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Harvard Forest Data Archive

HF343

Soil Carbon and Nitrogen at the Harvard Farm at Harvard Forest since 2015

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Data

Overview

  • Lead: Serita Frey
  • Investigators: Melissa Knorr
  • Contact: Information Manager
  • Start date: 2015
  • End date: 2015
  • Status: ongoing
  • Location: Harvard Farm (Harvard Forest)
  • Latitude: +42.52 degrees
  • Longitude: -72.18 degrees
  • Elevation: 365 meter
  • Datum: WGS84
  • Taxa:
  • Release date: 2023
  • Language: English
  • EML file: knb-lter-hfr.343.3
  • DOI: digital object identifier
  • EDI: data package
  • DataONE: data package
  • Related links:
  • Study type: long-term measurement
  • Research topic: conservation and management; soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics
  • LTER core area: disturbance patterns, mineral cycling, organic matter movement
  • Keywords: agriculture, carbon, disturbance, management, nitrogen, soil organic matter, vegetation dynamics
  • Abstract:

    These data represent baseline soil bulk density and total soil carbon and nitrogen concentrations for the three grazing treatments at Harvard Farm: hay (no grazing), rotational grazing, and intensive grazing. These samples were collected at the beginning of the study, so any differences across plots or treatments are due to inherent soil variability at the site rather than the treatments themselves. These data were collected to establish the starting conditions with which to compare potential treatment effects at later sampling dates.

  • Methods:

    The study consists of three treatments: hay (no grazing), rotational grazing, and intensive grazing of cattle in an abandoned golf course adjacent to the Harvard Forest LTER located in Petersham, MA. To establish baseline soil carbon and nitrogen stocks, six soil cores (9.8 cm diameter) were collected from within three previously established vegetation plots in each treatment field. Soil samples were collected in 10 cm depth increments to a depth of 30 cm using a gas-powered auger. Total soil and rock weights were recorded in the field. Samples were homogenized by depth increment, sieved (less than 2 mm), and a subsample was transported back to the University of New Hampshire for total organic carbon and nitrogen analysis by dry combustion on a CN analyzer. Sampling holes were backfilled with remaining soil, marked with a buried metal rebar pin, and GPS locations were recorded.

  • 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: Frey S. 2023. Soil Carbon and Nitrogen at the Harvard Farm at Harvard Forest since 2015. Harvard Forest Data Archive: HF343 (v.3). Environmental Data Initiative: https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/89349871ed02e00134bc83591f91c3b1.

Detailed Metadata

hf343-01: baseline soil data

  1. date: date sampled
  2. plot.id: plot code
  3. plot.num: plot designation
  4. treatment: treatment code
    • hay: hay field (no grazing)
    • int: intensive grazing
    • rot: rotational grazing
  5. depth: depth of mineral soil sampling
    • 0-10 cm: 10 cm depth
    • 10-20 cm: 20 cm depth
    • 20-30 cm: 30 cm depth
  6. bulk.density: grams of soil per volume (unit: gramsPerCubicCentimeter / missing value: NA)
  7. c.per: percentage of total organic carbon per sampled soil depth (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
  8. n.per: percentage of total organic nitrogen per sampled soil depth (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)