Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER)/CDR016: Old Field Allocation Survey (OFALLOC) at Cedar Creek Natural History Area

LTER - Long-Term Ecological Research Program/Cedar Creek Natural
History Area (CDR)

LTER/CDR016 [Summary adapted from the LTER Core Data Set Catalog]:

Objective: to assess biomass allocation trends in the field in
relation to gradients of successional age and soil nitrogen. Methods:
the objective was approached in three ways: A) 37 old fields of
various ages were surveyed for aboveground and belowground biomass,
soil N, and light penetration. Five strips (1 m x 10 cm) were clipped
in each field for aboveground biomass (sorted to grasses and forbs;
will be sorted to leaf and stem), and three root cores (to 30 cm)
taken per strip (rinsed, dried, and weighed). Two light measurements
and one pooled N sample (three cores; available and total N) were
taken per strip. B) 35 abundant species of known successional status
were harvested from the field (usually 15 individuals per species),
including roots contained in a core 20 x 30 cm, dried, sorted to stem,
leaf, and root, and weighed. These data can be combined with the old
field survey results (CDR010) to estimate successional trends in
allocation. C) Root cores will be taken from microplots in fields A,
B, C, and D, all treatments. This will be an estimate of root biomass
to be combined with the aboveground samples (CDR001) to assess
root/shoot trends in response to manipulation of soil N in fields of
different age.

Proprietary limits: Investigators have priority over data for
five years, but are interested in collaboration for novel comparisons before
then.

The Cedar Creek Natural History Area (CCNHA) is a 2200 hectare
experimental ecological reserve operated by the University of
Minnesota in cooperation with the Minnesota Academy of Sciences. CCNHA
is located in Anoka and Isanti Counties north of Minneapolis/St. Paul.
The site was established in 1940, was designated a National Natural
Landmark by the National Park Service in 1975. In 1977 it was included
as an Experimental Ecology Reserve in a proposed network, and in 1982
it was one of 11 sites in the U.S. selected by the National Science
Foundation for funding of LTER.

Information about LTER is also available at
'http://lternet.edu/'