Marcell Experimental Forest seasonal soil moisture, 1966 - ongoing

Metadata:
Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Dymond, Salli F.
Originator: Kyllander, Richard L.
Originator: Elling, Arthur E.
Originator: Verry, Elon S.
Originator: Roman, Daniel T.
Originator: Burdick, Jacob M.
Originator: Lany, Nina K.
Originator: Kolka, Randall K.
Originator: Sebestyen, Stephen D.
Publication_Date: 2021
Title:
Marcell Experimental Forest seasonal soil moisture, 1966 - ongoing
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: tabular digital data
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Fort Collins, CO
Publisher: Forest Service Research Data Archive
Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2021-0019
Description:
Abstract:
This data publication contains available soil water measured three times a year (1966 - ongoing) at the Marcell Experimental Forest (MEF). These data came from six peatland / upland forest watersheds instrumented for long-term hydrological and biogeochemical research. The Marcell Experimental Forest in Itasca County, Minnesota is operated and maintained by the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, and was formally established in 1962 to study the ecology and hydrology of peatlands.
Purpose:
The Marcell Experimental Forest was formally established in 1962. The MEF contains six watersheds (and other study sites), each consisting of an upland portion and a peatland that is the source of a stream leaving the watershed. The watersheds and environmental monitoring at the MEF are part of a long-term research program on the hydrology and biogeochemistry of watersheds with uplands and northern peatlands (Kolka et al. 2011).
Supplemental_Information:
Additional information about the MEF, its instrumentation, and data can be found at https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/ef/marcell/ and in Sebestyen et al. (2011).
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 19660914
Ending_Date: 20191116
Currentness_Reference:
Ground condition
Status:
Progress: Planned
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: Irregular
Spatial_Domain:
Description_of_Geographic_Extent:
The USDA Forest Service Marcell Experimental Forest (MEF) is an 1140-hectare tract of land located 40 kilometers north of Grand Rapids in Balsam Township, Itasca County, Minnesota, USA.

Additional Coordinates (longitude, latitude in decimal degrees):
S2S Location (-93.47102, 47.51368)
S3W Location (-93.46553, 47.52847)
S4S Location (-93.48633, 47.55753)
S4W Location (-93.48883, 47.55825)
S5 Location (-93.47723, 47.56318)
S6N Location (-93.46940, 47.51988)
S6S Location (-93.47058, 47.51940)
S1N Location (-93.45060, 47.51102)
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -93.50
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -93.45
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 47.57
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 47.50
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category
Theme_Keyword: inlandWaters
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: National Research & Development Taxonomy
Theme_Keyword: Ecology, Ecosystems, & Environment
Theme_Keyword: Natural Resource Management & Use
Theme_Keyword: Inventory, Monitoring, & Analysis
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: hydrology
Theme_Keyword: soil water content
Theme_Keyword: soil moisture
Theme_Keyword: peatland
Theme_Keyword: bogs
Theme_Keyword: fens
Theme_Keyword: wetland
Theme_Keyword: soil bulk density
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Place_Keyword: Marcell Experimental Forest
Place_Keyword: Minnesota
Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints:
These data were collected using funding from the U.S. Government and can be used without additional permissions or fees. If you use these data in a publication, presentation, or other research product please use the following citation:

Dymond, Salli F.; Kyllander, Richard L.; Elling, Arthur E.; Verry, Elon S.; Roman, Daniel T.; Burdick, Jacob M.; Lany, Nina K.; Kolka, Randall K.; Sebestyen, Stephen D. 2021. Marcell Experimental Forest seasonal soil moisture, 1966 - ongoing. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2021-0019
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Stephen Sebestyen
Contact_Organization: USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station
Contact_Position: Research Hydrologist
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: 1831 Hwy 169 East
City: Grand Rapids
State_or_Province: MN
Postal_Code: 55744-3399
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 218-326-71082
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: stephen.sebestyen@usda.gov
Data_Set_Credit:
Funding for this project provided by USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station.

Others we would like to credit for their work with these data: Clarence Hawkinson and Carrie Dorrance.
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Dymond, Salli F.
Originator: Kyllander, Richard L.
Originator: Elling, Arthur E.
Originator: Verry, Elon S.
Originator: Roman, Daniel T.
Originator: Burdick, Jacob M.
Originator: Lany, Nina K.
Originator: Kolka, Randall K.
Originator: Sebestyen, Stephen D.
Publication_Date: 2020
Title:
Marcell Experimental Forest seasonal soil moisture, 1966 - ongoing
Edition: ver. 1
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: tabular digital data
Publication_Information:
Publisher: Environmental Data Initiative
Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/2c25a55d7cc8d707dc924d94227925c1
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Kolka, Randall K.
Originator: Sebestyen, Stephen D.
Originator: Bradford, John B.
Publication_Date: 2011
Title:
Chapter 3: An evolving research agenda at the Marcell Experimental Forest
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: book chapter
Other_Citation_Details:
pages 73-91
Online_Linkage: https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/37980
Larger_Work_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Kolka, Randall K. (Ed.)
Originator: Sebestyen, Stephen D. (Ed.)
Originator: Verry, Elon S. (Ed.)
Originator: Brooks, Kenneth N. (Ed.)
Publication_Date: 2011
Title:
Peatland biogeochemistry and watershed hydrology at the Marcell Experimental Forest
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: book
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Boca Raton, FL
Publisher: CRC Press
Other_Citation_Details:
512 pages
Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.1201/b10708
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Sebestyen, Stephen D.
Originator: Dorrance, Carrie
Originator: Olson, Donna M.
Originator: Verry, Elon S.
Originator: Kolka, Randall K.
Originator: Elling, Art E.
Originator: Kyllander, Richard
Publication_Date: 2011
Title:
Chapter 2: Long-term monitoring sites and trends at the Marcell Experimental Forest
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: book chapter
Other_Citation_Details:
pages 15-71
Online_Linkage: https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/37979
Larger_Work_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Kolka, Randall K. (Ed.)
Originator: Sebestyen, Stephen D. (Ed.)
Originator: Verry, Elon S. (Ed.)
Originator: Brooks, Kenneth N. (Ed.)
Publication_Date: 2011
Title:
Peatland biogeochemistry and watershed hydrology at the Marcell Experimental Forest
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: book
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Boca Raton, FL
Publisher: CRC Press
Other_Citation_Details:
512 pages
Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.1201/b10708
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Data_Quality_Information:
Attribute_Accuracy:
Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
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 these data. The Data User should realize that misinterpretation of data may occur if used out of context of the original study.
Logical_Consistency_Report:
unknown
Completeness_Report:
There are some missing data, which are denoted as NA = not recorded.
Lineage:
Methodology:
Methodology_Type: Field
Methodology_Description:
Soil water content was monitored at 10 permanent soil water tube sites on the experimental forest. The total number of sites was as high as 14 over the years, but some were only measured for a short time. Each site had a 3.8 centimeter (cm) (inside diameter) aluminum access tube installed vertically into the soil. Tube bottoms were sealed with aluminum and the tops were sealed with rubber stoppers so water would not enter the tube at any point. Soil profiles for the sites were selected so that a large range of soil textures would be encountered. All were upland sites and the soils ranged from sand to clay till. Most sites went to a depth of 3 meters (m), but a few were shorter because of problems with installation in rocky soils.

Bulk Density and 15 bar wilting point constants were measured for each depth only at time of soil tube installation. The top 15.24 cm (6 inches) of soil was sampled with split ring cores. The rest of the soil profile down to 3 m (10 feet) was sampled at 0.3 m (1 foot) intervals with a King Tube soil sampler. The samples were dried in an oven at 105 degrees Celsius (C) and the sample weight was divided by the sample volume to determine bulk density in grams per cubic centimeter. The wilting point for each soil horizon was determined in the lab using a porous plate and calculating the water content left after 15 bar of suction had been applied to each soil sample. These data are included in the file 'BulkDensity.csv'.

A Troxler Series 4300 Depth Moisture Gauge was used from 1990 through present to obtain percent volumetric soil water content at each time of reading. A 60 second, or one-minute count time was used for each reading, with a +/- 0.24 percent precision on all volumetric soil water content readings. Prior to 1990, a Troxler Model 105 Depth moisture gauge was used.

Readings were taken each year in mid May just prior to leaf out of trees, late September at the time of leaf off, and early November at the time of freeze up. The readings were taken at 1 foot (0.3 m) depth intervals to a maximum depth of 3 meters. The gauge had a radioactive source in it, so it was subject to very strict rules and regulations from the USDA Radiation Safety Staff for storage, transportation and use. There were also strict leak testing and reporting procedures. The gauge was not capable of measuring the top 15.2 cm of soil, so a T Bar sampler was used to collect mineral soil samples from three randomly selected points around the access tubes from 0 to 15 cm. The soil samples were placed into separate aluminum soil cans. The cans were brought back to the lab and weighed prior to and after oven drying for 48 hours at 105 degrees C to obtain a gravimetric moisture content of that top 15 cm layer; gravimetric moisture was then converted to volumetric moisture based on the known mass and volume of the sampled soil.

Percent volumetric soil moisture data were converted to the amount of water in cm available by first multiplying the percent soil moisture by the measurement depth increment and then subtracting the 15 bar wilting point constants in each of four measurement depths: 0-45.72 cm, 0-76.2 cm, 0-137.16 cm, and 0-228.6 cm.

For more information on study sites and methods see Sebestyen et al. (2011).
Methodology_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Sebestyen, Stephen D.
Originator: Dorrance, Carrie
Originator: Olson, Donna M.
Originator: Verry, Elon S.
Originator: Kolka, Randall K.
Originator: Elling, Art E.
Originator: Kyllander, Richard
Publication_Date: 2011
Title:
Chapter 2: Long-term monitoring sites and trends at the Marcell Experimental Forest
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Book Chapter
Other_Citation_Details:
pages 15-71
Online_Linkage: https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/37979
Larger_Work_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Kolka, Randall K. (Ed.)
Originator: Sebestyen, Stephen D. (Ed.)
Originator: Verry, Elon S. (Ed.)
Originator: Brooks, Kenneth N. (Ed.)
Publication_Date: 2011
Title:
Peatland biogeochemistry and watershed hydrology at the Marcell Experimental Forest
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: book
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Boca Raton, FL
Publisher: CRC Press
Other_Citation_Details:
512 pages
Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.1201/b10708
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
See methodology section.
Process_Date: Unknown
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Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Overview_Description:
Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
Below you will find a list and description of the files included in this data publication.

DATA FILES (2)

1. \Data\BulkDensity.csv: Comma-delimited ASCII text file containing bulk density and 15 bar water retention at time of tube installation.

VARIABLES:

watershed = catchment identifier (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6)

LOCATION = sampling location, where:
S1S = S1 watershed, south section
S2W = S2 watershed, west section
S3E = S3 watershed, east section
S3W = S3 watershed, west section
S4S = S4 watershed, south section
S5 = S5 watershed
S1N = S1 watershed, north section
S2E = S2 watershed, east section
S6N = S6 watershed, north section
S2S = S2 watershed, south section
S4E = S4 watershed, east section
S4W = S4 watershed, west section
S6 = S6 watershed
S6S = S6 watershed, south section

horizon = horizon name, where
d.15 = 0-15 centimeters (cm) horizon
d.46 = 15-46 cm horizon
d.76 = 46-76 cm horizon
d.107 = 76-107 cm horizon
d.137 = 107-137 cm horizon
d.168 = 137-168 cm horizon
d.198 = 168-198 cm horizon
d.229 = 198-229 cm horizon
d.259 = 229-259 cm horizon
d.290 = 259-290 cm horizon
d.320 = 290-320 cm horizon

horizonTop = depth to the top of the horizon (cm)

horizonBottom = depth to the bottom of the horizon (cm)

bulkDensity = soil bulk density at the time of tube installation (grams per cubic cm)

H2O_1500kPa = amount of soil water retention at the 15 bar wilting point for the horizon in kilopascals


2. \Data\MEF_seasonal_soil_moisture.csv: Comma-delimited ASCII text file containing seasonal soil moisture by horizon at the Marcell Experimental Forest collected from 1966 - ongoing. (NA = not recorded)

VARIABLES:

DATE = sampling date (YYYY-MM-DD)

LOCATION = sampling location, where:
S1S = S1 watershed, south section
S2W = S2 watershed, west section
S3E = S3 watershed, east section
S3W = S3 watershed, west section
S4S = S4 watershed, south section
S5 = S5 watershed
S1N = S1 watershed, north section
S2E = S2 watershed, east section
S6N = S6 watershed, north section
S2S = S2 watershed, south section
S4E = S4 watershed, east section
S4W = S4 watershed, west section
S6 = S6 watershed
S6S = S6 watershed, south section

d.15 = Soil moisture 0-15 centimeter (cm) horizon (cm)

d.46 = Soil moisture 15-46 cm horizon (cm)

d.76 = Soil moisture 46-76 cm horizon (cm)

d.107 = Soil moisture 76-107 cm horizon (cm)

d.137 = Soil moisture 107-137 cm horizon (cm)

d.168 = Soil moisture 137-168 cm horizon (cm)

d.198 = Soil moisture 168-198 cm horizon (cm)

d.229 = Soil moisture 198-229 cm horizon (cm)

d.259 = Soil moisture 229-259 cm horizon (cm)

d.290 = Soil moisture 259-290 cm horizon (cm)

d.320 = Soil moisture 290-320 cm horizon (cm)


SUPPLEMENTAL FILES (1)

1. Supplements\Troxler.jpg: JPEG image file containing an image of the Troxler series 4300 depth moisture gauge attached to a 1.5 inch aluminum soil water tube in watershed S2. Photo taken at the Marcell Experimental Forest by Molly Cavaleri (2002).
Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
none provided
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Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: USDA Forest Service, Research and Development
Contact_Position: Research Data Archivist
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: 240 West Prospect Road
City: Fort Collins
State_or_Province: CO
Postal_Code: 80526
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: see Contact Instructions
Contact Instructions: This contact information was current as of February 2021. For current information see Contact Us page on: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS.
Resource_Description: RDS-2021-0019
Distribution_Liability:
Metadata documents have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness. Unless otherwise stated, all data and related materials are considered to satisfy the quality standards relative to the purpose for which these data were collected. However, neither the author, the Archive, nor any part of the federal government can assure the reliability or suitability of these data for a particular purpose. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed for a user's application of these data or related materials.

The metadata, data, or related materials may be updated without notification. If a user believes errors are present in the metadata, data or related materials, please use the information in (1) Identification Information: Point of Contact, (2) Metadata Reference: Metadata Contact, or (3) Distribution Information: Distributor to notify the author or the Archive of the issues.
Standard_Order_Process:
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name: ASCII
Format_Version_Number: see Format Specification
Format_Specification:
Comma-delimited ASCII text file (CSV)
File_Decompression_Technique: Files zipped with 7-Zip 19.0
Digital_Transfer_Option:
Online_Option:
Computer_Contact_Information:
Network_Address:
Network_Resource_Name: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2021-0019
Fees: None
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Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20210225
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Nina Lany
Contact_Organization: USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station
Contact_Position: Data Manager
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: 271 Mast Road
City: Durham
State_or_Province: NH
Postal_Code: 03824-0640
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 603-868-7792
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: nina.lany@usda.gov
Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Biological Data Profile of the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001.1-1999
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