Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER)/HFR002: Forest Inventory

Stand boundaries are located by ground survey (1936) or aerial photography (1946 and later). Each stand is sampled (sampling technique varies), noting tree species, DBH class, height class, canopy class, form, and condition.

This data is best suited for studying large-scale changes in the forest. The Harvard Forest LTER site (HFR) is primarily Eastern deciduous forest. Research topics include: long-term climate change; disturbance history and vegetation dynamics; comparison of community, population, and plant architechtural responses to human and natural disturbances; forest-atmosphere trace gas fluxes; organic matter accumulation, decomposition and mineralization; element cycling, fine root dynamics and forest microbiology.