public read Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative

705 Spear StreetSouth BurlingtonVermont05403United States of America

(802) 656-0683femc@uvm.eduwww.uvm.edu/femcHarvard University Harvard ForestleadDuke Forest partnerThe New England hurricane of 1938, by destroying many acres of mature and semi-mature forests, initiated new forest associations over a large area. Permanent plots were established across the Harvard Forest in severely damaged stands (many of which were logged subsequent to the hurricane) to assess forest succession. Most of the plots involved successions following the blowdown of white pine on glacial till or outwash soils. From 1940 to 1948, and in 1978 and 1991, tree density and presence or absence of herb and shrub species were tallied. Pioneer species regenerating from seed and advance regeneration of longer-lived species quickly established at the sites; hemlock was the only species successfully regenerating after year 10, and most tree species were present within 2-4 years of the hurricane. By 1978, pioneer species such as gray birch and pin cherry declined or disappeared and red maple, white pine, paper birch and red oak dominated the plots. By 1991, most understory species present before the hurricane had returned, although there was a small group of understory species that apparently were more sensitive to disturbance and did not recover.Forest Ecosystem Monitoring CooperativeEmeryBooseprincipalInvestigatorSince 1907, the Harvard Forest has served as a center for research and education in forest biology and conservation. The Forest's Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program, established in 1988 and funded by the National Science Foundation, provides a framework for much of this activity.Hurricane Recovery Plots at Harvard Forest since 1937The New England hurricane of 1938, by destroying many acres of mature and semi-mature forests, initiated new forest associations over a large area. Permanent plots were established across the Harvard Forest in severely damaged stands (many of which were logged subsequent to the hurricane) to assess forest succession. Most of the plots involved successions following the blowdown of white pine on glacial till or outwash soils. From 1940 to 1948, and in 1978 and 1991, tree density and presence or absence of herb and shrub species were tallied. Pioneer species regenerating from seed and advance regeneration of longer-lived species quickly established at the sites; hemlock was the only species successfully regenerating after year 10, and most tree species were present within 2-4 years of the hurricane. By 1978, pioneer species such as gray birch and pin cherry declined or disappeared and red maple, white pine, paper birch and red oak dominated the plots. By 1991, most understory species present before the hurricane had returned, although there was a small group of understory species that apparently were more sensitive to disturbance and did not recover.VMC.1387.2866mySQL/femc/data/archive/project/Harvard_Forest_Research/dataset/hurricane-recovery-plots-harvard-forest-since-11937-01-01speciesSpecies field in the HF Hurricane Recovery Plots datasetsSpecies field in the Harvard Forest Hurricane Recovery Plots datasets (HF040)textACPEITIS #28754, striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum)ACRUITIS #28728, red maple (Acer rubrum)ACSAITIS #28731, sugar maple (Acer saccharum)BEALITIS #19481, yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis)BELEITIS #19487, sweet birch (Betula lenta)BEPAITIS #19489, paper birch (Betula papyrifera)BEPOITIS #19497, gray birch (Betula populifolia)CACAITIS #19504, American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana)CADEITIS #19454, American chestnut (Castanea dentata)CAOVITIS #19242, shagbark hickory (Carya ovata)FAGRITIS #19462, American beech (Fagus grandifolia)FRAMITIS #32931, white ash (Fraxinus americana)PISTITIS #183385, eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)POSSPITIS #22444, cottonwood (Populus sp.)PRPEITIS #24799, pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica)PRSEITIS #24764, black cherry (Prunus serotina)QUALITIS #19290, white oak (Quercus alba)QUBOITIS #19408, northern red oak (Quercus rubra)SALIXITIS #22476, willow spp (Salix sp.)TIAMITIS #21536, American basswood (Tilia americana)TSCAITIS #183397, Canada hemlock; hemlock spruce (Tsuga canadensis)ULAMITIS #183397, Canada hemlock; hemlock spruce (Tsuga canadensis)