Physical, chemical, and metabolic leaf characteristics within sugar maple in the MELNHE study at Bartlett Experimental Forest, central NH USA, 2017

The MELNHE study looks at patterns of resource limitation through nutrient manipulations in three study sites in New Hampshire: Bartlett Experimental Forest, Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, and Jeffers Brook, located in the White Mountain National Forest. The investigation is monitoring stem diameter, leaf area, sap flow, foliar chemistry, leaf litter production and chemistry, foliar nutrient resorption, root biomass and production, mycorrhizal associations, soil respiration, heterotrophic respiration, N and P availability, N mineralization, soil phosphatase activity, soil carbon and nitrogen, nutrient uptake capacity of roots, and mineral weathering. Applications of N and P began in June 2011 and continue at the rate of 30 kg N/ha/yr (as NH4NO3) and 10 kg P/ha/yr (as NaH2PO4). This data set includes physical, chemical, and metabolic leaf characteristics collected in a vertical transect within individual tree crowns. Because trees varied in crown depth, not all trees have the same number of samples collected. Depth from the top of the crown was measured and climbing ropes and a pole pruner were used to collect a population of leaves. 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.