Floristic Diversity of the Experimental Watersheds, Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest

While tree species succession and response to disturbance has been
extensively researched, little similar effort has focused on understory
herbaceous communities. This study conducted the first complete
botanical inventories, with ranked abundance estimates, of the
experimental watersheds of the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF),
compared their relative floristic characters, and provided baseline data
for long-term diversity monitoring at HBEF. Five of these watersheds
were composed of mature (90 - 100 year old) secondary-growth forest,
while two were young (16 and 26 year old) tertiary-growth forests
recovering from conventional clear-cutting treatments. Floristic
similarities were analyzed using ANCOVA, dominance-diversity curves, and
similarity matrices. These data were gathered as part of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study
(HBES). The HBES is a collaborative effort at the Hubbard Brook
Experimental Forest, which is operated and maintained by the USDA Forest
Service, Northern Research Station.