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Harvard Forest Data Archive

HF200

Carbon and Nitrogen Across Two ULTRA-Ex Urban to Rural Gradients in Massachusetts 2010

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Data

Overview

  • Lead: Lucy Hutyra, Steve Raciti
  • Investigators: Preeti Rao, Adrien Finzi
  • Contact: Information Manager
  • Start date: 2010
  • End date: 2010
  • Status: complete
  • Location: Massachusetts
  • Latitude: +42.40 to +42.50 degrees
  • Longitude: -71.20 to -71.78 degrees
  • Elevation: 0 to 300 meter
  • Datum: WGS84
  • Taxa:
  • Release date: 2023
  • Language: English
  • EML file: knb-lter-hfr.200.10
  • DOI: digital object identifier
  • EDI: data package
  • DataONE: data package
  • Related links:
  • Study type: long-term measurement
  • Research topic: conservation and management; regional studies; soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics
  • LTER core area: primary production, organic matter movement, mineral cycling, disturbance patterns
  • Keywords: biomass, carbon, nitrogen, transects, urban
  • Abstract:

    As part of the Boston University-led, Urban Long-Term Research Area - Exploratory Award (ULTRA-Ex), we established 135 circular, 15 m radius biometric plots extending across two Boston urban-to-rural gradients (Boston MA to Petersham MA and Boston MA to Worcester MA). The plots were stratified based on neighborhood (1 km2 surrounding area) characteristics for population density, impervious surface area fraction, and land cover. Within each plot we measured aboveground live and dead biomass, species characteristics, ground cover characteristics, and soil properties.

  • Methods:

    For detailed methods, please see: Raciti, S. M., L. R. Hutyra, P. Rao, and A. C. Finzi. 2012. Inconsistent definitions of 'urban' result in different conclusions about the size of urban carbon and nitrogen stocks. Ecological Applications. doi: 10.1890/11-1250.1.

  • 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: Hutyra L, Raciti S. 2023. Carbon and Nitrogen Across Two ULTRA-Ex Urban to Rural Gradients in Massachusetts 2010. Harvard Forest Data Archive: HF200 (v.10). Environmental Data Initiative: https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/56282aba52a563a152ada109f8de091c.

Detailed Metadata

hf200-01: ULTRA vegetation and soil data

  1. site: site identifier
  2. lu.class: land use class (forest, residential, other developed) from 2005 MassGIS landuse layer. http://www.mass.gov/mgis/lus2005.htm
  3. date: date that the plot was visited to survey biomass, collect soil and leaf samples, and assess other physical characteristics.
  4. live.tree.c: live tree carbon in Mg C/ha. Based on DBH (diameter at breast height) measurements of trees 5cm or larger and allometric equations. (unit: megagramPerHectare / missing value: NA)
  5. total.cwd.c: total coarse woody debris (CWD) in Mg C/ha. A value of 0 indicated that no CWD was present at the cite. The minimum size requirements were 10cm in diameter and 1m in length. (unit: megagramPerHectare / missing value: NA)
  6. bd: bulk density of 0-10 cm mineral soil core (mean of 2-3 soil cores collected at the site). An NA value indicates that we were unable to collect a sample. (unit: gramsPerCubicCentimeter / missing value: NA)
  7. n.per: nitrogen percentage of 0 - 10 cm mineral soil (mean of 2-3 soil cores collected at the site). An NA value indicates that we were unable to collect a sample. (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
  8. c.per: carbon percentage of 0 - 10 cm mineral soil (mean of soil cores collected at the site). An NA value indicates that we were unable to collect a sample. (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
  9. c.n: C:N of 0 - 10 cm soil cores (mean of 2-3 soil cores collected at the site). An NA value indicates that we were unable to collect a sample. (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
  10. n.meas: measured nitrogen content of 0 - 10 cm mineral soil in g N/m2. An NA value indicates that we were unable to collect a sample. (unit: gramsPerSquareMeter / missing value: NA)
  11. c.meas: measured carbon content of 0 - 10 cm mineral soil in kg C/m2 (for the top 10cm of soil). An NA value indicates that we were unable to collect a sample. (unit: kilogramsPerSquareMeter / missing value: NA)
  12. town: Massachusetts town in which the field plot was located