Field Site
Dead Lake NEON / DELA
Gradient Terrestrial, AL, D08: Ozarks Complex
About Field Sites
Dead Lake (DELA) is a terrestrial NEON field site located in seasonally-flooded hardwood bottomland in Greene County, Alabama. This site has a sampling area of about 4 km2 (1013 acres) and is hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Greene County is bordered by the Tombigbee, Warrior, and Sipsey rivers within the Black Warrior River watershed. The county is known for its hunting and fishing. DELA is located in an area called the "Blackbelt," an area known for its nutrient-rich, dark soil. This site is part of the NEON Ozarks Complex Domain (D08). D08 includes two other terrestrial field sites and three aquatic field sites. DELA is colocated with the aquatic site Black Warrior River near Dead Lake (BLWA). [1] [2]
Climate
West-central Alabama has a subtropical climate with hot summers, mild winters, and year-round precipitation. Summers are hot and humid, dominated by maritime tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. This warm, moist air contributes to the formation of convection storms and thunderstorms in the region, causing major precipitation pulses in the Black Warrior River basin. The mean average annual temperature is 17.6°C (63.7°F) and the mean average annual precipitation is about 1370 mm (54 in.). The area is subject to tornadoes and hurricanes annually. [6] [7] [9] [10]
Geology
DELA is located in the Southern Coastal Plain, an area bounded by an erosional scarp from the Atlantic shoreline during the Mesozoic. The region was exposed and submerged beneath sea level several times, leaving marine deposits of sand and carbonates as well as riverine deposits of clay, silt, sand, and gravel. In the specific NEON sampling area there are Quartenary-aged alluvial, coastal, and terrace deposits. Upstream alluvial deposits are primarily sourced from the Cretaceous Eutaw and Tuscaloosa formations. [3] [4] [5]
Soils
Soils at DELA are in the order utisols, and the soil subgroup Aquic Paleudults, which are characterized as fine, mixed, semiactive, and thermic. The major soil series on the site include Angie and Leaf, with some areas of Cahaba, Dulac and inclusions of Annemaine. These kinds of soils form on flood plain steps and stream terraces. [1] [5]
Hydrology
DELA is located near the Black Warrior River, which begins at the confluence of the Locust, Mulberry, and Sipsey Forks in northern Alabama, and ends at its confluence with the Tombigbee River near Demopolis, AL. Black Warrior River drains from a 16,160 km2 (nearly 4 million acres) watershed, or 12.2% of Alabama’s land area. The watershed is subject to major precipitation pulses from tropical storms and hurricanes. These major events affect nutrient and organic matter flux, sediment transport, and biota along the gradient as they propagate downstream. [3] [6] [7] [8]
Vegetation
Broadleaf deciduous forest with concentrations of low needleleaf evergreen trees and patches of bluestem prairie are typical of the region. In the lowland area, hardwood tree species dominate, particularly oak and hickory species. Upland areas feature a higher concentration of pine species. Specifically, the overstory at DELA is abroad mix of cypress (Taxodium spp.), black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), shagbark hickory (Carya ovata), oaks, and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica). Ground cover includes bamboo, grass, smilax, and poison ivy (Toxicodendrom radicans). [1] [5] [7] [11]
Fauna
Alabama is home to a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish. The Alabama Ornithological Society has documented 420 different bird species. The abundance of birds has made the state popular for bird watchers. 62 native mammals have been documented in the state including bobcat (Felis rufus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), coyote (Canis latrans), black bear (Ursus americanus), the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), and the raccoon (Procyon lotor). At DELA, NEON collects data on birds, ground beetles, ticks, mosquitoes, and small mammals. [13] [14]
Past Land Management and Use
The Black Warrior River watershed has undergone significant changes in adjacent population, land use, and flow regime in the last 200 years. Perhaps the most significant is the construction of the lock and dam system, which began in 1888 and spurred the development of industry along the river. Before this, passage on the Black Warrior River by steamboats and barges was limited to high water and ended at Tuscaloosa. The river’s development into an inland waterway led to a management focus on the maintenance of a single shipping channel, which has contributed to a significant loss in lateral connectivity of the main channel to its floodplains and off-channel areas. Regional vegetation has also undergone changes in recent history. On a broad scale, upland forests once managed by Native Americans through the use of controlled burns were heavily logged for timber production and land clearing by European settlers. In terms of wetland ecology, the Black Warrior River historically featured vast canebrakes, or dense monotypic stands of giant cane (Arundinaria gigantea); while giant cane is still found near creeks, rivers, and in forests, these extensive stands no longer exist. Canebrakes served as important ecosystems, sediment traps, and a resource for Native Americans (with applications ranging from its harvest as a potherb to its use as a construction material), but were largely destroyed by livestock overgrazing after European settlement. [7] [8] [11] [15] [16]
Current Land Management and Use
The site host and manager at DELA is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The river adjacent to DELA forms part of the Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway, which is heavily used for barge transportation and moves more than 25 million tons of products and materials each year. The area is used recreationally, and popular activities include hunting, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and boating. DELA is located in the Major Land Resources Area 133A (the Southern Coastal Plain), where the primary land-use is timber production, followed by cropland and pastureland.[1] [7] [17]
NEON Site Establishment
NEON TOS Plots were allocated across the site following NEON standard criteria and avoiding existing research. Plots were established January 2015. The site went through a sample readiness review February 2015, and sampling began for the TOS site September 2015. The 42m (138 ft.) TIS tower started collecting data December 2014. [1]
Additional Resources
[1] Terrestrial Observation System (TOS) Site Characterization Report: Domain 08. NEON.DOC.003892vB
[2] https://greenecountyhistoricsociety.org/GCHS/History.html
[3] Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin (https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_050898.pdf)
[5] Depew, Steve. (2016). NEON Site-Level Plot Summary: Dead Lake (DELA), August 2016. (https://data.neonscience.org/documents/10179/2361410/DELA_Soil_SiteSumm…)
[6] Aquatic Instrument System (AIS) Site Characterization Report: Domain 08. NEON.DOC.001370vB.
[7] Black Warrior River Watershed Management Plan (http://www.adem.state.al.us/programs/water/nps/files/BlackWarriorBMP.pdf)
[8] Policy Implications of Aging and Manipulated River Systems: A Case Study of the Black Warrior River (https://conferences.iaia.org/2012/pdf/uploadpapers/Final%20papers%20rev…)
[9] - PRISM Climate Group., Oregon State University, http://prism.oregonstate.edu, created 4 Feb 2004.
[10] https://statesummaries.ncics.org/chapter/al/
[11] Outlook for Coastal Plain Forests: A Subregional Report from the Southern Forest Futures Project (https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/gtr/gtr_srs196.pdf)
[12] - https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/alaba…
[13] - https://www.outdooralabama.com/wildlife/birds
[14] - https://www.outdooralabama.com/mammals /carnivores.
[15] Barone, J. A., Beck, J. W., Potter, M. B., Sneed, S. R., Stephenson, K. E., & Dollar, E. J., II. (2008). Distribution of canebrakes in 19th century Alabama. Journal of the Alabama Academy of Science, 79(1), 1+. Retrieved from https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A179501612/AONE?u=oregon_sl&sid=AONE&xid…
[16] USDA Plant Guide: Giant Cane, Arundinaria gigantea (https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_argi.pdf)
[17] Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin (https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_050898.pdf)
Field Site Information
Latitude/Longitude
32.541727, -87.803877
Geodetic Datum
WGS84
Location
Greene County
AL, US
Elevation
Mean: 25m
Minimum: 21m
Maximum: 41m
Mean Annual Temperature
17.6°C
Dominant Wind Direction
SW
Mean Canopy Height
30.0m
Dominant NLCD Classes
Evergreen Forest, Woody Wetlands
Colocated Site(s)
Colocated Research
Critical Zone Exploration Network
Ameriflux
Field Operations Office
6050 Mimosa Circle, Suite C
Tuscaloosa, AL 35405
Research Access
Non-NEON research activities are allowed in this area. Researchers must obtain their own permits with the site host(s).
Observation Types
Remote Sensing
Remote sensing surveys of this field site collect lidar, spectrometer and high-resolution RGB camera data.
Meteorological Measurements
This site has a flux/meteorological tower that is 42 m (138 ft) tall with six measurement levels. The tower top extends above the vegetation canopy to allow sensors mounted at the top and along the tower to capture the full profile of atmospheric conditions from the top of the vegetation canopy to the ground. The tower collects physical and chemical properties of atmosphere-related processes, such as humidity, wind, and net ecosystem gas exchange. Precipitation data are collected by a tipping bucket at the top of the tower and a series of throughfalls located in the soil array.
Phenocams
One phenocam is attached to the top and the bottom of the tower. Here we show the images from the most recent hour. The full collection of images can be viewed on the Phenocam Gallery - click on either of the images below.
Tower top
Tower bottom
Soil Sensor Measurements
This site has five soil plots placed in an array within the airshed of the flux tower. Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) at soil surface, soil heat flux, solar radiation, and throughfall are measured at the soil surface in each soil plot. Soil moisture, soil temperature, and CO2 concentration are measured at multiple depths in each soil plot.
Observational Sampling
At terrestrial sites, field ecologists observe birds and plants, and sample ground beetles, mosquitoes, small mammals, soil microbes, and ticks. Lab analyses are carried out to provide further data on DNA sequences, pathogens, soils, sediments, and biogeochemistry. Learn more about terrestrial observations or explore this site's data products.
Field Site Data
Site
Site Host
US Army Corps of Engineers
Site Access Allowed
Limited
Site URL
Site Access Details
This area is primarily intended to provide recreational opportunities and is also classified as a hunting area. As such, access is very limited but potentially possible.
Operations Office
NEON Field Operations Office
Domain 08 Support Facility
NEON Field Operations Address
6050 Mimosa Circle, Suite C
Tuscaloosa, AL 35405
NEON Field Operations Phone
205.409.9039
Location
Latitude
32.541727
Longitude
-87.803877
Geodetic Datum
WGS84
UTM Northing
3600769.46m
UTM Easting
424518.30m
UTM Zone
16N
County
Greene
State
AL
Country
US
Mean Elevation
25m
Minimum Elevation
21m
Maximum Elevation
41m
Climate
Mean Annual Temperature
17.6°C
Mean Annual Precipitation
1372mm
Dominant Wind Direction
SW
Vegetation
Mean Canopy Height
30.0m
Dominant NLCD Classes
Evergreen Forest, Woody Wetlands
Average number of green days
270
Average first greenness increase date
60 DOY
Average peak green date
135 DOY
Average first greenness decrease date
205 DOY
Average minimum greenness date
330 DOY
Tower
Tower Height
42m
Number of Tower Levels
6
Soils
Megapit Soil Family
Fine - mixed - semiactive - thermic Aquic Paleudults
Soil Subgroup
Aquic Paleudults
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