<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">YES! I have great comparison data. We can probably head it up (Jordan?) and I would love to use my plots if possible.<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""><div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Feb 21, 2017, at 7:45 AM, Jess Zimmerman <<a href="mailto:jesskz@ites.upr.edu" class="">jesskz@ites.upr.edu</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class="">Do we want to participate?<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br clear="all" class=""><div class=""><div class="m_2569845847280088917gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class="">Jess K. Zimmerman<br class="">Professor</div><div class="">Lead PI, Luquillo LTER Program</div><div class="">Director, El Verde Field Station<br class="">Department Environmental Sciences<br class="">University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras<br class="">Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Tel: <a href="tel:(787)%20764-0000" value="+17877640000" target="_blank" class="">787-764-0000 ext. 1</a>-XXXX-# where XXXX is:<br class=""> LTER Program Office: 88233<br class=""> El Verde Field Station: 83467<br class=""></div><div class=""></div><div class="">Mobile: <a href="tel:(787)%20380-3311" value="+17873803311" target="_blank" class="">787-380-3311</a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
<br class=""><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br class="">From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Martin,Patrick</b> <span dir="ltr" class=""><<a href="mailto:Patrick.Martin@colostate.edu" target="_blank" class="">Patrick.Martin@colostate.edu</a>></span><br class="">Date: Fri, Feb 17, 2017 at 7:32 PM<br class="">Subject: CloudNet: Opportunity to participate in a decomposition study in Tropical Montane Forests<br class="">To: "Martin,Patrick" <<a href="mailto:Patrick.Martin@colostate.edu" target="_blank" class="">Patrick.Martin@colostate.edu</a>><br class=""><br class=""><br class="">
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<div class="m_2569845847280088917m_-9029983453452082735WordSection1"><p class="m_2569845847280088917m_-9029983453452082735MsoPlainText">Dear Tropical Montane Cloud Forest Researchers,<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></p><p class="m_2569845847280088917m_-9029983453452082735MsoPlainText"><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></p><p class="m_2569845847280088917m_-9029983453452082735MsoPlainText">As a part of an NSF-funded research coordination network on tropical montane science and ecology (CloudNet,
<a href="http://cloudnet.agsci.colostate.edu/" target="_blank" class="">http://cloudnet.agsci.colostat<wbr class="">e.edu</a>), we are organizing a global study on
<b class=""><u class="">decomposition processes</u></b> in tropical montane forests (TMFs) with an emphasis on including cloud-affected areas or “cloud forests.” Specifically, we are interested in examining decomposition across large geographic
scales as well as within sites along environmental gradients (climate, land use, soil fertility, etc.). A
<span class="">pan-TMF study</span> will help evaluate the commonalities and contrasts in a key ecosystem process across TMFs as well enabling comparisons with other ecosystems such as lowland
tropical forests. We have designed this study with methods that will be directly comparable with a pantropical decomposition study conducted at 27 sites in lowland tropical forests (Powers et al. 2011, J. Ecol).
<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span class=""><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></span></p><p class="m_2569845847280088917m_-9029983453452082735MsoPlainText"><span class="">This study will use a short-term litterbag and ‘popsicle stick’ experiment to evaluate decomposition rates and processes of leaves and wood in TMFs.
</span>Similar to the Powers et al. (2011) study, we will use a common leaf standard (bay leaves), place bags above- and belowground, and make decomposition bags of two different mesh sizes to examine the influence of micro- vs. macrofauna. In addition, we
will add a wood decomposition component (Meier et al. 2012, Soil. Biol. Biochem.).
<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></p><p class="m_2569845847280088917m_-9029983453452082735MsoPlainText"><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></p><p class="m_2569845847280088917m_-9029983453452082735MsoPlainText">We have a detailed methods protocol that will be sent to all participants. Litterbags will be provided for all participants as well, ready to be put out in the field. To participate, the study will require a
<b class=""><u class="">minimum of 3 visits to at least one location</u></b> in your TMF site<span class="">:
</span>the 1<sup class="">st</sup> to initiate the study at the beginning of the wet season in your site in 2017, and the 2<sup class="">nd</sup> and 3<sup class="">rd</sup> to collect and weigh the samples (approximately 3 months and 7 months after deployment). All contributing researchers
will be granted co-authorship on the manuscript of this work. <u class=""></u><u class=""></u></p><p class="m_2569845847280088917m_-9029983453452082735MsoPlainText"><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></p><p class="m_2569845847280088917m_-9029983453452082735MsoPlainText">If you are interested in participating in this study or have questions about the specifics, please email Jim Dalling (<a href="mailto:dallingj@life.illinois.edu" target="_blank" class="">dallingj@life.illinois.edu</a>), Becky Ostertag (<a href="mailto:ostertag@hawaii.edu" target="_blank" class="">ostertag@hawaii.edu</a>),
or Patrick Martin (<a href="mailto:Patrick.martin@colostate.edu" target="_blank" class="">Patrick.martin@colostate.edu</a>)
<b class=""><u class="">no later than March 1<sup class="">st</sup>, 2017</u></b>. Also, please feel free to pass this opportunity along to other researchers who would be interested in participating.<span class="">
</span><u class=""></u><u class=""></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Jim, Becky, Patrick<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" class=""><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></span></p>
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