1993 Supplement Request for the Virginia Coast Reserve LTER Project Summary This request is submitted as a supplement to the Virginia Coast Reserve Long Term Ecological Research Project (VCR LTER) DEB-9211772. Our requests fall into three areas targeted by NSF for supplemental funding: i) support for REU students, ii) upgrading data management systems and iii) improving ecological research collections. We propose to support 5 REU students, and to upgrade data management activities by purchasing equipment to support automated in data acquisition and entry systems. We propose to jointly improve our ability to provide georeferenced research collections and upgrade data-management capabilities by obtaining Global Positioning System equipment with kinematic surveying capabilities. The University of Virginia is providing $65,303 in computer equipment and upgraded networks in match. Research Experience for Undergraduates During the past several years, undergraduate interest and participation in research at the VCR-LTER site has flourished, in part, due to previous NSF REU funding. This year over 10 well-qualified students have expressed interest in this opportunity; we have selected 5 for our 1993 REU program. This selection was based on the following criteria: i) the students ability and academic record, ii) recommendations from faculty, iii) relevance of the student s research interests to the VCR project, and iv) commitment of a faculty advisor associated with the VCR LTER project to supervise the student s work. The VCR s REU program is designed to i) expose highly qualified students to supervised, original research, ii) encourage exposure to other P.I. activities at the VCR site, and iii) encourage significant peer group interaction. The VCR LTER Research Experience for Undergraduates program this year will be patterned after the successful efforts of past years. Each student has defined a research project with the assistance of their faculty advisor(s). Beginning the first of June the REU students will participate in 8 weeks of field work and 2 weeks of data analysis, synthesis and writing. The students and advisors are expected to meet at least weekly to discuss the status of the research and assess progress. Coincident with this activity, one of the VCR LTER PI s will meet with all of the students as a group on a bi-weekly basis to discuss the students work and to present a short talk on the P.I.s research at the VCR. Prior to the beginning of the VCR LTER field season all REU students are required to take a two-day orientation course which covers first-aid, boating safety, and general VCR policies regarding field station and site use. Upon completion of the 10 week summer field season, the REU students are further required to prepare an abstract and 15 minute presentation for delivery at the fall VCR All-Scientists Meeting. These abstracts will become part of the summary document which results from the VCR All-Scientists Meeting. Previous VCR REU participants have presented their research results at scientific meetings and have also submitted manuscripts for publication. This group of REU students will be encouraged to do so as well. Student activities will be diverse, reflecting the wide range of research taking place at the VCRLTER site. Two students will be studying the trophic structure and dynamics of marsh creek systems. The remaining three students will be involved long-term experiments. The first of the experiments is a manipulation of ground-water resources in the Parramore Pimples (a set of islands within an island consisting of small, isolated sand dunes and their associated vegetation which are prominent features on Parramore Island). One student investigate the landscape characteristics of the pimples area whereas a second student will examine groundwater chemistry at the scale of a single pimple . The remaining student will be involved in a second experiment wherein the inundation of a portion of a marsh will be directly manipulated. Below is a list of the specific students we are proposing for REU support, along with their academic standing and proposed projects: Kasey Campbell is a second year student majoring in Environmental Sciences at UVA. Her overall GPA is 3.86 and within the Environmental Sciences Department she carries a 4.0 GPA. Kasey has expressed significant interest in trophic interactions and dynamics. Consequently, she is proposing to investigate the trophic links between marsh creek piscivores and marsh-dependent nekton. Specifically, Kasey will determine seasonal prey composition and compare the relative significance of selected food items of the marsh-dependent nekton residing in tidal creeks of Phillips Creek marsh using numerical and gravimetric methods. Dr. David E. Smith will advise Kasey. David Yozzo, a VCR LTER graduate student and fellow REU candidate Leslie McCabe will also work closely with Kasey. Mr. Edward (Ted) Hegnauer is an outstanding, highly competent and motivated second-year student planning to major in Environmental Sciences at UVA. He is an Echols Scholar (a designation reflecting an unusually high level of high school humanities and sciences achievement) and his overall GPA is 3.52. Ted has expressed in interest in the interaction of chemical and geological processes. Consequently, he is proposing a preliminary investigation of the geologically mediated chemical processes occurring in the groundwater at the Parramore Pimples. He will be advised by Dr. Tanya Furman, and will work closely with Lief Ridervold, a VCR LTER graduate student. Ms. Christine Holmberg is a second year student majoring in Environmental Sciences at UVA. She has a GPA of 3.44 for courses in Environmental Sciences and a 2.82 GPA overall. She has expressed a strong interest in integrating geological and ecological processes. Her project will be to develop and analyze a landscape dictionary for the Parramore Pimples. The work will involve use of VCR LTER remote-sensing and geographical information systems, along with collection of ground-reference data, to characterize the shape, area and vegetation of the pimples. Drs. John H. Porter and Bruce P. Hayden will advise Christine on her project and she will be working with LTER graduate students Faustino Daria and Michael Lefsky. Ms. Leslie McCabe is an exceptional motivated and bright first year student. Her SAT scores were 1400 and her GPA during her first semester at UVA was 3.2. Leslie s interest include the dynamics of fish communities, and her project will involve investigating the resident piscivore community in the tidal creeks of Phillips Creek marsh. In particular, she in proposing to document the species composition, seasonal abundance patterns, and size/age frequency of the creek resident piscivores. Leslie is in the process of choosing a major at UVA and this REU opportunity will be critical in determining her career path. Dr. David E. Smith will advise Leslie, who will work closely with VCR LTER graduate student David Yozzo and fellow REU candidate Kasey Campbell. Mr. Jamey Watt is a third-year Environmental Sciences major with an overall GPA of 3.05. Jamey spent his first two years in the Engineering School at the University of Virginia before realizing that his career goals were more consistent with an Environmental Sciences major with emphasis on wetlands hydrology. Jamey has expressed an interest in learning more about the influence of wetland hydrology on sediment pore water chemistry. The project that he would like to pursue is based on the work that was done by an REU student during the summer of 1991 and which was continued by another REU student during 1992. Jamey s project would involve examining the effects of modifying the tidal inundation pattern on sediment pore water chemistry. Jamey would work closely with two East Carolina University graduate students and would be supervised by Drs. Robert Christian and Mark Brinson. The students submitted as candidates for 1993 REU funding represent the type of individuals that fit the objectives of the REU program. It is clear that we continue to encourage the participation of women and minorities participation in our REU program. Each has an interest in pursuing a career in science and this summer s experience could be pivotal in determining the career path that they choose to follow. The projects selected by the students are central to the goals of the VCR LTER and in each case will provide valuable information to the overall LTER project. Automation of Data Collection Conversion of ecological measurements into easily manipulated, copied and distributed digitial forms is a critical aspect of LTER data management activities. Although paper charts on an analog data recorder may effectively capture basic ecological information, such information is not readily available, either for computerized analysis or for distribution to a widely-spaced network of investigators. In contrast, data collected using automated digital equipment is immediately available for analysis, often at resolutions that are unattainable using strictly analog systems. Even the sorts of field measurements not normally thought of as being amenable to direct electronic measurement can benefit from the use of computerized data entry systems by improving the speed of entry, eliminating unnecessary duplication, and providing for in-the-field error correction. The VCR LTER is initiating a number of experiments requiring expansion of existing automated data collection facilities. A high priority is being placed on better understanding the role of water in structuring the vegetation of the Virginia Coast Reserve. For example, in the pimples pumping experiment, the water table of two small dunes on Parramore Island will be directly manipulated using a solar-powered well pump. A second example is the marsh inundation experiment. Tidal flow in marsh flumes will be directly manipulated using pumping and barriers to flow. Both of these experiments demand that ground-water levels be monitored intensively, both in experimental and unmanipulated areas. The VCR-LTER currently uses automated data collection for meteorological and tide data. However there are other sorts of data, such as water-table depths, which are routinely needed by a large number of researchers and which are still collected using arduous and error-prone manual methods. We have in place a modest network of continuously-recorded wells (5 at our Brownsville research area and 5 on Hog Island) which will need to be expanded as part of the experiments discussed previously. Existing wells are monitored using battery-powered chart-recorders. The analog charts must be individually traced by hand using a digitizing tablet and then transformed to convert time and water-level measurements to standard units, a process which usually takes several months to complete (FIGURE 1.). The delays created by tedious manual processing of the data are a serious impediment to use of the data by LTER researchers. We propose to upgrade this network by purchasing four multi-channel data loggers (with enclosures, nonvolital RAM packs, batteries and solar panels) and eighteen water-level sensors. The savings in time and effort will be critical as the monitoring network is expanded as part of the pumping and inundation experiments. There are additional advantages to the automated system. A single data logger is capable of servicing multiple sensors thus creating economies of scale, and solid-state sensors are more reliable than clockwork mechanisms in the physically rigorous environment of the Virginia Coast Reserve. The resulting data stream is more accurate, with higher resolution both temporally and vertically, than is attainable with the analog instruments. Importantly, the data will be available shortly after it is collected in an on-line database, so that it can be used for planning as well as analytical purposes by LTER and LTER-associated researchers. A second area where additional automation is needed involves manually collected field measurements. Currently most field data is collected using data forms. Information on these forms is then re-entered into a computer at a later time. A major disadvantage of this system is that it is redundant -- with two opportunities for data entry errors.. Entry errors detectable by software (such as range or code errors) cannot be flagged until the original source of the data is no longer available for reexamination. Although paperless data collection, like the paperless office, is not likely to be achieved in the foreseeable future, improvements in portable laptop and palmtop computers make on site data entry practical for many applications. Further, some technologies, such as bar codes, can be successfully used to expedite collection of data. For example, attaching a bar coded label to a sample allows it to be easily tracked as it is subjected to different analyses. Where laboratory and field instruments have digital outputs (such as digital balances, ceptometers and GPS receivers) an entire, potentially error-filled, manual recording step can be bypassed all together. Bar codes on specially hardened tags can be used to track individual plants on permanent plots, reducing errors and speeding up resurveying activities. We propose to purchase two palmtop and two laptop computers suitable for use in the field. The computers will be equipped with data entry programs to provide for range checks and other real-time error correction procedures. They will also be needed to implement the GPS-based hypsographic mapping system described below( see page8). We also propose to purchase software for producing bar-codes and two hand-held bar-code readers to implement a bar-coding system for field samples. High-Resolution Kinematic Georeferencing Capabilities The Virginia Coast Reserve is an extremely dynamic landscape, with shorelines which can move in excess of 30 m/year. The general lack of stationary cultural features (i.e., houses, roads) and up-to-date maps of the Virginia Coast Reserve has required us to build our own georeferencing system. It consists of a backbone of 42 GPS registered monuments spread over 60 km of coastline which was established using dual-frequency, high-resolution GPS units purchased and administered through the LTER Network. The system is used to locate study sites, register aerial photographs for landcape-scale studies and assess coastal changes. We would like to expand the system to include high-resolution kinematic GPS capabilities, which would allow efficient and accurate mapping of coastlines, bays and study sites. Our current on-site GPS capabilities consist of one navigation-grade GPS receiver and a single-frequency survey-grade GPS receiver. When used together these units are capable of 2 to 5-m accuracy in three dimensions using differential post-processing and 15 to 45-m accuracy used individually. Such stationary surveys are useful for locating large study plots and for registering satellite photography, but are not suitable for detailed mapping of linear features where large numbers of points are required. The existing system also lacks the resolution needed to measure elevational differences in the relatively flat Virginia Coast Reserve. Use of two survey-grade GPS units can give much higher resolution than use of one survey-grade and one navigation-grade unit. With single frequency units, accuracies of more than 2 cm (in three dimensions) can be obtained for baselines of up to 10 km in length. Over longer distances, dual-frequency units (such as those administered by the LTER Network) are needed. However, the establishment of the GPS backbone in 1992 means that we are unlikely to need long baselines, and so can achieve good results with the less-expensive single frequency units. By adding an RTCM (Radio Technical Commission Maritime) receiver, the survey-grade receiver is capable using GPS data encoded on Coast Guard navigation beacons for greatly improved real-time positioning (less than 5-m vs. less than 45-merror). This would be very useful for relocating study sites or survey monuments and for foul weather or night navigation. An additional need for the VCR LTER is the development of capabilities for efficiently creating hypsometric GIS data layers of the bays of the Virginia Coast Reserve. Such layers are a needed to calculate water volumes and residence times for nutrient budgets and models. By adding a depth-sounder equipped with a NEMA-0183 interface and a NEMA-to-RS232 interface, we will be able bring together digital position information from the GPS with digital water depth information from the depth sounder to produce 3-dimensional profiles of bays and inlets. When entered into a GIS, this data will form the basis for a contoured hypsographic data layer for the site.The portable computers listed above (see page7) will be used for logging the data collected by the depth sounder and for downloading the GPS units. Among our needs for high-resolution GPS measurements are periodic surveys of geologically dynamic beach areas. An alternative to taking many stationary GPS points, is kinematic surveying. In such a survey, two GPS antennas are placed over known benchmarks (often the same benchmark) and locked into a constellation of GPS satellites. One of the units is then moved, giving a time series of points. Because the relationship between the mobile and stationary units is known, the same level of accuracy obtained with stationary GPS surveying can be obtained. In summary, acquisition of an additional survey-grade GPS unit, RTCM receiver and digital depth-sounder will: i) increase our accuracy to 2 cm, both horizontally and vertically (critical when looking for elevational differences in a very flat landscape), ii) allow us to use kinematic surveying techniques with accuracies comparable to those for stationary surveying, iii) obtain real-time positions with less than 5 m error, and iv) create hypsometric data layers. Hundreds of points, which would take approximately 1/2 hour each of observation time using non-kinematic techniques, can be located using kinematic surveying, with no diminution in accuracy. Budget Justification Items for which funding is requested are listed in the text of the proposal and a detailed budget is attached. Listed below are notes about specific items. REUs Individual REU student stipends include $2,500 for 2.5 summer months and $1000 for 15 weeks during the fall semester. Travel includes 3 round trips between the University of Virginia and the VCR LTER Laboratory in Oyster VA (a distance of 420 miles) for each student. Milage is computed at $0.24 per mile with $20 in tolls. Supplies are included for each student ($250). All supplies not covered by this request will be covered by the core LTER grant. UVA Match The University of Virginia will provide $65,303 of computer equipment as match for this request. The equipment will include an IBM RS/6000 workstation, 5 GB disk pedestal, optical disk and digitizing tablets used to run ARC/INFO and other GIS software. Additionally, three 80486-based PC workstations will purchased for general use by LTER researchers and the LTER s network link will be upgraded by providing a fiber-optic link to the UVA FDDI ring. Retrieve paper strip-chart from analog recorder Digitize portion of chart which fits on the tablet Register portion of chart on digitizing tablet Process data to interpolate aperiodic measurements into fixed-length time units. Done? No Merge data from different portions of the chart Yes Plot and check for errors Enter in VCR LTER Information System FIGURE 1. Comparison of manual and automated collection of water-table depth data.