Tag Archives: Landscape

Diversity effects on decomposition field collection

A couple of days ago, I collected a set of decomposing plant material bundles for my diversity effects on decomposition study.  Again, this sequence illustrates some of the methods used to collect the ‘decomposition bundles’ – a combination of dead macrophyte tissue from one to five species, wrapped up with a zip-tie and attached to a string.  Replicates are attached to the poles shown here and below (there are five).

Briefly, I uncovered the bundles, carefully sniped them from the string, placed them on a white tray, and bagged them in Whirl-Paks.  From there, there is lab processing, which I’ll hopefully have a similar post for soon…

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Decomposition bundle collection - 07.10.2010 - 08.13.02
Replicate posts

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The bundle is nearly indistinquishable from the rest of the plants around it.
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A tray filled with individual bundles, waiting to be bagged.

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Number 2.
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Clipping a bundle from the string.

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Recording bundle identification numbers
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A potato sack was used to carry finished samples. It nicely floats in the 1.5 m of water.

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Next time, I'm going to try to get a photograph of myself, to illustrate the depth.
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Bagged samples.

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Collection gear.

Misty morning

The level of the vegetation is a bit deceiving below.  It may look like the grasses are creeping up the fence, but it’s really the water that is creeping up and bringing the now-very-thick vegetation with it.  The water level is almost at my chest, which never occurred last year.  It’s also raining almost daily…  We’ll see how things are in a couple of weeks, when I’m swimming while sampling and getting caught in that barb wire.

Fence view - 07.04.2010 - 07.37.04Fence view - 07.04.2010 - 07.35.31

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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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
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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
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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
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The wetland is deeper and more lush this year