uid=HFR,o=lter,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
all
public
read
doi:10.6073/pasta/8257e8dfe5ee792b595054f8fd64f0c4
Understory Removal Experiment at Harvard Forest 1956-2018
Ernest
Gould
Audrey
Barker Plotkin
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4473-9785
Fulton
Rockwell
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2527-6033
Researcher
Craig
Lorimer
Researcher
William
Murison
Researcher
Shelley
Potter
Researcher
Emilio
Arias
Researcher
Saloni
Shah
Researcher
2023
English
In 1956, Ernie Gould and colleagues established an experiment to test whether removing understory trees will accelerate the growth of the residual overstory. The motivation for the experiment was the suggestion that the understory uses growth materials that would otherwise be available for the main canopy crop trees, and that if the understory were removed the development of the crop trees would be accelerated.
In Tom Swamp Compartment I, a 300’ by 400’ rectangular plot was established in a closed-canopy hardwood forest, and every tree >2 inches dbh was mapped, measured and assigned to the overstory or understory. In half of the plot, all understory trees and woody shrubs were cut. Wood and brush were removed from the study area. Sprouts that emerged were killed by spraying with 2-4-5-T and kerosene in 1956 and 1958.
Diameter growth measurements of the remaining trees (overstory in the treated area; overstory and understory in the control) were repeated in 1960, 1966, 1969, and 1975 as part of the original experiment. The control portion of the plot was measured in 2003 and 2018.
This data set contains tree measurements from the control portion of the site for 1956, 1969, 1975, 2003, and 2018. Additional measurements are available on paper data sheets in the Harvard Forest Document Archives (Research File HF 1956-03). Results of the understory removal experiment are reported in Kelty and Gould (1987).
canopies
competition
diameter at breast height
forest dynamics
tree growth
maple
oak
LTER controlled vocabulary
primary production
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=hf313
Tom Swamp Tract (Harvard Forest). Coordinates based on WGS84 datum.
-72.195
-72.195
+42.495
+42.495
315
315
meter
1956
2018
genus
Acer
species
rubrum
red maple
genus
Quercus
species
rubra
red oak
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
plot layout
The long axis of the plot is oriented ~SW-NE, and is 400 feet by 300 feet. It is broken into 48 record-units, each 50x50 feet. There are metal stakes every 50 feet along the perimeter of the plot. The N/S E/W locations are based on a grid established by W. Lyford. See hf313-03-ts-exp56-2-plot-layout.pdf for a diagram of the plot layout.
For each record-unit, a sketch map included locations and numbers for each tree, which matched measurements of diameter and canopy class. For the purposes of the experiment, understory trees were defined as all those completely overtopped by adjoining trees, plus those with tops of crowns below the mid-point of the live crowns of adjoining overstory trees.
In 1977, Craig Lorimer coded the data on computer cards, and analyzed the control data as part of an analysis of the red maple understory. In 2003, Fulton Rockwell remeasured the control sections of the plot, and in 2018, Audrey Barker Plotkin led re-measurement of the control sections of the plot.
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.
hf313-01-tree-data.csv
tree data
hf313-01-tree-data.csv
107288
31fb847efb494f2410ea665899d1060e
1
\r\n
column
,
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p31/hf313/hf313-01-tree-data.csv
latin.code
scientific abbreviation for species
scientific abbreviation for species
NA
missing value
species
species abbreviation used on field data sheets
species abbreviation used on field data sheets
NA
missing value
unit
record sub-unit of plot
record sub-unit of plot
NA
missing value
tree.id
tree number, matches original field maps
tree number, matches original field maps
NA
missing value
dbh1956
diameter at breast height in 1956
centimeter
0.001
real
NA
missing value
dbh1969
diameter at breast height in 1969
centimeter
0.001
real
NA
missing value
dbh1975
diameter at breast height in 1975
centimeter
0.001
real
NA
missing value
dbh2003
diameter at breast height in 2003
centimeter
0.001
real
NA
missing value
dbh2018
diameter at breast height in 2018
centimeter
0.1
real
NA
missing value
cc1956
crown class in 1956
o
overstory
u
understory
NA
missing value
cc1969
crown class in 1969
o
overstory
u
understory
NA
missing value
cc1975
crown class in 1975
o
overstory
u
understory
NA
missing value
cc2003
crown class in 2003
o
overstory
u
understory
NA
missing value
cc2018
crown class in 2018
o
overstory
u
understory
NA
missing value
cond1956
condition in 1956
L
live
NA
missing value
cond1969
condition in 1969
L
live
M
died since last inventory
R
recruited, that is, grew into tree-size class since last
inventory
cond1975
condition in 1975
L
live
M
died since last inventory
R
recruited, that is, grew into tree-size class since last
inventory
NA
missing value
cond2003
condition in 2003
L
live
M
died since last inventory
R
recruited, that is, grew into tree-size class since last
inventory
miss
live in prior and subsequent census, but no measurement information.
Therefore, this tree was missed in this year’s inventory.
NA
missing value
cond2018
condition in 2018
L
live
M
died since last inventory
R
recruited, that is, grew into tree-size class since last
inventory
NA
missing value
comments
comments
comments
NA
missing value
1665
hf313-02-species-codes.csv
species codes
hf313-02-species-codes.csv
897
bccbcc2f67fdc42215238cdf74ff7c43
1
\r\n
column
,
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p31/hf313/hf313-02-species-codes.csv
common.name
common name of species
common name of species
NA
missing value
field.code
abbreviation used on field data sheets
abbreviation used on field data sheets
NA
missing value
scientific.name
genus and species
genus and species
NA
missing value
latin.code
scientific abbreviation for (first two letters of genus and first two
letters of species)
scientific abbreviation for (first two letters of genus and first two letters
of species)
NA
missing value
23
hf313-03-ts-exp56-2-plot-layout.pdf
plot layout diagram
hf313-03-ts-exp56-2-plot-layout.pdf
125050
36790081349765cc54f03693f51fb528
pdf
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p31/hf313/hf313-03-ts-exp56-2-plot-layout.pdf
document
plot
community
long-term measurement