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West-central Alabama has a subtropical climate with hot summers, mild winters, and year-round precipitation. Summers are hot and humid, dominated by maritime tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. This warm, moist air contributes to the formation of convection storms and thunderstorms in the region, causing major precipitation pulses in the Black Warrior River basin. The mean average annual temperature is 17.6°°ä (63.7°F) and the mean average annual precipitation is about 1370 mm (54 in.). The area is subject to tornadoes and hurricanes annually. [6] [7] [9] [10]

DELA is located in the Southern Coastal Plain, an area bounded by an erosional scarp from the Atlantic shoreline during the Mesozoic. The region was exposed and submerged beneath sea level several times, leaving marine deposits of sand and carbonates as well as riverine deposits of clay, silt, sand, and gravel. In the specific NEON sampling area there are Quartenary-aged alluvial, coastal, and terrace deposits. Upstream alluvial deposits are primarily sourced from the Cretaceous Eutaw and Tuscaloosa formations. [3] [4] [5]

Soils at DELA are in the order utisols, and the soil subgroup Aquic Paleudults, which are characterized as fine, mixed, semiactive, and thermic. The major soil series on the site include Angie and Leaf, with some areas of Cahaba, Dulac and inclusions of Annemaine. These kinds of soils form on flood plain steps and stream terraces. [1] [5]

DELA is located near the Black Warrior River, which begins at the confluence of the Locust, Mulberry, and Sipsey Forks in northern Alabama, and ends at its confluence with the Tombigbee River near Demopolis, AL. Black Warrior River drains from a 16,160 km2 (nearly 4 million acres) watershed, or 12.2% of Alabama’s land area. The watershed is subject to major precipitation pulses from tropical storms and hurricanes. These major events affect nutrient and organic matter flux, sediment transport, and biota along the gradient as they propagate downstream. [3] [6] [7] [8]

Broadleaf deciduous forest with concentrations of low needleleaf evergreen trees and patches of bluestem prairie are typical of the region. In the lowland area, hardwood tree species dominate, particularly oak and hickory species. Upland areas feature a higher concentration of pine species. Specifically, the overstory at DELA is abroad mix of cypress (Taxodium spp.), black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), shagbark hickory (Carya ovata), oaks, and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica). Ground cover includes bamboo, grass, smilax, and poison ivy (Toxicodendrom radicans). [1] [5] [7] [11]

Alabama is home to a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish. The Alabama Ornithological Society has documented 420 different bird species. The abundance of birds has made the state popular for bird watchers. 62 native mammals have been documented in the state including bobcat (Felis rufus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), coyote (Canis latrans), black bear (Ursus americanus), the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), and the raccoon (Procyon lotor). At DELA, NEON collects data on birds, ground beetles, ticks, mosquitoes, and small mammals. [13] [14]

The Black Warrior River watershed has undergone significant changes in adjacent population, land use, and flow regime in the last 200 years. Perhaps the most significant is the construction of the lock and dam system, which began in 1888 and spurred the development of industry along the river. Before this, passage on the Black Warrior River by steamboats and barges was limited to high water and ended at Tuscaloosa. The river’s development into an inland waterway led to a management focus on the maintenance of a single shipping channel, which has contributed to a significant loss in lateral connectivity of the main channel to its floodplains and off-channel areas. Regional vegetation has also undergone changes in recent history. On a broad scale, upland forests once managed by Native Americans through the use of controlled burns were heavily logged for timber production and land clearing by European settlers. In terms of wetland ecology, the Black Warrior River historically featured vast canebrakes, or dense monotypic stands of giant cane (Arundinaria gigantea); while giant cane is still found near creeks, rivers, and in forests, these extensive stands no longer exist. Canebrakes served as important ecosystems, sediment traps, and a resource for Native Americans (with applications ranging from its harvest as a potherb to its use as a construction material), but were largely destroyed by livestock overgrazing after European settlement. [7] [8] [11] [15] [16]

The site host and manager at DELA is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The river adjacent to DELA forms part of the Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway, which is heavily used for barge transportation and moves more than 25 million tons of products and materials each year. The area is used recreationally, and popular activities include hunting, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and boating. DELA is located in the Major Land Resources Area 133A (the Southern Coastal Plain), where the primary land-use is timber production, followed by cropland and pastureland.[1] [7] [17]

NEON TOS Plots were allocated across the site following NEON standard criteria and avoiding existing research. Plots were established January 2015. The site went through a sample readiness review February 2015, and sampling began for the TOS site September 2015. The 42m (138 ft.) TIS tower started collecting data December 2014. [1]