Fern Understory as an Ecological Filter

Data

• hf051-01: germination of planted seeds
• hf051-02: germination of naturally occuring seeds
• hf051-03: growth of planted seedlings
• hf051-04: microenvironmental measurements

Overview

• Lead: Lisa George, Fakhri Bazzaz
• Investigators:
• Contact: Emery Boose
• Start date: 1993-01-01
• End date: 1995-12-31
• Location: Prospect Hill Tract (Harvard Forest) and Tom Swamp Tract (Harvard Forest)
• Latitude: +42.49 to +42.55
• Longitude: -72.23 to -72.17
• Elevation: 230 to 420 meters
• Taxa: Acer rubrum (red maple), Betula alleghaniensis (yellow birch), Betula lenta (black birch), Dennstaedtia punctilobula (hayscented fern), Fraxinus americana (white ash), Osmunda claytoniana (interrupted fern), Pinus strobus (white pine), Quercus rubra (northern red oak)
• Research topic: community
• Study type: short-term measurement
• LTER core area: populations
• Keywords: fern, regeneration, seed bank
• Release date: 2003
• EML version: knb-lter-hfr.51.8
• Revisions:
• Related links:
• Abstract:

  We investigated the role of the fern understory as an ecological filter that influences the organization of the tree seedling bank in New England deciduous forests. The data files below summarize a series of field experiments conducted from 1993 to 1995 evaluating the response of seed germination and seedling growth and survival to experimental understory manipulation. These field studies involved three experimental manipulations of the fern understory: 1) removal of ferns 2) ferns tied back (to remove above-ground shading) 3) ferns left intact (control). These manipulations were established in 180 - 1m2 plots spanning six field sites and 2 different fern species (3 understory manipulations x 2 understory fern species x 6 sites x 5 replicates/site = 180 experimental plots).

• Methods:
• Use:

  This dataset is released to the public and may be freely downloaded. Please keep the designated Contact person informed of any plans to use the dataset. Consultation or collaboration with the original investigators is strongly encouraged. Publications and data products that make use of the dataset must include proper acknowledgement. For more information on LTER Network data access and use policies, please see: http://www.lternet.edu/data/netpolicy.html.

• Citation:

  George L, Bazzaz F. 2003. Fern Understory as an Ecological Filter. Harvard Forest Data Archive: HF051.

Detailed Metadata

hf051-01: germination of planted seeds

1. site: field sites are denoted by the Harvard Forest compartment number in which they are located
   • PH: Prospect Hill
   • TS: Tom Swamp
2. fern: fern species
   • DEPU: Dennstaedtia punctilobula
   • OSCL: Osmunda claytoniana
3. manipulation: experimental manipulations of the fern understory
   • 1: control/fern understory intact
   • 2: fern fronds tied back
   • 3: fern removal
4. plot#: plot number
5. bc94: number of birch (Betula alleghaniensis) germinants in plots cleared of forest floor litter, 1994 (number )
6. bl94: number of birch germinants in plots with litter layer intact, 1994 (number )
7. rm7/94: number of summer germinants of red maple (Acer rubrum), 1994 (number )
8. rm5/95: number of spring germinants of red maple, 1995 (number )
9. bc95: number of birch germinants in plots cleared of forest floor litter, 1995 (number )
10. bl95: number of birch germinants in plots with litter layer intact, 1995 (number )
11. oak: number of red oak (Quercus rubra) seedlings emerging above litter layer (number )
12. og1: shoot emergence of first pre-germinated red oak acorn above litter layer
    • 0: shoot did not emerge
    • 1: shoot emerged
13. og2: shoot emergence of second pre-germinated red oak acorn above litter layer
    • 0: shoot did not emerge
    • 1: shoot emerged

hf051-02: germination of naturally occuring seeds

1. Plot#: plot number
2. Site: field sites are denoted by the Harvard Forest compartment number in which they are located
   • PH: Prospect Hill
   • TS: Tom Swamp
3. fern: fern species
   • DEPU: Dennstaedtia punctilobula
   • OSCL: Osmunda claytoniana
4. manipulation: experimental manipulations of the fern understory
   • 1: control/fern understory intact
   • 2: fern fronds tied back
   • 3: fern removal
5. rm94: number of red maple (Acer rubrum) seeds germinating in 1994 per 1m2 (number )
6. ro94: number of red oak (Quercus rubra) seeds germinating in 1994 per 1m2 wa 94 - number of white ash (Fraxinus americana) seeds germinating in 1994 per 1m2 (number )
7. wa94: number of white pine (Pinus strobus) seeds germinating in 1994 per 1m2 (number )
8. wp94: number of white pine (Pinus strobus) seeds germinating in 1994 per 1m2 (number )
9. yb94: number of yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) seeds germinating in 1994 per 1m2 (number )
10. rm95: number of red maple seeds germinating in 1995 per 1m2 (number )
11. wa95: number of white ash seeds germinating in 1995 per 1m2 (number )
12. yb95: number of yellow birch seeds germinating in 1995 per 1m2 (number )
13. rmdistance: distance in meters from the experimental plot of nearest red maple canopy tree (meter )
14. rodistance: distance in meters from the experimental plot of nearest red oak canopy tree (meter )
15. wadistance: distance in meters from the experimental plot of nearest white ash canopy tree (meter )
16. wpdistance: distance in meters from the experimental plot of nearest white pine canopy tree (meter )
17. ybdistance: distance in meters from the experimental plot of nearest birch canopy tree (meter )

hf051-03: growth of planted seedlings

1. site: field sites are denoted by the Harvard Forest compartment number in which they are located
   • PH: Prospect Hill
   • TS: Tom Swamp
2. fern: fern species
   • DEPU: Dennstaedtia punctilobula
   • OSCL: Osmunda claytoniana
3. manipulation: experimental manipulations of the fern understory
   • 1: control/fern understory intact
   • 2: fern fronds tied back
   • 3: fern removal
4. seedlingspp: seedling species
   • birch: yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis)
   • maple: red maple (Acer rubrum)
   • oak: red oak (Quercus rubra)
5. 93height: height of seedling (cm) at 1993 planting date (centimeter )
6. 93lfbiomass: seedling leaf biomass at 1993 planting date (gram )
7. 93stembiomass: seedling stem biomass at 1993 planting date (number )
8. 93rootbiomass: seedling root biomass at 1993 planting date (gram )
9. 93Tbiomass: seedling total biomass at 1993 planting date (gram )
10. 95ht: height of seedling (cm) at 1993 planting date (centimeter )
11. 95lfbiomass: seedling leaf biomass at 1995 harvest date (gram )
12. 95stembiomass: seedling stem biomass at 1995 harvest date (gram )
13. 95rootbiomass: seedling root biomass at 1995 harvest date (gram )
14. 95Tbiomass: seedling total biomass at 1995 harvest date (gram )
15. RGRht: relative growth rate of experimental seedling in terms of height in cm. RGR calculated as [ln (height in 95) - ln (height in 93)]/2 yr (number )
16. RGRlvs: relative growth rate of experimental seedling in terms of leaf biomass in g (gram )
17. RGRstems: relative growth rate of experimental seedling in terms of stem biomass in g (gram )
18. RGRroots: relative growth rate of experimental seedling in terms of root biomass in g (gram )
19. RGRTbiomass: relative growth rate of experimental seedling in terms of total biomass in g (gram )
20. light(1m)mol/m2/day: light levels measured above the understory at 1m above the forest floor (molesPerMeterSquaredPerDay )

hf051-04: microenvironmental measurements

1. Plot#: plot name
2. Site: field sites are denoted by the Harvard Forest compartment number in which they are located
   • PH: Prospect Hill
   • TS: Tom Swamp
3. fern: fern species
   • DEPU: Dennstaedtia punctilobula
   • OSCL: Osmunda claytoniana
4. manipulation: experimental manipulations of the fern understory
   • 1: control/fern understory intact
   • 2: fern fronds tied back
   • 3: fern removal
5. light(1m): light levels above the understory at 1m above the forest floor measured (molesPerMeterSquaredPerDay )
6. light(8cm): light levels below the understory canopy at 8cm above the forest floor (molesPerMeterSquaredPerDay )
7. Litterdepthcm.: depth of coarse forest floor litter (centimeter )
8. soilexposure: number of randomly scored points (out of 10) in experimental plots under which soil was directly exposed (number )
9. soilmoisture: g water per g dry soil (gramsPerGram )
10. S.O.M.: g organic material per g dry soil (gramsPerGram )