9411974 Hayden The Virginia Coast Reserve (VCR) is a dynamic, frequently disturbed landscape. The types of ecosystem changes that normally occur across large distances (continents, biomes) and over long periods of time (e.g. glacial and interglacial periods) happen on decadal time-scales. As a result, ecosystem state changes are frequent. The central research theme of the VCR LTER project is the understanding of the transitions among ecosystem states and succession within these states. Our approach will be to continue to study succession within several of the more prominent states (Myrica thickets, forests and salt marshes) and the response of these states to disturbance. The parameters measured are those in the NSF-defined LTER network core areas. In addition, we have implemented manipulative experiments by altering inundation patterns in marshes and altering the availability of fresh water to terrestrial vegetation on a barrier island. The products of the proposed work will be the development of a new theoretical base for maintenance and structuring of landscape, further elucidation of controls on ecosystem processes, and new ecosystem and landscape modeling approaches.
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