Fall 2015 plant monitoring survey -- shoot height and flowering status of plants in permanent plots at GCE sampling sites 1-10

A quadrat survey was conducted in October 2015 to measure the species and size distribution of plants at 10 GCE LTER sampling sites. The quadrats were established as permanent plots at GCE sampling sites in October 2000 by placing wooden stakes at random locations across two nominal zones at each site, designated based on marsh structure (creekbank and high marsh). New plots were added each year as necessary to replace those lost due to catastrophic wrack disturbance or creek bank erosion, and the creek bank plots at site 3 were relocated in 2013 due to a shift in the creek location. The plots were visually surveyed and the species, shoot height, and flowering status was recorded individually for each shoot over 10 cm in height present in each plot. Observations from plots exhibiting signs of disturbance were noted in the data set, and an additional set of observations were recorded for the creek bank zone at site 3 prior to relocation (identified as Zone -1) for comparison with the relocated plots. Detailed disturbance data can be found in GCE data set PLT-GCEM-1801. This survey will be repeated annually to assess changes in plant distribution and biomass in relation to environmental changes documented by other GCE LTER monitoring efforts.2015年10月，研究人员开展了一项样方（quadrat）调查，以测定10个GCE LTER采样站点内的植物物种组成与大小分布特征。该批样方为2000年10月在GCE各采样站点设立的永久样地：在每个站点依据湿地结构划定的两个名义分区（溪岸带与高沼带）内，通过随机布设木桩确定样方位置。每年会根据实际需求新增样方，以替换因灾难性海藻堆积干扰或溪岸侵蚀而损毁的样地；2013年因溪道位置发生偏移，站点3的溪岸带样方进行了重新布设。对各样方开展目视调查，对样方内所有株高超过10厘米的植株，逐一记录其物种、株高与开花状态。对于存在干扰迹象的样地，其观测数据会在数据集中单独标注；此外，为与重新布设后的样方开展对比分析，研究人员还记录了站点3溪岸带在重新布设前的额外观测数据（标注为Zone -1）。详细的干扰数据可查阅GCE数据集PLT-GCEM-1801。本调查将每年重复开展，结合其他GCE LTER监测项目记录的环境变化数据，评估植物分布与生物量的动态变化。