Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest

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The Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest is part of the White Mountains in New Hampshire that serves as an outdoor laboratory for ecological research. It was founded in 1955 by the United States Forest Service to investigate the relationship between forests on the one hand and groundwater quantities and water quality on the other.

Forest land management

In 1955, the first section of the area was awarded in the Hubbard Brook watershed, west of West Thornton, New Hampshire . The area was provided with measuring devices from 1956. Little by little, seven springs and their watersheds were demarcated. Each of these zones is viewed as an independent ecosystem. Since the outflow of water, minerals and aquatic organisms from each watershed can be measured, the influences on experimental changes can be determined.

The Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Studies

During the first five to six years after its inception, the HBEF was used for research in the field of forestry. However, its value for ecosystem research soon became clear and scientists from large universities began to take an interest in the project. The work at Hubbard Brook encouraged scientists to advance experimental ecosystem research on large and complex objects. Research at the HBEF helped clarify irritating environmental problems, in particular the negative effects of acid rain .

Research history

The Experimental Methods at Hubbard Brook were first developed by Herbert Bormann of Dartmouth College , who took students to the White Mountain National Forest for botanical fieldwork as early as the 1950s . He was assisted by Robert Pierce, a forest scientist. From around 1960 the ecologist Gene Likens and the geologist Noye M. Johnson of Dartmouth also took part in the project. They first received $ 60,000 for a study on "Hydrological-Mineral Cycle Interaction in a Small Watershed" from the National Science Foundation in 1963 . This resulted in long-term research funding under the name "Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study" (HBES for short). The first forms of ecosystem monitoring aimed to investigate the effects of forest management interventions on water quantity and quality. These investigations formed the basis for the more complex investigations that followed. The HBES has subsequently produced over 2000 publications. The most important was a study on acid rain. The HBEF has served as a "Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Site" since 1988 and has one of the largest datasets on ecological research. The area is currently used by scientists from numerous universities such as Dartmouth College, Yale University , Cornell University , Syracuse University , SUNY ESF , University of New Hampshire , Keene State College and University of Vermont for their research. The Hubbard Brook Research Foundation provides shelter for scientists while they work on a farm near Mirror Lake.

Hubbard Brook ecosystem

The Hubbard Brook area is on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest in the middle of New Hampshire near the town of Woodstock, New Hampshire. It can be reached via Interstate 93 . The forest is home to nine watersheds that drain the forest's water and channel it via Mirror Lake into the Pemigewasset River near Thornton. The research area is 3160 hectares and lies between 222 and 1015 m above sea level. NN.

Forest

The forest in Hubbard Brook is largely a mixture of northern hardwoods (80–90%) and balsam fir and American red spruce ( Picea rubens ) (10–20%, in the higher elevations). American beech ( Fagus grandifolia ), yellow birch ( Betula allegheniensis ) and sugar maple ( Acer saccharum ) can be found most frequently in locations around 500 to 700 m. Vermont maple ( Acer spicatum ), striped maple ( Acer pensylvanicum ) and American quivering aspen ( Populus tremuloides ) grow at different heights. Due to the harsh winters, the regeneration time is decades. Deforestation began as early as the 18th century. By 1920 approx. 470,000 m³ of timber had been felled.

Floors

The floors of the Hubbard Brook are mostly well-watered Spodosol that of glacial till derived and suspended silt loam a Eluvialhorizont forms. The forest floor at Hubbard Brook is characterized by the presence of all sub-horizons. There is predominantly humus with loose humus in locations below 600 m with maple vegetation. It is acidic (pH 4.5) and quite sterile. Aluminum and iron are usually leached into the deeper soil layers. Silicates are retained and occasionally mix with the forest floor. The soil depths are very different. At higher altitudes the humus layer is thin and often lies over sandy unsorted material.

climate

Every year around 1400 mm of rain falls, a third of which is snow in winter. In January the average temperature is −9 ° C and in July 18 ° C. There are 145 frost-free days. The growing season is no longer than four months (mid-May to mid-September).

Research areas

  1. Hydrology: water movements within the ecosystem, snowfall analyzes and long-term studies of icing.
  2. Environmental factors influencing tree growth and the effects of deforestation on the mineral balance.
  3. Environmental factors that influence the behavior of birds and insect populations, taking into account reproduction rates.
  4. Effects of acid rain on the mineral balance of the soil and consequently on the root system of plants.
  5. Metabolism of nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, mercury, calcium and carbon and the effects of pollution on the metabolism of these minerals.

Hubbard Brook Research Foundation

The "Hubbard Brook Research Foundation" supports the work of the "Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study". It is intended for research in the Hubbard Brook area. The foundation finances the maintenance of the buildings and laboratories. The foundation also supports the transfer of research results to politics and the public.

Annual symposia

Every summer scientists meet in Hubbard Brook for two days to discuss current research and the results of their work. Around 150 scientists and students regularly take part in the events.

swell

  • Hubbard Brook Research Foundation (2007): Long-term Trends from Ecosystem Research at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. General Technical Report NRS-17. download (PDF; 6.1 MB)

Web links

Coordinates: 43 ° 56 '42 "  N , 71 ° 43' 11"  W.