Location and management objective:
This catchment is located within a research concession managed by the PRORENA (Native Species Reforestation Project) Project within the boundaries of Soberania National Park in the Provence of Panama. The management objective is to maintain a cover of Saccharum spontaneum, a non-native and invasive grass that establishes on pastures and in agricultural fields and is maintained by fire.
Area: 19.5 hectares
History: The catchment has burned for each of the last 3 years. Prior to the agreement establishing the 20 year research concession, the land was covered by Canal Grass and gallery forest. In collaboration with ANAM, ACP, and other partners, PRORENA has been reforesting the 120 hectare concession for research purposes since 2003 (see Wishnie et al., 2007).
Vegetation type: The catchment is covered by Saccharum spontaneum.
Monitoring:
Hydrology: Regular monitoring includes precipitation (in met station) and stream flow [level troll model 300; ISCO model 6712].
Vegetation: growth and biomass accumulation of S. spontaneum.
Water chemistry: three broad types of water samples are collected: grab samples (stream water, throughfall, overland flow, groundwater), stream-water event samples, and wet-dry collector rainwater samples. Analysis of many dissolved and solid phases including bioactive, major, and trace constituents (PDF).
Meteorology: a meteorological station measures precipitation [rain gage]; solar radiation [pyranometer LI200X]; wind speed [wind speed sensor 014A] y and direction [wind sonic 4-L 2-D]; temperature [107 temperature probe, infrared radiometer SI-III]; net radiation [long and short wave CNR2-L], and relative humidity [t and rh sensor HMP50-L]