Vegetation Response in Simulated Hurricane Experiment at Harvard Forest since 1990

Wind disturbance profoundly shapes temperate forests but few studies have evaluated patterns and mechanisms of long-term forest dynamics following major windthrows. In 1990, a large hurricane simulation experiment was initaited in a 0.8 ha manipulation (pulldown) and 0.6 ha control area of a maturing Quercus rubra/Acer rubrum forest in New England. 276 trees were toppled in the pulldown, using a winch and cable, in the Northwesterly direction of natural treefall from major hurricanes. Eighty percent of canopy trees and two-thirds of all trees greater than 5 cm dbh suffered direct and indirect damage. Twenty years of measurements were used to evaluate the trajectory and mechanisms of forest response after intense disturbance. Based on the patch size and disturbance magnitude, we expected pioneer tree and understory species to drive succession.