Coarse Woody Debris of the Ice Storm Experiment (ISE) plots at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest

The ice storm experiment was a novel experimental approach creating a suite of ice storms in a mature hardwood forest in New Hampshire, USA. The experiment included five ice storm intensities (0, 6.4, 12.7, and 19.1 mm radial ice accretion) applied in a single year, and one ice storm intensity (12.7 mm) applied in two consecutive years. This dataset quantifies the coarse woody debris transferred from the forest canopy to the soil under the different icing conditions. In this forest, little damage occurred below 6.4 mm radial ice accretion, moderate damage occurred with up to 12.7 mm of accretion, and significant branch breakage and canopy damage occurred with 19.1 mm of ice. The icing in consecutive years demonstrated an interactive effect of ice storm frequency and severity such that some branches damaged in the first year of icing appeared to remain in the canopy and then fall to the ground in the second year of icing. These results have implications for National Weather Service ice storm warning levels, and they provide a quantitative assessment of ice-load related inputs of forest debris that will be useful to municipalities creating response plans for current and future ice storms. 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.本冰风暴实验为一项创新性实验方案，于美国新罕布什尔州的一处成熟硬木林中构建了系列冰风暴场景。 该实验设置了5种冰风暴强度（径向积冰量分别为0、6.4、12.7及19.1毫米），均在单一年度内施加；另有1种强度（12.7毫米）连续两年施加。本数据集量化了不同积冰条件下，从林冠转移至地面的粗木质残体（coarse woody debris）。该林区内，径向积冰量低于6.4毫米时几乎无损伤；积冰量达12.7毫米时出现中度损伤；积冰量19.1毫米时则发生显著的枝条折断与林冠破坏。连续年度的积冰实验展现了冰风暴发生频率与严重程度的交互效应：部分在第一年积冰中受损的枝条仍留存于林冠，并于第二年积冰过程中坠落至地面。上述研究结果对美国国家气象局（National Weather Service）的冰风暴预警等级制定具有参考价值，同时为冰荷载相关森林残体输入量提供了定量评估方法，可为制定当前及未来冰风暴应对预案的市政管理部门提供参考。 本数据集隶属于哈伯布鲁克生态系统研究（Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study, HBES）项目。哈伯布鲁克实验林区由美国农业部林务局（USDA Forest Service）北方研究站运营维护，HBES即为该林区的一项合作研究计划。