Terrestrial Gradient Litterfall Dry Mass, Coweeta LTER, 1994-2017

This project was started by Haines and Crossley in 1992 to compare leaf litter weights among the five gradient plots (though data from the first collections were not included in this dataset because the original dataset did not represent a complete quarter of collection). Litter is collected from ten 0.92x0.92 m leaf collectors within each of the gradient plots. Litter is collected on a quarterly basis (monthly in the autumn). The litter is then separated by category, dried, weighed, and processed in a Wiley mill for later nutrient analyses. Since the project first started, the collection process has expanded to include non-leaf litter (e.g., lichens, bark, and seeds), fine twigs (0-2.5 cm diameter), and medium twigs (2.5-10 cm diameter).