Abstract

In 2001 - 2004 the abundance of coarse wood and other aspects of the physical structure of the littoral zone were surveyed along transects that followed the 0.5 m depth contour at 488 sites in Vilas County. These data were collected as part of the "cross-lake comparison" segment of the Biocomplexity Project (Landscape Context - Coordinated Field Studies). The study explored the links between terrestrial and aquatic systems across a gradient of residential development and lake landscape position. Specifically, this project attempted to relate the abundance of Coarse Wood in the littoral zone with abiotic, biotic and anthropogenic features of the adjacent shoreline. Each of the 488 sites was a 50 m stretch of shoreline. The transects started and ended at the beginning and end of the site; the length of each transect, therefore, varied. Logs which were at least 150 cm in length were counted; more detailed descriptions were taken of logs at least 10 cm in diameter and 150 cm long. Information on littoral and shoreline substrate was also collected. Sampling Frequency: each site sampled once Number of sites: 488 sites on 61 Vilas County lakes were sampled from 2001-2004 (approximately 15 different lakes each year; eight sites per lake).