Ecological Survey of Central Arizona: a survey of key ecological indicators in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area and surrounding Sonoran desert, ongoing since 1999 (Reformatted to a Darwin Core Archive)

This data package is formatted as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A, event core). For more information on Darwin Core see https://www.tdwg.org/standards/dwc/. This Level 2 data package was derived from the Level 1 data package found here: https://pasta.lternet.edu/package/metadata/eml/edi/247/3, which was derived from the Level 0 data package found here: https://pasta.lternet.edu/package/metadata/eml/knb-lter-cap/652/3. The abstract below was extracted from the Level 0 data package and is included for context: The Ecological Survey of Central Arizona (ESCA) is an extensive field survey and integrated inventory designed to capture key ecological indicators of the CAP LTER study area consisting of the urbanized, suburbanized, and agricultural areas of metropolitan Phoenix, and the surrounding Sonoran desert. The survey, formerly known as the survey 200 and renamed to ESCA in 2015, is conducted every five years at approximately 200 sample plots (30m x 30m) that were located randomly using a tessellation-stratified dual-density sampling design. Study plots cover habitats throughout the CAP LTER study area ranging from native Sonoran desert sites to residential yards to an airport tarmac. Measurements include an inventory of all plants (identified to the lowest possible taxonomic unit, typically species), plant biovolume, soil coring for physicochemical properties, arthropod sweep-net sampling, photo documentation, and a visual survey of site and area characteristics. The objectives of the survey are to (1) characterize patches in terms of key biotic, physical, and chemical variables, and (2) examine relationships among land use, general plant diversity, native plant diversity, plant biovolume, soil nutrient status, and social-economic indices along an indirect urban gradient. A pilot survey was conducted in 1999, and the first full ESCA was conducted in 2000. The maiden survey in 2000 featured a suite of measurements that were not assessed in later surveys, including data from a portable weather station set up during the field survey at each location, organic matter decomposition, pollen, and mycorrhizae. In 2010, the survey was expanded to include an assessment of one of the residential parcels overlapping the survey plot at sites in residential areas. Many of the same variables that are measured in the 30m x 30m survey plot are measured in the parcel, including an inventory of perennial plants, and the biovolume of trees. In addition, a detailed assessment of characteristics of the parcel is performed. Investigators interested in the additional variables assessed in the 2000 ESCA, in parcel data collected in the 2010 and subsequent surveys, or in soil data collected during the 2000 ESCA (encapsulated in a separate data set owing to a different reporting format) should search the data catalog for 'ecological survey of central arizona' or 'survey 200' to locate those and other data related to the CAP LTER's ESCA.本数据包采用达尔文核心归档（Darwin Core Archive, DwC-A，事件核心）格式。有关达尔文核心标准的详细信息，请参阅https://www.tdwg.org/standards/dwc/。本二级数据包源自如下链接中的一级数据包：https://pasta.lternet.edu/package/metadata/eml/edi/247/3，而该一级数据包又源自如下链接中的零级数据包：https://pasta.lternet.edu/package/metadata/eml/knb-lter-cap/652/3。 以下摘取自零级数据包，用于提供背景信息： 亚利桑那州中部生态调查（Ecological Survey of Central Arizona, ESCA）是一项大规模野外调查与集成编目项目，旨在获取CAP长期生态研究（CAP LTER）研究区域的关键生态指标。该研究区域涵盖大都会凤凰城的城市化、郊区化及农业区域，以及周边的索诺兰沙漠。本调查前身为“200调查”，并于2015年正式更名为ESCA，每五年开展一次，共布设约200个30m×30m的采样样地，样地采用镶嵌分层双密度采样设计随机布设。研究样地覆盖CAP LTER研究区域内的全部生境类型，涵盖原生索诺兰荒漠、住宅庭院乃至机场停机坪等各类生境。调查测量内容包括：所有植物的编目（鉴定至尽可能低的分类学单元，通常至物种水平）、植物生物体积、用于理化性质检测的土壤岩芯采样、节肢动物扫网采样、影像记录，以及样地与区域特征的目视调查。本调查的主要目标为：（1）基于关键生物、物理及化学变量对生态斑块进行特征描述；（2）沿着间接城市梯度，探究土地利用、总体植物多样性、本土植物多样性、植物生物体积、土壤养分状况与社会经济指数之间的关联。 1999年开展了试点调查，首次完整的ESCA调查于2000年实施。2000年的首次调查包含了后续调查未纳入的一系列测量指标，包括各调查点位野外调查期间架设的便携式气象站数据、有机质分解、花粉及菌根相关数据。 2010年，本调查进行了扩展，针对居民区样地中与调查样地重叠的一处住宅地块开展评估。该地块的测量指标大多与30m×30m样地的测量指标一致，包括多年生植物编目以及树木生物体积。此外，还会对该住宅地块的特征开展详细评估。 若研究人员需要2000年ESCA中新增的测量指标、2010年及后续调查中获取的地块数据，或是2000年ESCA中采集的土壤数据（因报告格式不同，该土壤数据封装于独立数据集内），请在数据目录中检索“亚利桑那州中部生态调查”或“200调查”，即可找到本项目及其他与CAP LTER的ESCA相关的数据。