Harvard Forest Research

Vegetation Sampling in Wildlands and Woodlands

Principal Investigator: David Foster
Harvard Forest: May 26 2009 - Dec 31 2013:

Abstract:
One thing is certain about the future of forests across the eastern U.S.: they will change dramatically in structure and composition and these changes will have important direct and indirect effects on the well-being of humans as well as many plant and animal species. Our forests will change as the result of interactions among at least four major factors: recovery from the history of past land use; the direct impacts of future management, including harvesting; ongoing changes in the environment; and disturbances from natural processes and introduced organisms. In order to detect these changes and to interpret the responsible factors, as well as their consequences, it will be necessary to undertake many types of long-term studies.

One simple but useful approach that is being undertaken as part of the Wildlands and Woodlands effort and the Long Term Ecological Research program at the Harvard Forest involves establishing permanent sampling plots of forests across New England and arrayed according to two major approaches to management: reserves or Wildlands are areas that are managed for natural processes; i.e., they are allowed to develop without direct interference by human activity. Woodlands, on the other hand, are managed for diverse goals including timber production and habitat improvement through harvesting and other practices. Because they have contrasting levels of active management, we expect Wildlands and Woodlands to become increasingly different in terms ecological functioning through time: this provides an effective framework for detecting and studying long term changes while allowing for the interpretation of the effects of direct management activities: