E. vaginatum root mineral nutrition 2001
PI: 	Jeff Welker
Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory
Natural and Environmental Science Building
Fort Collins, CO 80523
Office Phone: (970) 491-1796
E-Mail: jwelker@nrel.colostate.edu

co-PI:	Jace Fahnestock
Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory
Natural and Environmental Science Building
Fort Collins, CO 80523
Office Phone: (970) 491-5262
E-Mail: jace@nrel.colostate.edu

Contact: Paddy Sullivan
Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory
Natural and Environmental Science Building
Fort Collins, CO 80523
Office Phone: (970) 491-5630
E-Mail: paddy@nrel.colostate.edu

Funding Source
	NSF (OPP-019643)

Overview
Soil cores of 5cm diameter and 20cm depth were taken at approximately 2 week intervals during the 2001 growing season.  Three age classes of Eriophorum vaginatum roots (gray (senesced), brown (suberized) and white (active)) were extracted from the cores.  Following extraction, cores were cut into 5 4cm sections and sorted for roots within 1 week of extraction.  Prior to processing, cores were refridgerated at ~5(C.  Some roots samples were unwashed, then dried at 70(C for 48 hours  prior to coupled combustion/reduction and gas chromatography analysis (CHN-1000, LECO Corporation).  Additional samples were washed, and some unwashed, then analyzed using the soil-corrected method (Hunt et al., 1999).  Unwashed roots were presumed to retain nutrient characteristics of the rhizoplane.  Soil-corrected washed and unwashed root analysis was presumed to estimate nutrient concentrations specifically in the roots, provided a check upon the potential error associated with different degrees of washing and allow for correction of unwashed combustion/reduction and gas chromatography analyzed roots.

Data Format 
	Missing data: None
	Column Headers 
		Julian Date	
		Repetition
		Depth (cm)
		Carbon (%)
		Nitrogen (%)
	Method (unwashed combustion/reduction and gas chromatography (CRG) 
washed or unwashed soil-corrected (Hunt el al., 1999)

Data Remarks
	These are preliminary data containing only unwashed combustion/reduction and gas chromatography samples.  These data will be updated when the remainder of the samples have been analyzed.

References Cited
Hunt, H.W., D.E. Reuss and E.T. Elliott. 1999. Correcting estimates of root 
chemical composition for soil contamination. Ecology 80(2): 702-707.