Lterdatasampler

Lterdatasampler is a R package containing various datasets. These datasets were generated by the Long Term Ecological Research program (LTER) Network. They were curated into a R package by Allison Horst and Julien Brun.

For full information please see the lterdatasampler website

Install and load

Installation and loading instruction below:

install.packages("lterdatasampler")
library("lterdatasampler")

Accessing data

Once you have installed and loaded the package you can access one of the various datasets as a tibble like below:

tibble::as_tibble(lterdatasampler::and_vertebrates)

# A tibble: 32,209 × 16
    year sitecode section reach  pass unitnum unittype vert_index pitnumber
   <dbl> <chr>    <chr>   <chr> <dbl>   <dbl> <chr>         <dbl>     <dbl>
 1  1987 MACKCC-L CC      L         1       1 R                 1        NA
 2  1987 MACKCC-L CC      L         1       1 R                 2        NA
 3  1987 MACKCC-L CC      L         1       1 R                 3        NA
 4  1987 MACKCC-L CC      L         1       1 R                 4        NA
 5  1987 MACKCC-L CC      L         1       1 R                 5        NA
 6  1987 MACKCC-L CC      L         1       1 R                 6        NA
 7  1987 MACKCC-L CC      L         1       1 R                 7        NA
 8  1987 MACKCC-L CC      L         1       1 R                 8        NA
 9  1987 MACKCC-L CC      L         1       1 R                 9        NA
10  1987 MACKCC-L CC      L         1       1 R                10        NA
# ℹ 32,199 more rows
# ℹ 7 more variables: species <chr>, length_1_mm <dbl>, length_2_mm <dbl>,
#   weight_g <dbl>, clip <chr>, sampledate <date>, notes <chr>

Datasets

Below is the infomration on all the datasets within the package (as of 25th April 2025)

and_vertebrates

Records for aquatic vertebrates (cutthroat trout and salamanders) in Mack Creek, Andrews Experimental Forest, Oregon (1987 - present)

• year: a number indicating the observation year
• sitecode: a character denoting the coded name of sample area
• section: a character denoting the section in Mack Creek (CC = clear cut forest, OG = upstream old growth coniferous forest)
• reach: a character denoting the reach sampled from each section; L = lower reach (0 - 50 meters), M = middle reach (50 - 100 meters), U = upper reach (100 150 meters)
• pass: a number denoting the electroshocking pass number, either 1 or 2
• unitnum: a number denoting the channel unit number
• unittype: a character denoting the channel unit classification type (C = cascade, I = riffle, IP = isolated pool (not connected to channel), P = pool, R = rapid, S = step (small falls), SC = side channel, NA = not sampled by unit)
• vert_index: a number denoting the unique index for each vertebrate
• pitnumber: a number denoting the unique tag number embedded into vertebrate (tagging started in 2007)
• species: a character denoting species measured
• length_1_mm: a number denoting vertebrate length in millimeters; total or snout-fork length for trout, and snout-vent length for salamanders
• length_2_mm: a number denoting snout-tail length in millimeters (for Coastal giant salamander only)
• weight_g: a number denoting vertebrate mass in grams
• clip: a character denoting the fin clip type for cutthroat trout, ended in 2006 (LV = left ventral fin; LVRV = left and right ventral fins; RV = right ventral fin; NONE = no ventral fin clip)
• sampledate: a date denoting the date of observation
• notes: a character denoting additional comments

Webpage link

arc_weather

Daily meteorological (e.g. air temperature, precipitation) records from Toolik Field Station, Alaska (1988 - present)

• date: a date denoting recorded date
• station: a character denoting the station
• mean_airtemp: a number denoting mean daily air temperature in degrees Celsius
• daily_precip:a number denoting total daily precipitation in millimeters
• mean_windspeed: a number denoting daily mean windspeed in meters per second

Webpage link

hbr_maples

Sugar maple seedlings at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (New Hampshire) in calcium-treated and reference watersheds in August 2003 and June 2004

• year: a number denoting the year that the sample was taken
• watershed: a factor denoting the watershed where the sample was collected; W1 = calcium-treated, Reference = reference
• elevation: a factor describing the Elevation of transect; Low = low elevation, Mid = mid elevation
• transect: a factor denoting the transect number within the watershed
• sample: a factor denoting the sample number within transect. There are twenty samples in each transect
• stem_length: a number denoting the height of the seedling in millimeters
• leaf1area: a number denoting the area of the first sampled leaf in square centimeters
• leaf2area: a number denoting the area of the second sampled leaf in square centimeters
• leaf_dry_mass: a number denoting the dry mass of both sampled leaves in grams
• stem_dry_mass: a number denoting the dry mass of the stem in grams
• corrected_leaf_area: a number denoting the area of both leaves in addition to the area removed for chlorophyll measurements in square centimeters

Webpage link

knz_bison

Bison masses recorded for the herd at Konza Prairie Biological Station LTER

• data_code: a character denoting the dataset code
• rec_year: a number denoting the year of observation
• rec_month: a number denoting the month of observation
• rec_day: a number denoting the day of observation
• animal_code: a character denoting the unique individual bison identification code based on ear tag number
• animal_sex: a character denoting the sex of bison: M = male, F = female, U = unknown
• animal_weight: a number denoting bison weight in pounds
• animal_yob: a number denoting the year animal was born

Webpage link

luq_streamchem

Stream chemistry data for the Quebrada Sonadora (QS) location part of the Luqillo tropical forest LTER site

• Sample_ID: a character denoting Watershed or Collector’s location where the sample is taken
• Sample_Date: a date denoting the date when the sample was collected
• Gage_Ht: a number denoting the height of the water surface above the gage datum (zero point) at sampling time (in meters)
• Temp: a number denoting the temperature of the sample collected
• pH: a number pH (Electrometric with combination electrode)
• Cond: a number denoting the conductivity (Conductivity bridge in micro siemens/cm)
• Cl: a number denoting the concentration of Chloride (up to 1989 by automated colorimetric analysis (thiocyanate); after 1989 by liquid chromatography with conductivity detection) in mg Cl/L
• NO3: a number denoting the concentration of dissolved nitrate in the stream water in ug N/L
• SO4-S: a number denoting the concentration of Sulfate (Liquid chromatography; conductivity detection) in mg/L
• Na: a number denoting the concentration of Sodium (up to 1994 by atomic absorption spectroscopy) in mg/L
• K: a number denoting the concentration of Potassium (up to 1994 by atomic absorption spectroscopy) in mg/L
• Mg: a number denoting the concentration of Magnesium (up to 1994 by atomic absorption spectroscopy) in mg/L
• Ca: a number denoting the concentration of Calcium (up to 1994 by atomic absorption spectroscopy) in mg/L
• NH4-N: a number denoting the concentration of Ammonium Nitrogen (automated colorimetric analysis (phenolhypochlorite)) in ug N/L
• DOC: a number denoting Dissolved Organic Carbon in the stream water ion milligrams carbon per liter (mg C/L)
• DIC: a number denoting Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (by syringe stripping and infrared spectroscopy (Stainton 1973)) in mg C/L
• SiO2: a number denoting the concentration of Silica (automated colorimetric analysis (molybdate blue)) in mg SiO2/L
• TSS: a number denoting the Total Suspended Sediments in mg/L

Webpage link

ntl_icecover

Ice freeze and thaw dates for Madison, Wisconsin Area lakes (1853 - 2019), North Temperate Lakes LTER

• lakeid: a factor denoting the lake name
• ice_on: a date denoting the freeze date of each lake
• ice_off: a date denoting the ice breakup date of each lake
• ice_duration: a number denoting the number of days between the freeze and breakup dates of each lake
• year: a number denoting the year of observation

Webpage link

ntl_airtemp

Daily average air temperature data for Madison, Wisconsin (1869 - 2019), North Temperate Lakes LTER

• sampledate: a date denoting the day of collection
• year: a number denoting the year of observation
• ave_air_temp_adjusted: a number denoting the air temperature in degrees Celsius, collected in Madison, WI and adjusted for biases

Webpage link

nwt_pikas

Pika observations for habitat and stress analysis at Niwot Ridge LTER, Colorado

• date: a date denoting the observation date of the fecal sample
• site: a factor denoting the location where the fecal sample was collected within Niwot Ridge
• station: a factor denoting the sample station where the fecal sample was collected
• utm_easting: a number denoting the GPS E-W coordinate of the sampling station as Universal Transverse Mercator easting; NAD83, Zone 13. Measured in meters.
• utm_northing: a number denoting the GPS N-S coordinate of the sampling stations as Universal Transverse Mercator northing; NAD83, Zone 13. Measured in meters.
• sex: a factor denoting the sex of the observed pika
• concentration_pg_m: a number denoting the glucocorticoid metabolite (GCM) concentration in picogram GCM/gram dry pika feces -elev_m: a number denoting the elevation in meters of the sampling station where the fecal sample was collected

Webpage link

pie_crab

Fiddler crab body size recorded summer 2016 in salt marshes from Florida to Massachusetts including Plum Island Ecosystem LTER, Virginia Coast LTER, and NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserve System

• date: a date denoting the date crabs were collected
• latitude: a number denoting the latitude of salt marsh (degree)
• site: a character denoting the location where crabs were collected (abbreviation of site name); GTM=Guana Tolomoto Matanzas NERR | SI=Sapelo Island NERR |NIB=North Inlet Winyah Bay NERR | ZI=Zeke’s Island NERR | RC=Rachel Carson NERR | VCR=Virginia Coastal Reserve LTER | DB=Delaware Bay NERR |JC=Jacques Cousteau NERR | CT=Sixpenny Island - Connecticut |NB=Narragansett Bay NERR | CC=Cape Cod | BC=Bare Cove Park | PIE=Plum Island Estuary - West Creek
• size: a number denoting carapace width of a crab (millimeter)
• air_temp: a number denoting mean annual air temperature (Celsius)
• air_temp_sd: a number denoting the standard deviation of mean annual air temperature (Celsius)
• water_temp: a number denoting mean annual water temperature (Celcius), which is surface temperature (< 1m)
• water_temp_sd: a number denoting the standard deviation of mean annual water temperature (Celsius)
• name: full name of research site; LTER, Long-Term Ecological Research site; NERR, National Estuarine Research Reserve

Webpage link