Peter Groffman , Email: groffmanp@ecostudies.org 2007-03-02 In the Baltimore urban long-term ecological research (LTER) project, (Baltimore Ecosystem Study, BES) we use the watershed approach to evaluate integrated ecosystem function. The LTER research is centered on the Gwynns Falls watershed, a 17,150 ha catchment that traverses a gradient from the urban core of Baltimore, through older urban residential (1900 - 1950) and suburban (1950- 1980) zones, rapidly suburbanizing areas and a rural/suburban fringe. Our long-term sampling network includes four longitudinal sampling sites along the Gwynns Falls as well as several small (40 - 100 ha) watersheds located within or near to the Gwynns Falls. The longitudinal sites provide data on water and nutrient fluxes in the different land use zones of the watershed (rural/suburban, rapidly suburbanizing, old suburban, urban core) and the small watersheds provide more focused data on specific land use areas (forest, agriculture, rural/suburban, urban). Each of the gaging sites is continuously monitored for discharge and is sampled weekly for chemistry. Additional chemical sampling is carried out in a supplemental set of sites to provide a greater range of land use. Weekly analyses includes nitrate, phosphate, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chloride and sulfate, total suspended solids, turbidity, fecal coliforms, temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH. Cations, dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen and metals are measured on selected samples. This dataset is for three sampling sites near the “Cub Hill” tower flux site. This site is 14 km from the Baltimore city center (39°24'30.20 stream, watershed, nitrate, phosphate, nitrogen, phosphorus, chloride, sulfate RG: Baltimore Ecosystem Study Baltimore, MD, Washington, D.C, Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore-Washington, Maryland http://www.beslter.org/pub/stream/Cub_Hill_sites_final_chemistry_WWW_nov2009.xls The Baltimore Ecosystem Study ultimately will conduct research and educational activities throughout the Baltimore metropolitan area. This large area includes Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and the counties of Ann Arundel, Carrol, Harford, Howard, and Montgomery. Gwynns Falls includes agricultural lands, recently suburbanized areas, established suburbs, and dense urban areas having residential, commercial and open spaces. In addition, a reference area has been established in a forested catchment of the Gunpowder drainage in Oregon Ridge County Park. -77.314183 -76.012008 39.724847 38.708367 50 700 feet Jonathan Walsh Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Information Manager

IES Box AB, 65 Sharon Tpke Millbrook NY 12545 USA

845-677-7600 walshj@ecostudies.org The scientists, the BES-LTER Program, and the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies must receive adequate acknowledgement for the use of data by other scientists, and the BES LTER program must receive two copies of any publication using that data. Baltimore Ecosystem Study

Room 134 TRC Building University of Maryland, Baltimore County 5200 Westland Blvd Baltimore MD 21227

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