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Harvard Forest Data Archive

HF220

Coarse Woody Debris in the Clearcut Site at Harvard Forest 2010

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Data

Overview

  • Lead: Melanie Vanderhoof, Christopher Williams
  • Investigators:
  • Contact: Information Manager
  • Start date: 2010
  • End date: 2010
  • Status: completed
  • Location: Prospect Hill Tract (Harvard Forest)
  • Latitude: +42.546
  • Longitude: -72.174
  • Elevation: 403 meter
  • Taxa:
  • Release date: 2014
  • Revisions:
  • EML file: knb-lter-hfr.220.5
  • 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
  • LTER core area: organic matter
  • Keywords: clearcuts, coarse woody debris, timber harvest
  • Abstract:

    The woody debris survey was designed to quantify the baseline amount of woody debris within the clearcut site, including coarse and fine woody debris and stumps. Coarse woody debris and stumps were measured using the plot method, while fine woody debris was measured using the line intercept method. Our woody debris survey methods are detailed below. An initial or baseline survey was completed in 2010.

  • Methods:

    Coarse Woody Debris (CWD)

    Coarse woody debris (at least 7.5 cm in diameter at the larger end) included logs (less than 45° off the ground), whole tree snags (intact bole with branches and twigs), log snags (standing bole, more than 45° off the ground) and stumps (log snag less than 1 m in height). All coarse woody debris within nine 20 meters by 20 meters plots were measured and tagged. Each of the four corners of the plots was marked with permanent, painted rebar stakes. For each piece of CWD within each plot, a metal tag was attached, and the genus (if identifiable), decay class (1-5), as defined by Harmon and Sexton (1996), and physical and biological characteristics were recorded. For logs and log snags, the length and diameter at both ends and middle were measured. For whole tree snags, the DBH was recorded. For stumps the height and base and top diameters were measured.

    Assumptions: CWD pieces that extended beyond the edge of the plot were measured up until the edge of the plot. If less than one meter of a piece of CWD was visible or accessible then the piece was considered to be "underground" and was not measured. In addition, pieces of wood with a large diameter but less than a meter in length were tagged and measured if greater than 0.5 meters in length (parts of logs rejected from the commercial harvest). Stumps that were too degraded to hold a tag were not measured or tagged.

    Fine Woody Debris (FWD)

    All fine woody debris (all dead, downed wood with a diameter between 2 and 7.5 cm) was measured along five 50 m transects that radiated out from the flux tower. For each piece of FWD, the diameter, at the point of intersection and the decay class (1-5) was measured. Pieces with a large diameter but less than 0.5 m in length were also included as they were excluded from the CWD plots, as described above.

  • 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.

  • Citation:

    Vanderhoof M, Williams C. 2014. Coarse Woody Debris in the Clearcut Site at Harvard Forest 2010. Harvard Forest Data Archive: HF220 (v.5). Environmental Data Initiative: https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/54eb2437942ecd2a6d34b4d180aad273.

Detailed Metadata

hf220-01: coarse woody debris

  1. date: date
  2. plot: plot number
  3. tag: number on metal tag
  4. type: type of coarse woody debris
  5. species: species
  6. length: log length (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)
  7. base.dia: diameter of log base (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)
  8. mid.dia: diameter of log mid-point (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)
  9. top.dia: diameter of log top (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)
  10. dbh: diameter at breast height (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)
  11. decay: decay class
  12. bark: percent bark remaining on the bole (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
  13. ground: percent of bole in contact with the ground (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
  14. leaves: leaves present or not present
    • 0: not present
    • 1: present
  15. twigs: twigs present or not present
    • 0: not present
    • 1: present
  16. branches: branches present or not present
    • 0: not present
    • 1: present
  17. branch.bark: bark on branches present or not present
    • 0: not present
    • 1: present
  18. bole.bark: bark on bole present or not present
    • 0: not present
    • 1: present
  19. sw.slough: sapwood sloughing present or not present
    • 0: not present
    • 1: present
  20. sw.friable: sapwood friable present or not present
    • 0: not present
    • 1: present
  21. hw.friable: heartwood friable present or not present
    • 0: not present
    • 1: present
  22. hollow: hollow present or not present
    • 0: not present
    • 1: present
  23. conks: conks present or not present
    • 0: not present
    • 1: present
  24. moss: moss present or not present
    • 0: not present
    • 1: present
  25. lichen: lichen present or not present
    • 0: not present
    • 1: present
  26. termites: termites present or not present
    • 0: not present
    • 1: present
  27. other.bugs: other bug signs present or not present
    • 0: not present
    • 1: present
  28. notes: notes

hf220-02: fine woody debris

  1. date: date
  2. transect: transect number
  3. diameter: the diameter of each piece measured where it intersected the transect (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)
  4. decay.class: decay class
  5. notes: notes