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 partnerPlantations have been part of forestry at Harvard Forest since its beginning. Plantations were established from 1911-1944, usually on open or cut-over land. The maximum amount of land in plantations totaled about 270 acres (10% of Harvard Forest’s land base). The tending of the plantations was conducted and carefully documented; however, this work ceased about 1950. Since then, some plantations were out-competed by native tree species, with only scattered planted trees remaining, a few acres of plantations were harvested in the 1950, and about 40 acres of plantations were harvested in the 1990s. As of 2007, approximately 135 acres of plantations remained and ranged in age from 60 to 90 years old. Some stands have substantial areas blown down. In 2008, Harvard Forest developed a management plan to harvest 80 acres of mature plantation forests to terminate these long term experiments, regenerate a diversity of native tree species, restore native forests to these sites, and to initiate a new suite of long term experiments. For the next 10-15 years, the harvested areas will provide early successional habitat for a variety of wildlife species. A suite of permanent vegetation plots was established throughout the plantations to assess vegetation structure in plantations and predict future dynamics in harvested and early seral habitats. 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.Plantation Biodiversity Plots at Harvard Forest since 2007Plantations have been part of forestry at Harvard Forest since its beginning. Plantations were established from 1911-1944, usually on open or cut-over land. The maximum amount of land in plantations totaled about 270 acres (10% of Harvard Forest’s land base). The tending of the plantations was conducted and carefully documented; however, this work ceased about 1950. Since then, some plantations were out-competed by native tree species, with only scattered planted trees remaining, a few acres of plantations were harvested in the 1950, and about 40 acres of plantations were harvested in the 1990s. As of 2007, approximately 135 acres of plantations remained and ranged in age from 60 to 90 years old. Some stands have substantial areas blown down. In 2008, Harvard Forest developed a management plan to harvest 80 acres of mature plantation forests to terminate these long term experiments, regenerate a diversity of native tree species, restore native forests to these sites, and to initiate a new suite of long term experiments. For the next 10-15 years, the harvested areas will provide early successional habitat for a variety of wildlife species. A suite of permanent vegetation plots was established throughout the plantations to assess vegetation structure in plantations and predict future dynamics in harvested and early seral habitats. VMC.1387.2864mySQL/femc/data/archive/project/Harvard_Forest_Research/dataset/plantation-biodiversity-plots-harvard-forest-since-12007-01-01speciesSpecies field in the HF Phenology datasetsSpecies field in the Harvard Forest Phenology and Vegetation Growth in Prospect Hill Soil Warming Experiment datasets (HF033)textaagaITIS #25110, Allegheny serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea)bbhchITIS #23617, ( Vaccinium vacillans)bbhgITIS #23573, highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)beechITIS #19462, American beech (Fagus grandifolia)blachITIS #24764, black cherry (Prunus serotina)chestITIS #19454, American chestnut (Castanea dentata)crataITIS #28728, red maple (Acer rubrum)rmITIS #28728, red maple (Acer rubrum)roITIS #19408, northern red oak (Quercus rubra)saITIS #25319, American mountain-ash (Sorbus americana)smITIS #28754, striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum)vestITIS #35266, nannyberry; nanny-berry (Viburnum lentago)viac1ITIS #35255, mapleleaf viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium)woITIS #19290, white oak (Quercus alba)