Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative(802) 656-0683femc@uvm.eduwww.uvm.edu/femc705 Spear StreetSouth BurlingtonVermont05403United States of AmericaHarvard University Harvard ForestleadDuke Forest partnerForest Research at Harvard ForestSince 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.Forest Research at Harvard ForestBooseEmerybrowsingforest healthcontinuous forest inventory forest regenerationresearchMoose Foraging in Temperate Forests of Central Massachusetts 20052005-01-012005-12-31The "re-wilding" of ecosystems with extirpated large mammals has become a focus of recent scientific and conservation initiatives; however, it is unclear how proposed re-introductions will influence systems that are often vastly different from those that occurred before these animals were extirpated. Moose, the Northeast’s largest Holocene browser, have recently expanded across southern New England’s temperate forest landscape after an absence of 200 years, realizing a natural re-wilding experiment. Moose have been well-studied throughout the boreal forest biome; however, because they are rare today in temperate forests, almost Nothing is known of their ecology, behavior, or potential impacts to these ecosystems. This study investigated patterns of winter moose browse in order to: (1) gain insight into the likely influences of this herbivore on the vegetation patterns of the region; and (2) to identify the most important habitat features influencing moose winter foraging activity at a landscape and site scale. Two large forested watersheds in Central Massachusetts were sampled for moose browse, habitat features, and disturbances including forest harvesting and human activity. Chi-square and t-tests were used to identify browse species preferences of moose, and step-wise multiple regression was used to identify habitat variables that are strong predictors of browse intensity.VMC.1387.2834mySQLFaison E, Foster D. 2009. Moose Foraging in Temperate Forests of Central Massachusetts 2005. Harvard Forest Data Archive: HF115. Available at: http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu:8080/exist/apps/datasets/showData.html?id=hf040/femc/data/archive/project/Harvard_Forest_Research/dataset/moose-foraging-temperate-forests-central-massachusettsspeciesSpecies field in HF Moose Foraging in Temperate Forests dataset Species field in Harvard Forest Moose Foraging in Temperate Forests dataset (hf115)textD-M-YY-1black birchITIS #19487, sweet birch (Betula lenta)chestnutITIS #19454, American chestnut (Castanea dentata)red oakITIS #19408, northern red oak (Quercus rubra)white oakITIS #19290, white oak (Quercus alba)white pineITIS #183385, eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)high bush blueberryITIS #23573, highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)red mapleITIS #28728, red maple (Acer rubrum)yellow birchITIS #19481, yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis)witch hazelITIS #19033, witch-hazel; witchhazel; American witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana)sugar mapleITIS #28731, sugar maple (Acer saccharum)white ashITIS #32931, white ash (Fraxinus americana)alderITIS #19466, alnus spp. (Alnus sp.)hawthornITIS #24539, hawthorn (Crataegus )nannyberryITIS #35266, nannyberry; nanny-berry (Viburnum lentago)winterberryITIS #27985, common winterberry (Ilex verticillata)hemlockITIS #183397, Canada hemlock; hemlock spruce (Tsuga canadensis)hazelnutITIS #19505, hazelnut (Corylus sp.)black cherryITIS #24764, black cherry (Prunus serotina)lyoniaITIS #23563, fetterbush lyonia (Lyonia lucida)american elmITIS #19049, American elm (Ulmus americana)black birchITIS #19487, sweet birch (Betula lenta)shadbushITIS #25108, serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.)musclewoodITIS #19504, American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana)hickoryITIS #19223, hickory spp (Carya sp.)beechITIS #19462, American beech (Fagus grandifolia)black oakITIS #19447, black oak (Quercus velutina)paper birchITIS #19489, paper birch (Betula papyrifera)bigtooth aspenITIS #22463, bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata)red mapleITIS #28728, red maple (Acer rubrum)red oakITIS #19408, northern red oak (Quercus rubra)red pineITIS #183375, red pine (Pinus resinosa)european buckthornITIS #28579, glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula)hop hornbeamITIS #19511, eastern hophornbeam; hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)american hazelnutITIS #19506, noisetier d'Amérique (Corylus americana)alternate dogwoodITIS #27813, alternate-leaf dogwood; alternateleaf dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)norway spruceITIS #183289, Norway spruce (Picea abies)white pineITIS #183385, eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)mountain laurelITIS #23677, mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)azaleaITIS #23700, azaleas (Rhododendron sp.)larchITIS #183409, larch (Larix sp.)white birchITIS #19489, paper birch (Betula papyrifera)maple leaf viburnumITIS #35255, mapleleaf viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium)chestnut oakITIS #195058, chestnut oak ( Quercus prinus)arrowwoodITIS #35251, arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum)red spruceITIS #18034, red spruce (Picea rubens)basswoodITIS #21536, American basswood (Tilia americana)gray birchITIS #19497, gray birch (Betula populifolia)striped mapleITIS #28754, striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum)grapeITIS #28606, grape (Vitis sp.)blackberryITIS #24866, Allegheny blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis)shagbark hickoryITIS #19242, shagbark hickory (Carya ovata)balsam firITIS #18032, balsam fir (Abies balsamea)poison sumacITIS #28823, poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix)mountain hollyITIS #28002, mountain winterberry (Ilex montana)black ashITIS #32945, black ash (Fraxinus nigra)swamp dogwoodITIS #27802, stiff dogwood (Cornus foemina)elmITIS #19048, elm (Ulmus sp.)chokecherryITIS #24806, chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)spicebushITIS #18146, spicebush (Lindera sp.)black chokeberryITIS #25127, black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)spruceITIS #18033, spruce (Picea sp.)tamarackITIS #183412, tamarack (Larix laricina)scarlet oakITIS #19288, scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea)pignut hickoryITIS #19231, pignut hickory; sweet pignut (Carya glabra)sugarmapleITIS #28731, sugar maple (Acer saccharum)high bush blackberryITIS #836667, highbush blackberry (Rubus X ostryifolius)virginia creeperITIS #28602, American ivy (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)quaking aspenITIS #195773, quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)rubusITIS #24848, framboises (Rubus sp.)unknown shrubITIS #824, (Chlorogloea sp.)loniceraITIS #35281, honeysuckle (Lonicera sp.)bittersweetITIS #506068, tsuru-ume-mo-doki (Celastrus orbiculatus)whte pineITIS #183385, eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)