Fern sporophyte growth observation at the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF)

Long-term (20-year) monitoring sites have been established in the Luquillo Experimental Forest. Individuals of approximately 20 species of ferns are being monitored on a regular basis to determine plant life history classes, leaf production rates, fertility characteristics and leaf damage levels. Effects of natural disturbance will be interpreted in light of these parameters. The study includes sites at El Verde, and Espiritu Santo and Bisley watersheds. A comparative study of ferns in the mangrove community at the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve was started in January 1998 and completed in January 2001. Comparisons of similar species will also be made at temperate sites. Data file FERNGROWTH contains data, on a line-line basis, about individual leaves. Information in this file includes measurements and observations as well as leaf location and identification information. Leaves in this file was monitored three times a year from the time the plant was first included in the study until the plant died, disappeared, or was dropped from the study. The same information was collected on leaves used in defoliation experiments (FERNDEFO). Annual measurements of leaf counts and longest leaf measurements on selected species from 2001 through 2010 are included in FERNPH02. Other files in the data set includes a file of supporting information on characteristics the plants on which leaf observations were made (FERNSEQ), additional field observations about the leaves, plants and sites (FERNFLD) and details about monitoring dates (FERNDATES). Support for this work was provided by grants BSR-8811902, DEB-9411973, DEB-9705814 , DEB-0080538, DEB-0218039 , DEB-0620910 , DEB-1239764, DEB-1546686, and DEB-1831952 from the National Science Foundation to the University of Puerto Rico as part of the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Program. Additional support provided by the University of Puerto Rico and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service.