| Title: |
Urban-Rural Gradient Ecology
Program (URGE)
|
| Objective: |
To study the long-term influences of urbanization on forest
ecosystem structure and function. |
| Year Established: |
1988 |
| Year Completed: |
expected to continue |
| Site Description: |
Bronx County, NY.; Westchester County, NY.; Litchfield County,
CT. |
| Statistical Design: |
140 km transect from Bronx, NY. to Litchfield County CT. Additional
plots setup in New York City by the Institute of Ecosystem Studies
which, with permission, are accessible by USDA Forest Service. |
| Likelihood of Locating Study Areas: |
100% |
| Experimental Treatments: |
presently in development |
| Sampling Methods: |
Permanent plots 20m X 20m in size are marked with metal markers
positioned on plot corners which can be found by a metal detector. |
| Variables and Sampling Frequency: |
Program Established 1992.
Vegetation characteristics (spp., stem diameter, height, etc.,):
collected every 5 years.
Nutrient cycling process (N mineralization, trace gases),
leaf litter inputs, soil properties, soil fauna (densities
by functional group): collected during growing seasons of
1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, etc., assuming funds are available.
|
| QA/QC Practices: |
Consistent field personnel training |
| Data Storage: |
SAS - summarized
Quattro Pro spreadsheet - raw
5 HD 3.5" diskettes to date. |
| Global Change Research Applications: |
Mechanistic Studies of Physiological Process of Trees as Affected
by Multiple Stresses
Studies of Ecosystem Processes
Landscape Scale Studies
Social Interactions and Economics |
| Data Availability: |
unknown |
| Publications and Reports: |
none to date. |
| Contact: |
Jack Stevens, USDA Forest Service, c/o State Univ. of New
York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 5 Moon
Library, Syracuse NY 13210. (315) 448-3211 |
| Cooperation: |
Richard Pouyat, NY Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Cary Arboretum,
Box AB, Millbrook, NY 12545-0129. (914) 677-5343 |
