Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest: Leaf Area Index (LAI) Bear Brook Watershed (West of Watershed 6)

Leaf area index (LAI) of the mature deciduous forest in the Bear Brook
watershed (west of WS6) at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest is
estimated on the basis of leaf litterfall collections; the raw data
for litterfall are posted in the EDI data package – Fine Litterfall
Data at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, 1992 – present
(https://portal.edirepository.org/nis/mapbrowse?scope=knb-lter-hbr&identifier=49).
Leaf litterfall collected in 0.097 m2 litter traps is sorted by
species. The number of leaves of each species is counted. The counts
are multiplied by the average area per leaf for each species in each
plot to estimate LAI. Litter traps are located randomly within each of
four plots that are arranged along the elevation gradient within the
deciduous forest zone.