uid=HFR,o=lter,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
all
public
read
doi:10.6073/pasta/20be119f3f072d95b967b859ec4955b1
Ungulate Browsing and Foundation Tree Regeneration in Central New England 2010
Edward
Faison
Stephen
DeStefano
David
Foster
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1171-3762
2023
English
Large herbivores are important forest disturbances capable of altering community composition, biodiversity, tree density, successional pathways, and nutrient cycling. The extent to which browsers exert important impacts on forests, however, depends on the intensity and duration of browsing, the palatability and tolerance of the vegetation, available resources to plants, and the scale at which these factors are being investigated. Few studies have examined ungulate impacts at the landscape scale.
Since the late-1980s moose have recolonized their pre-historical range in southern New England, joined white-tailed deer to create a potentially important new driver of forest dynamics in the region. Few, if any, studies have looked at combined deer and moose impacts on temperate forests in eastern North America. In the summer of 2010, we initiated a landscape-scale observational study on ungulate habitat use and browsing on foundation tree species (Quercus spp. and Tsuga canadensis) in unlogged forests. Seventy-two forest plots were sampled across several ecoregions in central and western Massachusetts, southern Vermont and New Hampshire and northern Connecticut. Tree seedlings, overstory characteristics, browsing, pellet piles, and shrub densities were sampled; and site attributes such as mean annual temperature and forest fragmentation were examined.
browsing
deer
herbivory
moose
regeneration
seedlings
LTER controlled vocabulary
populations
LTER core area
Harvard Forest
HFR
LTER
USA
HFR default
This dataset is released to the public under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 (No Rights Reserved). Please keep the dataset creators informed of any plans to use the dataset. Consultation with the original investigators is strongly encouraged. Publications and data products that make use of the dataset should include proper acknowledgement.
Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal
https://spdx.org/licenses/CC0-1.0.html
CC0-1.0
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/exist/apps/datasets/showData.html?id=hf242
Central New England. Coordinates based on WGS84 datum.
-73.06
-71.35
+42.888
+41.950
60
556
meter
2010
2010
genus
Alces
species
alces
moose
genus
Odocoileus
species
virginianus
white-tailed deer
genus
Quercus
species
spp.
oak
genus
Tsuga
species
canadensis
hemlock
complete
Information Manager
Harvard Forest
324 North Main Street
Petersham
MA
01366
USA
(978) 724-3302
hf-im@lists.fas.harvard.edu
Harvard Forest
324 North Main Street
Petersham
MA
01366
USA
(978) 724-3302
(978) 724-3595
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu
Study Design
A 20 x 20 meter plot was established at each site. All trees at least 2.5 cm DBH were measured and recorded. Each tree stem was assessed for bark stripping, antler scrapes; small stems broken and browsed by moose were noted. A 5 x 5 grid of 25 (4m2) subplots was established in the center of each 20 x 20 m plot. All oak and hemlock seedlings at least 30 cm less than 2.5 cm DBH were tallied, and stems were assigned to the following height classes: 30-99cm; 1-2m; 2-3m, and greater than 3m. Each stem was assessed for the presence/absence of past ungulate browsing (a torn, ragged stem characteristic of deer and moose herbivory). In addition, red maple saplings 30 cm – 3m in height were assessed for past browsing and used as a standardized index of browsing pressure at each site. A maximum of 15 red maple stems were assessed at each site. Shrubs at least 1 m in height were tallied and identified at each of the 25 m subplots. The two most abundant herb species across the 20 x 20 m area were noted. Deer and moose pellet groups were sampled across the entire 20 x 20 m plot using 10, 2 x 20 m strip plots.
Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research
Harvard Forest
324 North Main Street
Petersham
MA
01366
USA
(978) 724-3302
(978) 724-3595
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu
https://ror.org/059cpzx98
pointOfContact
The Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program examines ecological dynamics in the New England region resulting from natural disturbances, environmental change, and human impacts.
National Science Foundation LTER grants: DEB-8811764, DEB-9411975, DEB-0080592, DEB-0620443, DEB-1237491, DEB-1832210.
hf242-01-plots.csv
plots
hf242-01-plots.csv
3250
7c5bc86f27a7afb7f87bca4d39ee5365
1
\r\n
column
,
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p24/hf242/hf242-01-plots.csv
plot.name
plot name
plot name
NA
missing value
date.sampled
date that plot was sampled
YYYY-MM-DD
1 day
NA
missing value
latitude
latitudinal coordinates of plot location
degree
0.000001
real
NA
missing value
longitude
longitudinal coordinates of plot location
degree
0.00001
real
NA
missing value
aspect
longitudinal coordinates of plot location
degree
1
real
NA
missing value
slope
incline of the plot in degrees
degree
1
real
NA
missing value
72
hf242-02-trees.csv
trees
hf242-02-trees.csv
167449
a6899846cf7d0b9025e37ce5cacd0330
1
\r\n
column
,
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p24/hf242/hf242-02-trees.csv
plot.name
plot name
plot name
NA
missing value
species
tree species or genus name
tree species or genus name
NA
missing value
dbh
diameter at breast height (≥2.5 cm)
centimeter
0.1
real
NA
missing value
alive
whether stem was alive or dead
0
dead
1
alive
NA
missing value
antler.scrape
stem with bark rubbed off by rubbing of antlers
0
no
1
yes
NA
missing value
bark.strip
stem with vertical teeth marks from moose or deer
0
no
1
yes
NA
missing value
stem.broken
stem pulled down and snapped by browsing moose
0
no
1
yes
NA
missing value
4683
hf242-03-seedlings.csv
oak and hemlock seedlings
hf242-03-seedlings.csv
17104
cb90ebc76d423e7788646f772afada75
1
\r\n
column
,
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p24/hf242/hf242-03-seedlings.csv
plot.name
plot name
plot name
NA
missing value
species
tree species or genus name
tree species or genus name
NA
missing value
height.class
height of seedling
1
0.30-0.99 m
2
1-1.99 m
3
2-3 m
4
>3 m
NA
missing value
browsed
sign of past browsing on any part of stem
0
no
1
yes
NA
missing value
lead.browsed
leading shoot of seedling browsed
0
no
1
yes
NA
missing value
origin
origin
seed
stem grown from a seed
sprout
stem is a basal or seedling sprout
NA
missing value
browsed.dead
stem dead with signs of browsing
0
no
1
yes
NA
missing value
461
hf242-04-pellets.csv
pellet groups
hf242-04-pellets.csv
939
838d1d931eba5aae82505c046d230677
1
\r\n
column
,
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p24/hf242/hf242-04-pellets.csv
plot.name
plot name
plot name
NA
missing value
deer
number of white-tailed deer pellet groups (defined as at least 15
individual pellets) in 400m2 plot
number
1
whole
NA
missing value
moose
number of moose pellet groups (defined as at least 15 individual pellets)
in 400m2 plot
number
1
whole
NA
missing value
72
hf242-05-browse.csv
red maple browse
hf242-05-browse.csv
5134
1df2458343d0ba13593d19e12e2558a2
1
\r\n
column
,
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p24/hf242/hf242-05-browse.csv
plot.name
plot name
plot name
NA
missing value
browsed
sign of past browsing on any part of red maple seedling between 30 cm and
3 m in height
0
no
1
yes
NA
missing value
lead.browsed
leading shoot of red maple seedling browsed
0
no
1
yes
NA
missing value
423
hf242-06-shrubs.csv
shrubs
hf242-06-shrubs.csv
7804
535a987860ad3a7a4118a699e8ab437c
1
\r\n
column
,
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p24/hf242/hf242-06-shrubs.csv
plot.name
plot name
plot name
NA
missing value
species
shrub species or genus; “Unk” = unknown species
shrub species or genus; “Unk” = unknown species
NA
missing value
tally
total number of individual stems ≥1 m in height in the 25, 4m2
subplots
number
1
whole
NA
missing value
274
hf242-07-herbs.csv
herbs
hf242-07-herbs.csv
3388
34bb012af5b2748424889abb75629311
1
\r\n
column
,
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p24/hf242/hf242-07-herbs.csv
plot.name
plot name
plot name
NA
missing value
herb1
most abundant herb species or genus in plot; graminoid = unknown grass or
sedge; unk = unknown forb
most abundant herb species or genus in plot; graminoid = unknown grass or
sedge; unk = unknown forb
NA
missing value
herb2
second most abundant herb species or genus in plot; graminoid = unknown
grass or sedge; unk = unknown forb
second most abundant herb species or genus in plot; graminoid = unknown grass
or sedge; unk = unknown forb
NA
missing value
72
conservation
community
regional
short-term measurement
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/exist/apps/datasets/showData.html?id=hf115
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/exist/apps/datasets/showData.html?id=hf174
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/exist/apps/datasets/showData.html?id=hf203
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/exist/apps/datasets/showData.html?id=hf201