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Harvard Forest Data Archive

HF052

Trace Gas Fluxes and Soil N Dynamics in Simulated Hurricane Experiment at Harvard Forest 1989-1991

Related Publications

Data

Overview

  • Lead: Jerry Melillo, Richard Bowden
  • Investigators: John Aber, Mark Castro, Paul Steudler
  • Contact: Information Manager
  • Start date: 1989
  • End date: 1991
  • Status: complete
  • Location: Tom Swamp Tract (Harvard Forest)
  • Latitude: +42.49 degrees
  • Longitude: -72.20 degrees
  • Elevation: 310 meter
  • Datum: WGS84
  • Taxa:
  • Release date: 2023
  • Language: English
  • EML file: knb-lter-hfr.52.20
  • DOI: digital object identifier
  • EDI: data package
  • DataONE: data package
  • Related links:
  • Study type: short-term measurement
  • Research topic: large experiments and permanent plot studies; soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics
  • LTER core area: mineral cycling, disturbance patterns
  • Keywords: air temperature, carbon dioxide, hurricane damage, methane, nitrogen, nitrous oxide, soil moisture, soil temperature
  • Abstract:

    This study examined the fluxes of greenhouse gases between soils and the atmosphere in the Simulated Hurricane Experiment. The abstract from the published paper (see Methods) is reproduced below.

    "Fluxes of nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) between soils and the atmosphere were measured monthly for one year in a 77-year-old temperate hardwood forest following a simulated hurricane blowdown. Emissions of CO2 and uptake of CH4 for the control plot were 4.92 MT C ha-1 y-1 and 3.87 kg C ha-1 y-1, respectively, and were not significantly different from the blowdown plot. Annual N2O emissions in the control plot (0.23 kg N ha-1 y-1) were low and were reduced 78% by the blowdown. Net N mineralization was not affected by the blowdown. Net nitrification was greater in the blowdown than in the control, however, the absolute rate of net nitrification, as well as the proportion of mineralized N that was nitrified, remained low. Fluxes of CO2 and CH4 were correlated positively to soil temperature, and CH4 uptake showed a negative relationship to soil moisture. Substantial resprouting and leafing out of downed or damaged trees, and increased growth of understory vegetation following the blowdown, were probably responsible for the relatively small differences in soil temperature, moisture, N availability, and net N mineralization and net nitrification between the control and blowdown plots, thus resulting in no change in CO2 or CH4 fluxes, and no increase in N2O emission."

  • Methods:

    For details on methods and results, please see the published paper: Bowden, R., M. C. Castro, J. M. Melillo, P. A. Steudler and J. D. Aber. 1993. Fluxes of greenhouse gases between soils and the atmosphere in a temperate forest following a simulated hurricane blowdown. Biogeochemistry 21: 61-71.

  • 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: Melillo J, Bowden R. 2023. Trace Gas Fluxes and Soil N Dynamics in Simulated Hurricane Experiment at Harvard Forest 1989-1991. Harvard Forest Data Archive: HF052 (v.20). Environmental Data Initiative: https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/b34e520c9f20ddf3f569887fc8f9ce09.

Detailed Metadata

hf052-01: control plot

  1. date: date
  2. var: variable
    • n: number of samples
    • se: standard error
    • x: mean
  3. n2o: N2O flux in ugN/m2/h (unit: microgramPerMeterSquaredPerHour / missing value: NA)
  4. co2: CO2 flux in mgC/m2/h (unit: milligramPerMeterSquaredPerHour / missing value: NA)
  5. ch4: CH4 flux in mgC/m2/h (unit: milligramPerMeterSquaredPerHour / missing value: NA)
  6. soilt.o: soil temperature at 0-2.5 cm depth in degrees C (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
  7. soilt.m: soil temperature at 2.5-5.0 cm depth in degrees C (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
  8. airt: air temperature (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
  9. soilm.o: soil moisture at 2.5-5.0 cm depth in gH2O/gSoil (unit: gramsPerGram / missing value: NA)
  10. soilm.m: soil moisture at 2.5-5.0 cm depth in gH2O/gSoil (unit: gramsPerGram / missing value: NA)

hf052-02: blowdown plot

  1. date: date
  2. var: variable
    • n: number of samples
    • se: standard error
    • x: mean
  3. n2o: N2O flux in ugN/m2/h (unit: microgramPerMeterSquaredPerHour / missing value: NA)
  4. co2: CO2 flux in mgC/m2/h (unit: milligramPerMeterSquaredPerHour / missing value: NA)
  5. ch4: CH4 flux in mgC/m2/h (unit: milligramPerMeterSquaredPerHour / missing value: NA)
  6. soilt.o: soil temperature at 0-2.5 cm depth (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
  7. soilt.m: soil temperature at 2.5-5.0 cm depth (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
  8. airt: air temperature (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
  9. soilm.o: soil moisture at 0-2.5 cm depth in gH2O/gSoil (unit: gramsPerGram / missing value: NA)
  10. soilm.m: soil moisture at 2.5-5.0 cm depth in gH2O/gSoil (unit: gramsPerGram / missing value: NA)