Fine Litterfall Data at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, 1992 - present

Fine litterfall (leaves, twigs, fruits, seeds, etc.) is
collected in Watershed 1, Watershed 5, the Throughfall plots
and the Bear Brook Watershed reference forest, located to the
west of Watershed 6, to quantify carbon and nutrient flux
associated with this important pathway. In addition,
measurements of area per leaf are combined with counts of
leaves for each tree species to quantify leaf area index of
the forest. These measurements have facilitated
quantification of ice storm effects and species declines
(paper birch, sugar maple). 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.