Forms: unspecified 2. Form Location: unspecified 3. Data Entry Validation: unspecified B. Quality Assurance/Quality Control Procedures: QA/QC flags are generated automatically according to domain criteria specified for each data column. A flag column is generated and appended to the data table if any flags are assigned to any value, listing the flags for each column on each row. C. Supplemental Materials: unspecified D. Computer Programs: Microsoft Excel 2002 E. Archival Practices: Data sets and documentation are stored in structured binary (Matlab 5.x files) and delimited ASCII text formats, and archived on magnetic tape and CD at the GCE LTER Information Management Office at the University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA F. Publications: not specified G. History of Data Set Usage 1. Data Request History: not specified 2. Data Set Update History: none 3. Review History: none 4. Questions and Comments from Users: none