SBC LTER: Kelp blade characteristics to support turnover dynamics of giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera in the Santa Barbara Channel

These data describe the age-specific changes in the size and related traits of giant kelp ( Macrocystis pyrifera ) blades in the Santa Barbara Channel (Isla Vista Reef) during the spring and summer of 2012-2013. Data are contained in three tables: 1) a time series of change in blade size with age due to growth and senescence for blades growing at different depths and locations in the kelp forest, 2) physical traits of blades (biomass density, nitrogen, chlorophyll a) of different ages collected at different depths and locations in the kelp forest, and 3) photosynthetic performance (Pmax, alpha) of blades of different ages collected at different depths and locations in the kelp forest. These data were used to test whether spatial variation in the turnover dynamics of giant kelp blades could be could be explained by leaf life span theory developed for higher plants. The data were also used in a mathematical model of frond growth and senescence to investigate the relative and absolute magnitude of blade senescence in a kelp forest, and to examine how these losses were affected by light availability. Analyses using these data were published in Rodriguez, G. E. 2014. Turnover dynamics of the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera . Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara. ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing, 2014. 3682967.本数据集记录了2012-2013年春夏两季，圣巴巴拉海峡（Santa Barbara Channel）内伊斯拉维斯塔礁（Isla Vista Reef）海域的巨藻（Macrocystis pyrifera）叶片尺寸及相关性状随年龄的变化特征。数据集包含三张数据表：1）针对巨藻林不同深度与位置生长的叶片，记录其因生长与衰老导致的尺寸随年龄变化的时间序列数据；2）采集自巨藻林不同深度与位置的不同年龄巨藻叶片的物理性状数据，涵盖生物量密度、氮含量与叶绿素a（chlorophyll a）；3）采集自巨藻林不同深度与位置的不同年龄巨藻叶片的光合性能数据，涵盖最大光合速率（Pmax）与表观量子效率（alpha）。本数据集被用于验证：巨藻叶片周转动态的空间差异是否可由高等植物的叶片寿命理论予以解释。此外，这些数据还被应用于藻叶生长与衰老的数学模型，以探究巨藻林内叶片衰老的相对与绝对强度，并分析光照可用性对这类叶片损失的影响。基于本数据集开展的相关分析成果已发表于Rodriguez, G. E. 2014年的博士学位论文《巨藻（Macrocystis pyrifera）的周转动态》，加州大学圣巴巴拉分校，ProQuest UMI学位论文出版机构，2014年，论文编号3682967。