Harvard Forest

Data Archive

HF232

Seedlings and Saplings in the Clearcut Site at Harvard Forest 2010-2013

Related Publications

Data

• hf232-01: seedling-sapling data (preview)

Overview

• Lead: Christopher Williams, Melanie Vanderhoof, Myroslava Khomik, Richard MacLean
• Investigators:
• Contact: Information Manager
• Start date: 2010
• End date: 2013
• Status: complete
• Location: Prospect Hill Tract (Harvard Forest)
• Latitude: +42.546 degrees
• Longitude: -72.174 degrees
• Elevation: 403 meter
• Datum: WGS84
• Taxa: Acer pensylvanicum (striped maple), Acer rubrum (red maple), Betula alleghaniensis (yellow birch), Betula lenta (black/sweet birch), Betula papyrifera (paper birch), Betula populifolia (gray birch), Betula spp. (birch), Castanea dentata (chestnut), Cornus sp. (dogwood), Fagus grandifolia (American beech), Picea abies (Norway spruce), Picea glauca (white spruce), Pinus resinosa (red pine), Pinus strobus (white pine), Prunus pensylvanica (pin cherry), Prunus serotina (black cherry), Prunus spp. (cherry), Quercus rubra (red oak), Quercus velutina (black oak), Sorbus americana (American mountain ash), Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock)
• Release date: 2023
• Language: English
• EML file: knb-lter-hfr.232.6
• DOI: digital object identifier
• EDI: data package
• DataONE: data package
• Related links:
• Project Website
• Coarse Woody Debris in the Clearcut Site at Harvard Forest since 2010
• Leaf Area in the Clearcut Site at Harvard Forest 2010-2012
• Vegetation Cover in the Clearcut Site at Harvard Forest since 2010
• Study type: long-term measurement
• Research topic: biodiversity studies; physiological ecology, population dynamics and species interactions
• LTER core area: primary production, disturbance patterns, human-environment interactions
• Keywords: aboveground biomass, forest disturbance, regeneration, species composition, vegetation dynamics
• Abstract:

  The aim of this dataset is to quantify the changes over time in woody seedling and sapling abundances and sizes at a site that was clearcut in the fall of 2008, followed by natural regeneration. It evidences successional changes in recruitment, survival, and associated self-thinning, and can be used to quantify accumulation of aboveground live biomass post-clearing with corresponding allometric relationships.

• Methods:

  In 2010, 24 5 x 5 m plots were established, and a rebar stake driven to mark one of the corners for repeated measurements. With the 5 x 5 m plot all tree individuals were tallied and measured for diameter, height, and maximum crown width. Diameter height was determined by classifying individuals at saplings or seedlings, above or below 1.4 m in height. If an individual was a sapling diameter was measured at DBH (1.4 m), if a seedling diameter was measured at 15 cm. All plots were measured at the start of a year’s field season, and then a subset remeasured approximately a month later. The amount of plots remeasured varies by year.

  Individuals were classified as saplings (more than 1 m tall) or seedlings (less than 1 m tall). Diameters were measured at 1.4 m height for saplings and 15 cm height for seedlings. Diameters less than 1 cm were recorded as 0.5 cm.

• 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: Williams C, Vanderhoof M, Khomik M, MacLean R. 2023. Seedlings and Saplings in the Clearcut Site at Harvard Forest 2010-2013. Harvard Forest Data Archive: HF232 (v.6). Environmental Data Initiative: https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/da42492838cd562bba014e7fdcbc7415.

Detailed Metadata

hf232-01: seedling-sapling data

1. date: date data were recorded
2. year: year data were recorded
3. month: month data were recorded
4. plot: plot number
5. species: species code
   • ACPE: Acer pensylvanicum
   • ACRU: Acer rubrum
   • BEAL: Betula alleghaniensis
   • BELE: Betula lenta
   • BEPA: Betula papyrifera
   • BEPO: Betula populifolia
   • BESP: Betula spp.
   • COSP: Cornus sp.
   • FAGR: Fagus grandifolia
   • PIAB: Picea abies
   • PIGL: Picea glauca
   • PIST: Pinus strobus
   • PIRE: Pinus resinosa
   • PIST: Pinus strobus
   • PISP: Pinus spp.
   • PRPE: Prunus pensylvanica
   • PRSE: Prunus serotina
   • PRSP: Prunus spp.
   • QURU: Quercus rubra
   • QUVE: Quercus velutina
   • TSCA: Tsuga canadensis
   • UNK: Unknown spp.
6. type: whether the individual is considered a sapling (greater than one meter tall), or seedling (less than one meter tall)
7. diam.15cm: diameter at 15 cm above ground. NA indicates a value less than 1 cm that was not measured (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)
8. dbh: diameter at breast height (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)
9. max.height: maximum height of the individual (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)
10. max.width: maximum crowth width of the individual (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)