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Forest harvesting is an important, ongoing disturbance that affects the composition, structure, and ecological function of the majority of the world's forests. However, few studies have examined the interaction between land-use conversion and harvesting. Harvard Forest researchers utilized a unique, spatially explicit database of all cutting events and land-cover conversions for Massachusetts over the past 20 years to characterize the

The photographs in the following presentation document the changes in forest trees at the margin of the pasture, adjacent to the headquarters of the Harvard Forest. These photographs were taken during spring of 2006 by John O'Keefe, and show the timing of the leaf out and leaf development this spring.

Despite the very mild and dry winter, leaf out (leaves

HF research on invasive plants demonstrates critical evidence that a noxious alien weed causes ecological damage in the Northeast

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), an invasive plant that has spread across much of the U.S. harms native maples, ashes, and other hardwood trees by releasing chemicals harmful to a soil fungus the trees

In a recently released book, Harvard Forest researcher Robert McDonald co-authored a chapter on the causes and consequences of land-use change in the North Carolina Piedmont with D.L. Urban, E.S. Minor, and E.A. Treml. The project integrated studies of forest dynamics, conservation value (forest songbird communities), and ecosystem processes (watershed hydrology and biogeochemistry). As part of this modeling effort, they