Title of data set--  Effects of  underground biodiversity on 
litter decomposition and litter decomposition stability on Konza
Prairie

Abstract:
  This research was designed to examine the relationship between
soil processes (decomposition) and contrasting levels of 
soil biodiversity on the Konza Prairie.  Senescent Andropogon
gerardii foliage collected from the Konza Prairie was placed into
10 x 15 cm litter bags and air dried. Five litterbags were laid out
on two 1.5m x 1.5m plots at 10 sites. Five sites were on unburned 
watersheds with  high biodiversity and five sites were on annually
burned watersheds with low biodiversity. In May of 1999, a rainout 
shelter was placed on one plot at each site.  The rainout shelters
were removed in the fall of year 1999.  Percent mass loss of
substrates was determined immediately after the induced drought
(rainout shelter) and both six months and a year after the drought
was removed. Retrieved litterbags were dried at 70 degrees Celsius
for about 24 hours. Litter was removed from the litterbag and
weighed. Measurements taken in conjunction with this data include
soil temperature, soil moisture (see associated metadata), and
substrate mass loss before, during, and after induced drought.
Substrates used were litter bags, root bags, wood dowels, and
cotton cellulose strips.

Investigators: Heather Reed and  Tim Seastedt, INSTAAR, CB 450, University of
Colorado, Boulder, CO, (303) 492-3302,
tims@culter.colorado.edu

Variables: sample weight loss, percent weight loss.

Keywords that describe data set:  decomposition, microarthropod,
drought, soil moisture, soil temperature, litter bag, wood dowel,
root bag  

Location; Study areas were located on Konza Prairie on lowland
sites on watersheds, 20A,20C,20D, and 1A,1B,and 1C.

Timing: begin 18 October, 1999 ongoing

Citations:

Comments:  Data for which the field placement data and the harvest
date were the same, were jused to characterize the litter weight 
loss affected by transport of litter bags to the field and then
back to the lab. .  A linear regression of initial litter weight
vs. final litter weight (r square = 0.9921) was calculated to
derive an equation (y = 0.956*ilwt – 0.0893) to calculate corrected
initial litter weight This corrected weight was then used to
calculate decomposition for subsequent harvests. Note that
calculated columns COL7, COL12, and COL13 are meaningless where
field placement date and harvest date are the same since the
correction factor for weight loss during transport has, in effect,
been applied twice. Note that the values in columns COL6, COL7, COL
11, COL12, COL13, and COL14 are calculated from the other columns
as follows:
COL6 = COL5  - COL4;
COL7 = 0.956*COL6 - 0.0893;
COL11 = COL9 - COL10;
COL12 = COL7 – COL11;
COL13 = (COL12/COL7)*100;
COL14 = COL4 - COL10.


/type

statisitical

/header

COL1: label=bag number, type=integer, units=none, missing value
indicator=, minimum=001, maximum=, precision=1

COL2: label=treatement/plot code, type=string, units=none, missing
value indicator, minimum=,maximum=, precision= 

COL3: label=field placement date (ddmmyy), type=string, units=none,
missing value indicator, minimum=10/99/18,maximum=, 
precision= 

COL4: label=initial dry bag weight, type=real, units=grams, missing
value indicator, minimum=,maximum=, precision= 

COL5: label=initial dry bag + litter weight, type=real,
units=grams, missing value indicator, minimum=,maximum=, precision=


COL6: label=initial dry litter weight, type=real, units=grams,
missing value indicator, minimum=,maximum=, precision= 

COL7: label=corrected initial dry litter weight, type=real,
units=grams, missing value indicator, minimum=,maximum=, precision=


COL8: label=harvest date (mm/yy/dd), type=string, units=none,
missing value indicator, minimum=10/99/18,maximum=, precision= 

COL9: label=final dry total weight (bag+litter), type=real
units=grams, missing value indicator=99.999, minimum=,maximum=, 
precision= 

COL10: label=final dry bag weight, type=real, units=grams, missing
value indicator, minimum=,maximum=, precision= 

COL11: label=final dry litter weight, type=real, units=grams,
missing value indicator, minimum=,maximum=, precision= 

COL12: label=litter weight loss, type=real, units=grams, missing
value indicator, minimum=,maximum=, precision= 

COL13: label=percent weight loss, type=real, units=percent, missing
value indicator, minimum=,maximum=, precision= 

COL14: label=change in non-litter (bag) weight, type=real,
units=grams, missing value indicator=999.99, minimum=,maximum=, 
precision=