Areli

Areli on a horse - 06.30.2010 - 09.58.43

I don’t know how to spell her name (maybe it’s Arelli, Arelly, Arely or something completely different), but she’s a Nicaraguan women assisting Mahmood with his frog traps.  She’s currently away, but will be returning next week for more work.  I believe she wants to go to graduate school, eventually, but that’s also hard to tell because all of my conversations with her have been in Spanish.  I’m still learning, but she’s been helping quite a bit.

Diversity effects on decomposition

Here’s a big post illustrating a decomposition assay I recently set out in the wetland.  I created bundles of dead, dried macrophytes in various mixtures, attached them to 3-m of nylon rope and tied the rope to posts in the wetland.   I’ll be collecting a sample soon and may post another sequence.

Diversity effects on decomposition bundles and methods - 07.01.2010 - 15.20.04
The overall weighing set-up
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Diversity effects on decomposition bundles and methods - 07.01.2010 - 15.21.15
Bundles of different plant mixtures were separated and stored in these mesh bags until use.
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A pile of cattail waiting to be weighed.

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Some bundles were placed in a bucket

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Data entry
Diversity effects on decomposition bundles and methods - 07.02.2010 - 12.08.11
Accumulating bundles

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A poor photo, but this shows the raw material - large bags of dried plant.

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A few small piles of water lily, water hyacinth and Neptunia.
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A tag and ziptie.
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Piles

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Finished bundles
Diversity effects on decomposition bundles and methods - 07.03.2010 - 07.58.26
An array of 21 different combinations of organic matter
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Each bundle was attached to a nylon rope
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Imagine 3 m of this!

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Post placement in the wetland.
A view of the posts
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A sinking bundle

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Number 70

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Another bundle
Views from the fence - 07.03.2010 - 14.47.34
The wetland is deeper and more lush this year