Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest: Droughtnet soil moisture, temperature and soil water potential

The forest drought experiment prototype at Hubbard Brook was
constructed in 2015, as part of the International Drought Experiment
(IDE) coordinated by the DroughtNet Research Coordination Network. The
throughfall exclusion experiment was designed to simulate a
1-in-100-year drought during an average precipitation year by
diverting ~50% of forest throughfall from each treatment plot starting
in May 2015 (Asbjornsen et al., 2018). Throughfall was intercepted by
reinforced polyethylene troughs and diverted passively to the
downslope side of each plot. Each throughfall exclusion plot was 15 x
15 meters in area. TFE plots were designated with the labels 7 and 8
to avoid any confusion with the nearby CCASE plots (which are labeled
1-6). Plots were not trenched to isolate them from the surrounding
soil.  In May 2019 throughfall removal was increased to approximately
95% (i.e. full coverage but with stemflow not fully excluded).
Throughfall exclusion treatments ended in February 2020. Recovery and
return to baseline conditions were monitored during 2020 (when a
natural drought occurred) and 2021 (a more normal year). 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.