filename: caribouscat0.readme.txt Title: 1999 Ivotuk AK Caribou Scat Deposition Data Authors: Howard E. Epstein Department of Environmental Sciences University of Virginia "Charlottesville, VA 22904-4123" (434) 924-4308 (phone) (434) 982-2137 (Fax) hee2b@virginia.edu "David L. Richardson, University of Virginia" "Donald A. (Skip) Walker, University of Alaska Fairbanks" FUNDING SOURCE ? NSF OPP-9908829 DATA SET OVERVIEW This exploratory dataset was collected in order to obtain a rough estimate of the amount of caribou scat that might be added to 3 different tundra types under study and to see if particular microtopographic positions and associated vegetation accumulated scat preferrentially. Scat collection at end of growing season started on 19990825 and ended on 19990828. "Scat was collected along a 10 x 100m transect through grids representing moist acidic tundra (MAT) and moist non-acidic tundra (MNT), and along a 5 x 100m transect representing shrubby tundra (ST). "Migrating caribou herds of the greater Western Alaska Herd returning from the calving grounds near Meat Mt., AK, were first observed in the area around Ivotuk on 19990726, "usually in groups of 2-15 individuals. The largest migating caribou herd of approxiamately 1,500 individuals was seen around midnight (24:00) on 19990728 passing to the north of camp and the grids, "across Otuk creek, and up into the Ivotuk Hills. A few small herds of 50-100 individuals were seen to cross through the area far south of camp and the grids over the following couple of days." No large recently trampled paths were observed to cross through the research grids (probably due to proximitly to camp which the larger herds migrating animals avoided). Only small groups of caribou (1-5 individuals) were seen to be wandering about and grazing within the research grids at any time. Caribou were observed grazing in grids "up through 19990829 when camp was dismantled and abandoned. Weather during scat collection was overcast, breezy with light drizzle, and between -1 and 3 degrees Celsius." The mossy tussock tundra (MT) grid was not sampled due to insufficient time as well as being closest to and within site of base camp and having the fewest caribou observed grazing in it. "The other grids were about equal distance away, with MNT and ST being not visible over the rise the crest of which MT was atop. Only the two eastern quarter cells along the ST line "were sampled due to time constraints, the denser shrubby foliage which increased search time required, the greater amounts of scat found, and the presence of standing water in the grassy drains at the southern end. "Scat collection was probably somewhat biased towards finding and collecting large versus small deposits where some individual pellets were missed, "especially in the southern half of the ST transect which was flooded and only large deposits could readily be found with the foiage and litter beneath waterlevel. "Based on the following data files, we can tenatively extrapolate that the amount of caribou scat delivered to the different tundra types might be on the order of:" MAT: 3.10 kg/ha MNT: 3.69 kg/ha ST: 12.82 kg/ha "This does not include any correction for mass lost during the time it takes for ""fresh"" scat to convert to ""old"" scat, nor for any scat that may have broken down completely prior to the end of the growing season. "Attempting to correct for the ""fresh""-""old"" conversion using a correction factor of 0.8932g for ""old"" mass remaining per 1g when ""fresh"", these estimated might be raised as follows:" MAT*: 3.25 kg/ha MNT*: 3.81 kg/ha ST*: 13.25 kg/ha subject to the same assumptions and biases and still limited by no account taken for any scat that may have broken down completely prior to the end of the growing season. "PI/DATA CONTACT = Howard Epstein, University of Virginia" "DATA COLLECTOR = David Richardson, University of Virginia" DATA COVERAGE = MAT collection on 19990825 (cells 1-8) and 19990827 (cells 9-10) DATA COVERAGE = MNT collection on 19990827 DATA COVERAGE = ST collection on 19990828 "SITE = Ivotuk, Alaska" COORDINATES = 68.49 øN and 155.74 øW; elevation ranges from approximately 500-600m. DATA VERSION = final (20020210) "REMARKS = MAT, MNT, ST refer to Moist Acidic Tundra, Moist Non-acidic Tundra, and Shrubby Tundra 1 ha, 100 m X 100 m grids of Walker and Epstein." REMARKS = Each 1 ha grid was laid out such that there were 11 lines ordered A-K from north to south and 11 lines ordered 1-11 from west to east. REMARKS = Distance between each line was 10m. The northwestern most cell was between the 1/2 lines and between the A/B lines. "REMARKS = Each individual cell was 100 m2 (10m x 10m) and was further divided into 4 quarter cells (25 m2) denoted as A,B,C,D for the NW,SW,NE,SE corners resp." REMARKS = Only the C and D quarter cells were sampled within the ST plot due to time constraints. "REMARKS = Nodata Value Indicator = "".""" "REMARKS = Within each quarter cell the number of caribou scat deposits was counted, subjectively differentiating between fresh and old scat based primarily on appearance and texture." REMARKS = Caribou scat deposits were also subjectively differentiated between large (many pellets often pressed together into one solid cluster or pile) and small deposits (few individual pellets). REMARKS = The microtopographic position of each caribou scat deposit was noted using the following codes: b = in birch clump d = on dry tundra stripe/exposed gravel/frost scar f = in flark within MNT g = in grassy drain within ST l = in lichen-rich MNT hummocky area (excludes areas covered by ""d"")" m = in open mossy areas between shrubs s = scattered widely t = on or within tussock or hummock w = in willow clump ( ) = multiple letters within the ""( )"" apply to a single case." "(ex. ""(ds)"" = one case was both d&s, ""(ds)d"" = one case d&s, one case d only.)" "o = in mixed or indistinct location, or in moss or bare area between tussocks in MAT "(used when no cases of anything else apply) "multiple letters = multiple cases for anything except ""o""" "(ex. ""t"" same as ""ooto"", ""tt"" same as ""otot"", ""o"" means ""oooo"" or ""all o"".)" "REMARKS = The presence of scat from other animals within the grid cell was also noted using the following codes: V = vole, P = ptarmigan." REMARKS = All fresh and all old scat deposits from each cell were combined for transport and dry weight determination. REMARKS = Dry weights were determined after drying in a drying oven at approximately 70 degrees C for approximately 50 hours within 3 weeks of collection. "REMARKS = The average proportional difference of the dry weights between large and small scat deposits (for fresh, old, combined) and between fresh and old (for large, small, combined) was determined based on those cells not containing a mixture of size classes, as follows:" "N cases of cells containing exclusively (fresh large, fresh small, old large, old small) = 8, 4, 11, 4 (resp)" average fresh small deposit size as proportion of fresh large deposit size = 0.1722 average old small deposit size as proportion of old large deposit size = 0.1710 average old large deposit size as proportion of fresh large deposit size = 0.8963 average old small deposit size as proportion of fresh small deposit size = 0.8902 average old deposit (large or small) size as proportion of fresh deposit size = 0.8932 average small deposit (fresh or old combined) size as proportion of large deposit size = 0.1716 ? proportion used as multiplier to divide estimated scat weights between quarter cells. REMARKS = end of remarks. DATA FORMAT file: caribouscat1.csv format: comma-delimited number of data lines: 60 number of variables: 26 variable name units description GRID id "MAT, MNT, ST refer to Moist Acidic Tundra, Moist Nonacidic Tundra, and Shrub Tundra 1 ha ____ plots of Walker and Epstein." LINE id """7/8"" or the 7th swath of 10m x 10m cells (between the 7 and 8 lines) from the western side of the grid." CELL id 1-10 which equate with the first cell (between A and B lines) running from north to south (to between J and K lines). STATUS id scat condition/age: fresh or old AnoL count Number of large scat deposits in quarter cell A (nw) BnoL count Number of large scat deposits in quarter cell B (sw) CnoL count Number of large scat deposits in quarter cell C (ne) DnoL count Number of large scat deposits in quarter cell D (se) AnoS count Number of small scat deposits in quarter cell A (nw) BnoS count Number of small scat deposits in quarter cell B (sw) CnoS count Number of small scat deposits in quarter cell C (ne) DnoS count Number of small scat deposits in quarter cell D (se) ApoL coded Microtopographic position of large scat deposits in quarter cell A (nw) b = in birch clump d = on dry tundra stripe/exposed gravel/frost scar f = in flark within MNT g = in grassy drain within ST "l = in lichen-rich MNT hummocky area (excludes areas covered by ""d"")" m = in open mossy areas between shrubs s = scattered widely t = on or within tussock or hummock w = in willow clump "( ) = multiple letters within the ""( )"" apply to a single case." "(ex. ""(ds)"" = one case was both d&s, ""(ds)d"" = one case d&s, one case d only.)" "o = in mixed or indistinct location, or in moss or bare area between tussocks in MAT (used when no cases of anything else apply) "multiple letters = multiple cases for anything except ""o""" "(ex. ""t"" same as ""ooto"", ""tt"" same as ""otot"", ""o"" means ""oooo"" or ""all o"".)" BpoL coded Microtopographic position of large scat deposits in quarter cell B (sw) CpoL coded Microtopographic position of large scat deposits in quarter cell C (ne) DpoL coded Microtopographic position of large scat deposits in quarter cell D (se) ApoS coded Microtopographic position of small scat deposits in quarter cell A (nw) BpoS coded Microtopographic position of small scat deposits in quarter cell B (sw) CpoS coded Microtopographic position of small scat deposits in quarter cell C (ne) DpoS coded Microtopographic position of small scat deposits in quarter cell D (se) Ospp coded Presence of scat from other animal species V = vole P = ptarmigan VP = both vole and ptarmigan Alpwgt grams Aluminum pan weight (grams) pwetwgt grams Wet weight (grams) of caribou scat and Al pan. pdrywgt grams Dry weight (grams) of caribou scat and Al pan. proph2o proportion Proportion of scat (by weight) lost upon drying. drywgt grams Dry weight (grams) of caribou scat. file: caribouscat2.csv format: comma-delimited number of data lines: 60 number of variables: 18 variable name units description GRID id "MAT, MNT, ST refer to Moist Acidic Tundra, Moist Nonacidic Tundra, and Shrub Tundra 1 ha ____ plots of Walker and Epstein." LINE id """7/8"" or the 7th swath of 10m x 10m cells (between the 7 and 8 lines) from the western side of the grid." CELL id 1-10 which equate with the first cell (between A and B lines) running from north to south (to between J and K lines). STATUS id scat condition/age: fresh or old mnLdwgt grams Mean dry weight (g) of Large caribou scat deposits in grid cell when no Small deposits present. mnSdwgt grams Mean dry weight (g) of Small caribou scat deposits in grid cell when no Large deposits present. Lcount count Total count of Large caribou scat deposits in grid cell when no Small deposits present. Scount count Total count of Small caribou scat deposits in grid cell when no Large deposits present. Ldwgt grams Total dry weight (g) of Large caribou scat deposits in grid cell when no Small deposits present. Sdwgt grams Total dry weight (g) of Small caribou scat deposits in grid cell when no Large deposits present. ALdwgt grams Estimated total dry weight (g) of Large caribou scat deposits in quarter grid cell A based on average size of small deposits being 0.1716 the size of large deposits. BLdwgt grams Estimated total dry weight (g) of Large caribou scat deposits in quarter grid cell B based on average size of small deposits being 0.1716 the size of large deposits. CLdwgt grams Estimated total dry weight (g) of Large caribou scat deposits in quarter grid cell C based on average size of small deposits being 0.1716 the size of large deposits. DLdwgt grams Estimated total dry weight (g) of Large caribou scat deposits in quarter grid cell D based on average size of small deposits being 0.1716 the size of large deposits. ASdwgt grams Estimated total dry weight (g) of Small caribou scat deposits in quarter grid cell A based on average size of small deposits being 0.1716 the size of large deposits. BSdwgt grams Estimated total dry weight (g) of Small caribou scat deposits in quarter grid cell B based on average size of small deposits being 0.1716 the size of large deposits. CSdwgt grams Estimated total dry weight (g) of Small caribou scat deposits in quarter grid cell C based on average size of small deposits being 0.1716 the size of large deposits. DSdwgt grams Estimated total dry weight (g) of Small caribou scat deposits in quarter grid cell D based on average size of small deposits being 0.1716 the size of large deposits. file: caribouscat3.txt format: ascii text Text file with additional descriptions of the vegetation and general microtopography of each cell and quarter cell in the three sampled grid-transects. Also with a block-diagram map of the total dry weight of all scat found within each quarter cell.