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These data describe the percent cover of sessile invertebrates and understory macroalgae within permanent plots of SBCLTER's seasonal kelp forest monitoring program to track long-term patterns in species abundance and diversity. Percent cover was determined using a uniform point contact method that consists of noting the identity and relative vertical position of all organisms under 80 uniformly placed points located within a 1 m wide band centered on permanent 40 m transects in each sampling plot. Each species may only be recorded once per point. Using this method, the percent cover of all species combined may exceed 100%, however, the maximum percent cover possible for any single species cannot exceed 100%. The experiment was initiated in 2008 at five reef sites along the mainland coast of the Santa Barbara Channel.
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SBC LTER: Reef: Seasonal Kelp Forest Community Dynamics: Cover of bottom substrate and sand depth
These data describe the percent cover of eight bottom substrate types within permanent plots of SBCLTER's seasonal kelp forest monitoring program to track long-term patterns in species abundance and diversity. The type of bottom substrate was recorded at 80 uniformly spaced points along permanent 40m x 2m transects. Percent cover of each substrate type on transect was estimated as the proportion of the 80 points contacted by the substrate type x 100. In cases where the substrate type was sand, the depth of the sand was measured. The experiment was initiated in 2008 at five reef sites along the mainland coast of the Santa Barbara Channel. The two tables in this data package include: 1) The percent cover of eight bottom substrate types; and 2) the sand depth of each sampling point (sand depth = 0 if substrate type is not sand)
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- PAR ID:
- 10660933
- Publisher / Repository:
- Environmental Data Initiative
- Date Published:
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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