Litterbags were constructed of 10 x 15cm pieces of black nylon and gray fiberglass fabric. The nylon fabric is approximately 0.2mm (No-See-Um mesh), and the fiberglass screen is approximately 1.7mm mesh. Both were purchased from Seattle Fabric Inc.
Litter collected between Sept 20th and Oct 10th by leaving tarps out on the ground, and/or shaking needles directly from trees onto tarps
Litter was dried in drying oven, mixed well, and litterbags were filled by around October 14th. Between 4.5 and 5g of litter was weighed and placed into each bag before they were sewed shut. Sewed bags were then weighed and prepared for the field (wrapped in sets).
First complete set litter bags was deployed Oct 15, 2010. 180 litterbags (6 reps, 5 bags each per plot). Litterbags were affixed to the ground using wire pins in sets of 5 bags. There are six sets of litterbags per plot, arranged every ten meters in a line running from the bottom of the plot to the top.`
2011
Plot 2 set #3 was the first litterbag set to melt out
July 12 - Collected the first set of litterbags - all but Plot 3 set #2 was melted out.
July 14 - Collected plot 3 set 2 litterbag
July 18th - Litterbags were kept in the drying oven until the 18th and then weighed.
4 sets of bags had gopher activity around them that partially covered the bags. This makes weighing the litter accurately difficult. Litter was sifted away from mineral soil in a plastic tub and then weighed separately, but there is still mineral soil clinging to some litter.
Decomposed litter is archived for later analysis. `