C-IB. Environmental Gradients
Summary: We are continuing long-term macro- and microclimatic measurements in the Coweeta basin and to characterize the larger region from climate, atmospheric deposition, stream chemistry and stream flow measurements obtained from the environmental monitoring network managed and operated by state and federal agencies (e.g., USGS, National Park Service, NCDC network).
One of the defining characteristics of the southern Appalachian Mountains is significant and predictable environmental heterogeneity over small spatial scales. Understanding how gradients influence the structure and function of watershed ecosystems has been a persistent focus of the Coweeta LTER (e.g. Knoepp et al. 2000). Along the environmental gradient, the physical template appears more important in regulating ecosystem structure (i.e., community assemblages) than function (i.e., biogeochemical cycling Knoepp et al. 2000).
Long-term measurements have been made on a wide array of environmental variables at Coweeta (Table II.2), and the measurements represent one of the most comprehensive, long term and best-studied environmental data sets in the world. We are continuing long-term macro- and microclimatic measurements in the Coweeta basin and to characterize the larger region from climate, atmospheric deposition, stream chemistry and stream flow measurements obtained from the environmental monitoring network managed and operated by state and federal agencies (e.g., USGS, National Park Service, NCDC network). Please see our current and past research page on Environmental Gradient Research. Long term measurements are critical to future research since it provides baseline data to analyze temporal trends (e.g., Swank and Waide 1988, Swank and Vose 1997), identify driving variables (e.g., Swank and Vose 1990/91, Vose and Swank 1993), and develop and validate spatially-explicit models (e.g., Bolstad et al. 1998).
Barry Clinton, USDA-USFS, Response to disturbance
Katherine Elliott, USDA-USFS, Plant community ecology
Brian Kloeppel, University of Georgia, Physiological gradients
Jennifer Knoepp, USDA-USFS, Soil Processes
Wayne Swank, USDA-USFS, Hydrological dynamics/cycling
James Vose, USDA-USFS, Forest Processes