+------------------------------------------------------------------+ | JORNADA LTER | | New Mexico State University | | Data Set Documentation Form | +------------------------------------------------------------------+ All Jornada Desert Site NSF/LTER data sets must be documented on the following form. This applies to any data set intended for permanent archiving. All raw data sets collected under the auspices of the Jornada NSF/LTER Program will be described by the following standardized form. Information that is not available at this time, must be included when available. See data manager for any questions regarding this form. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) Data set access (RESTRICTED or UNRESTRICTED): --------------------------------------------- UNRESTRICTED 2) Data set title: --------------- Arthropod trophic group composition data 3) Project title: -------------- Arthropod species composition from LVAR creosotebush study 4) Responsible investigator(s): ---------------------------- D.C. Lightfoot 5) Date data collection commenced (mm/dd/yyyy): -------------------------------------------- 04/01/1985 6) Date data collection terminated (mm/dd/yyyy or ONGOING): -------------------------------------------------------- 04/01/1986 7) Expected duration of study: --------------------------- two years 8) Frequency of measurement: ------------------------- once per year 9) Researchers: (Personnel who will be obtaining data and who would need to be contacted directly if there is a problem in the raw data): ---------------------------------------------------------------- D.C. Lightfoot 10) Methods of recording (field data sheets, instrumental, etc.): ---------------------------------------------------------------- data sheets 11) Site location (Describe in sufficient detail that the site can be relocated): ---------------------------------------------------------------- *The plots, approximately 1 ha each and designated A through E, were selected randomly from a 1.0 by 0.5 km area within a creosotbush stand situated on a gradually sloping east-facing alluvial slope below the Dona Ana mountains. Creosotebush was teh dominant shrub in the area, associated with less abundant subshrubs and a variety of small annual forbs. (These five plots were randomly located between Whitford's upper storage trailer and old LTWN plots.) 12) Data set description (State the hypothesis and / or objectives which collection of data set addresses): ---------------------------------------------------------------- *We conducted a field study to test the hypothesis that creosotebush (Larrea tridentata) shrubs growing in naturally nutrient-rich sites had better quality foliage and supported greater populations of foliage arthropods than shrubs growing in nutrient-poor sites. This is data for foliage arthropods sampled from LVAR creosotebush shrubs. Sampling was done in April of 1985 and 1986. Shrubs were sampled from 5 separate sites designated A-E. 10 shrubs of 3 different types, R=random, H=high quality, L=low quality were sampled at each site. Total numbers of taxa and individuals of each major trophic group, herbivores, predators, omnivores, from each of the 30 shrubs/site are listed. 13) Attributes measured: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Variable name: blank Number of columns between fields CCCCCCCC See attribute description Format: C = character (C3: Three characters [XXX]) I = integer (I2: Integer with two places [##]) F = floating point (F4.2: Total places with decimal point = 4, with 2 decimal places. [#.##]) Variable code: * See attribute description listing See external listing of variable codes N/A = Not applicable VARIABLE MEASURED VARIABLE NAME FORMAT UNITS CODE ATTRIBUTE DESCRIPTION -------- -------- -------- -------- ------------------------- DATE I2 N/A N/A Year (ie. 86 = 1986) PLOT C1 N/A A-E Plot Id TYPE C1 N/A R Random Shrub H High-Quality Shrub L Low-Quality Shrub SHRUB# I2 N/A 1-10 Shrub number CHEWTAX I2 N/A N/A Number of Chewing arthropod taxa per shrub (herbivores) CHEW# I2 N/A N/A Number of Chewing arthropod individuals per shrub (herbivores) SUCKTAX I2 N/A N/A Number of sucking arthropod taxa per shrub (herbivores) SUCK# I3 N/A N/A Number of sucking arthropod individuals per shrub (herbivores) PREDTAX I2 N/A N/A Number of predatious arthropod taxa per shrub PRED# I2 N/A N/A Number of predatious arthropod individuals per shrub OMNITAX I1 N/A N/A Number of omnivorous arthropod taxa per shrub OMNI# I2 N/A N/A Number of omnivorous arthropod individuals per shrub 14) Missing or questionable values (describe how these are represented in the data set): ---------------------------------------------------------------- Missing values represented by '.' 15) Methodology (Provide sufficient detail such that an unaware reader could repeat the described data collection procedures.) ---------------------------------------------------------------- *Thirty shrub were selected for sampling from each of the five plots. To test for differences in foliage characteristics and arthropod densities between nutrient-rich and nutrient-poor shrubs, we selected 10 high nutrient shrubs and 10 low nutrient shrubs in each plot. Shrub nutrient status was determined on the basis of the relative size of leaf litter accumulations on the ground beneath shrub canopies. Ten shrubs were selected at random from each plot prior to selecting different type shrubs, to provide us with measures of natural variablity of shrub characteristics and foliage arthropods. Foliage arthropods were sampled form each of the 150 shrubs on May 2, 1986. Three branches were selected randomly from each shrub and shaken into an insect sweep net. A consistent-sized branch of 50 cm in length was sampled each time to provide a standardized sample from each shrub, regardless of shrub size. The contents of three branch samples per shrub were combined into one zip-lock plastic storage bag and taken to the lab, frozen, and later sorted. Field sampling was done in the morning at sunrise. As in our previous work, we classified arthropods into trophic groups, or guilds of taxa that had simliar morphological feeding mechanisms and fed on similar food resources. 16) Key literature (Citations that describe sampling procedures, [reference of a published paper, thesis, etc.]): ---------------------------------------------------------------- Lightfoot, David C., and Walter G. Whitford. 1989. Interplant variation in creosotebush foliage characteristics and canopy arthropods. Oecologia 81: 166-75. 17) Keywords (keywords that describe data set; maximum of 10): ---------------------------------------------------------------- Creosotebush, Larrea tridentata, foliage arthropods, phytophagous insects, plant-insect interactions, guild, trophic groups, herbivores, predators, omnivores 18) Treatment of data: (List any programs used in analysis of the data): [Note: Programs should be appended and stored with this form.] ---------------------------------------------------------------- 19) Associated computer accounts: ---------------------------------------------------------------- 20) Files associated with this data set: ---------------------------------------------------------------- A) Metadata files FILE NAME DESCRIPTION OF FILES ------------ ----------------------------------------------- LARARTH.PRJ Project file documention LTROPHIC.DSD Data documentation file ------------ ----------------------------------------------- B) Data files FILE NAME DESCRIPTION OF FILES ------------ ----------------------------------------------- LTROPHIC.DAT Arthropod trophic group composition data ------------ ----------------------------------------------- C) Data entry, verification, and analysis files FILE NAME DESCRIPTION OF FILES ------------ ----------------------------------------------- ------------ ----------------------------------------------- D) Other (Any other related files.) FILE NAME DESCRIPTION OF FILES ------------ ----------------------------------------------- LTRO.DOC Original data documentation (Wordstar) LTRO.WS Original data documentation (ASCII) ------------ ----------------------------------------------- 21) Comments (Include any comments here that more fully describe this data set): ---------------------------------------------------------------- *Taken from Lighfoot and Whitford (1989); see key literature. 22) Data set documentation history log: ---------------------------------------------------------------- Data set title - Arthropod trophic group composition data Data set file name - LTROPHIC.DSD ---------------------------------------------------------------- mm/dd/yyyy - Date of Comment Int - Initials of person making Comment KJL = Kevin J. La Fleur JPA = John P. Anderson MAB = Michelle A. Buonopane Changes/Updates - List any changes made to document mm/dd/yyyy Int Changes/Updates ---------- --- ----------------------------------------------- 08/02/2002 MAB Updated documentation to new form. ------------------------------------------------------------------- END OF DATA SET FILE -------------------------------------------------------------------