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Harvard Forest Data Archive

HF036

Overstory Mapped Tree Plots at Harvard Forest since 1990

Related Publications

Data

Overview

  • Lead: David Foster, Audrey Barker Plotkin
  • Investigators: Ann Lezberg
  • Contact: Information Manager
  • Start date: 1990
  • End date: 2013
  • Status: ongoing
  • Location: Tom Swamp Tract (Harvard Forest)
  • Latitude: +42.50 degrees
  • Longitude: -72.20 degrees
  • Elevation: 295 meter
  • Datum: WGS84
  • Taxa:
  • Release date: 2023
  • Language: English
  • EML file: knb-lter-hfr.36.21
  • DOI: digital object identifier
  • EDI: data package
  • DataONE: data package
  • Related links:
  • Study type: long-term measurement
  • Research topic: large experiments and permanent plot studies; physiological ecology, population dynamics and species interactions
  • LTER core area: population studies
  • Keywords: maple, oak, permanent plots, tree maps, vegetation dynamics
  • Abstract:

    These plots were established and mapped in 1990 for an experiment designed to study the effects of selective overstory tree mortality. The planned manipulation was to kill and leave standing one species in each of four plots, to simulate mortality by a species-specific pathogen. This manipulation was never done, for logistical reasons and because the appearance of the hemlock woolly adelgid provided a more pressing "natural" experiment to study; however, the plots are maintained and have been used in other studies. There are four 50m x 50m plots, located in a mixed hardwood forest (red oak and maple species are major components), north of the experimental hurricane. Tree data from the control plot of the experimental hurricane study could be added to this set for some analyses, since all the plots are in the same general area and forest type, and similar types of measurements were made on all of these trees. Tree diameter and condition were re-surveyed in these plots in Autumns 2003 and 2013, and saplings growing into the "tree" size class of greater than or equal to 5cm diameter were measured, tagged and mapped.

  • Methods:

    Each 50m x 50m plot was established with a 10m x 10m grid and all trees of diameter greater than or equal to 5 cm dbh were mapped using a least-squares technique in which inter-tree distances were measured to the nearest centimeter (Boose et al. 1998. Ecology 79:819-827). For each tree, species, canopy position, health, and diameter were recorded. Trees with multiple stems originating from a single base were measured as separate individuals if the stems forked at less than 1.3m high.

  • Organization: Harvard Forest. 324 North Main Street, Petersham, MA 01366, USA. Phone (978) 724-3302. Fax (978) 724-3595.

  • Project: 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. (ROR).

  • Funding: National Science Foundation LTER grants: DEB-8811764, DEB-9411975, DEB-0080592, DEB-0620443, DEB-1237491, DEB-1832210.

  • Use: 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.

  • License: Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal (CC0-1.0)

  • Citation: Foster D, Barker Plotkin A. 2023. Overstory Mapped Tree Plots at Harvard Forest since 1990. Harvard Forest Data Archive: HF036 (v.21). Environmental Data Initiative: https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/b0a3616f8355dc3384f56bc6e7bb745b.

Detailed Metadata

hf036-01: tree data

  1. plot: 50m x 50m plot
  2. tree: All trees are tagged in the field with their number. Trees in the original 1990 survey have numbers less than 300. Trees that grew into the 5cm class and were first measured in 2003 have numbers greater than 300. Trees that grew into the 5cm class and were first measured in 2013 have numbers greater than 400.
  3. species: First two letters of genus and species names of tree
    • ACPE: Acer pensylvanicum
    • ACRU: Acer rubrum
    • ACSA: Acer saccharum
    • BEAL: Betula alleghaniensis
    • BELE: Betula lenta
    • BEPA: Betual papyrifera
    • CADE: Castanea dentata
    • CAGL: Carya glabra
    • CAOV: Carya ovata
    • CASP: Carya (not identified to species)
    • FAGR: Fagus grandifolia
    • FRAM: Fraxinus americana
    • OSVI: Ostrya virginiana
    • PIRE: Pinus resinosa
    • PIST: Pinus strobus
    • POGR: Populus grandentata
    • PRSE: Prunus serotina
    • QURU: Quercus rubra
    • TIAM: Tilia americana
    • TSCA: Tsuga canadensis
  4. x: Cartesian coordinate identifying location within the plot along its north-south axis (unit: meter / missing value: NA)
  5. y: Cartesian coordinte identifying location within the plot along its east-west axis (unit: meter / missing value: NA)
  6. can: canopy class
    • D: dominant
    • C: codominant
    • I: intermediate
    • S: suppressed (or lower stratum)
  7. dbh90: Diameter at breast height (1.37m) in 1990 (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)
  8. dbh03: Diameter at breast height (1.37m) in autumn 2003 (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)
  9. dbh13: Diameter at breast height (1.37m) in autumn 2013 (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)
  10. cond90: tree condition in 1990
    • L: living
    • D: dead
    • M: moribund (will likely die soon)
  11. cond98: tree condition in 1998
    • L: living
    • D: dead
    • M: moribund (will likely die soon)
    • G: gone - can't relocate the tree
  12. cond03: tree condition in 2003
    • L: living
    • D: dead
    • M: moribund (will likely die soon)
    • G: gone - can't relocate the tree
  13. cond13: tree condition in 2003
    • L: living
    • D: dead
    • G: gone - can't relocate the tree
  14. damage93: These observations were recorded after a major winter storm
    • BEND: bole bent
    • CRSN: bole broken at more than 50% height
    • OLD: damage from before 1993 winter storm
    • SNAP: bole broken at less than 50% height
    • STND: no notable damage
    • UPRT: tree uprooted
  15. leaf93: These observations were recorded after a major winter storm
    • L4: >90% crown leafed out
    • L3: more than 50% but less than 90% leafed out
    • L2: less than 50% but more than a single branch leafed out
    • L1: only a few leaves or small branches leafed out, or one large branch; less than 10% leafout
    • F: false, no leafing out
    • 0: not sure what this means. Usually attributed to trees dead before 1993
  16. basp93: These observations were recorded after a major winter storm
    • T: has basal sprouts
    • F: no basal sprouts
  17. trsp93: These observations were recorded after a major winter storm
    • T: has trunk sprouts
    • F: no trunk sprouts
  18. ht04: the height (in meters) of the tree, calculated from the height percent and the distance at which that was measured (unit: meter / missing value: NA)
  19. crowndepth04: amount of live crown, calculated from height percent-height to base of live crown percent and the distance at which these were measured. (unit: meter / missing value: NA)
  20. meancrowndiam04: the average of the major and minor axes of the crown diameter (width), which were determined visually and measured with a 50m tape (unit: meter / missing value: NA)
  21. note90: field notes from 1990
  22. note93: field notes from 1993
  23. note98: field notes from 1998
  24. note03: field notes from 2003
  25. note13: field notes from 2003