Large Experiments and Permanent Plot Studies
Large Experiments and Permanent Plot Studies
Large experiments allow us to evaluate infrequent but important disturbances as well as to anticipate forest response to predicted stressors. The long-term experiments begun with Harvard Forest's LTER program are reaching their 20th anniversaries, and represent an invaluable scientific legacy as they continually attract additional researchers, provide fundamental and novel insights into unfolding ecological processes, and yield critical results for the development of sound management and policy. New experiments focus on emerging stressors or build on lessons from earlier experiments.
Permanent plots are a key component of a long-term ecological research program. They provide direct insights into forest development. Results from permanent forest plots are crucial to the development and validation of forest process models. Predictions about how forests change over time and respond to climate change, invasions of exotic organisms, wind and fire disturbance, and forest management all need to be grounded in long-term observation. Permanent plots complement large experiments by providing useful comparisons in addition to the experimental controls.
Examples of large experiments and permanent plot studies at Harvard Forest include:
- Nitrogen Saturation
- Soil Warming
- Hurricane Manipulation
- DIRT - Detritus Input and Removal Treatments
- Removal of Hemlock by Logging or Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
- Soil Warming and Nitrogen Saturation
- Large Permanent Plots
Abstracts for 2009 Current Research - These abstracts describe the many on-going projects currently happening at the Forest
Abstracts from 2009 Ecological Research Symposium - These abstracts describe the latest results and conclusions from on-going research at Harvard Forest
Publications - Published papers from Harvard Forest related to large experiments and permanent plot studies.
Datasets - Data and metadata for large experiments and permanent plot studies.
