Hurricane Recovery Plots at Harvard Forest since 1937

The New England hurricane of 1938 destroyed many acres of mature and semi-mature forests, thereby initiating new forest associations over a large area. Permanent plots were established across the Harvard Forest in severely damaged stands (many of which were logged subsequent to the hurricane) to assess information about forest succession. Most of the plots involved successions following the blowdown of white pine on glacial till or outwash soils. From 1940 to 1948, and in 1978 and 1991, tree density and the presence or absence of herb and shrub species were tallied. Pioneer species regenerating from seed and advance regeneration of longer-lived species quickly established at the sites.1938年新英格兰飓风（New England Hurricane of 1938）摧毁了大片成熟与半成熟森林，进而在大范围区域内催生了全新的森林群丛（forest association）。研究团队在哈佛大学森林（Harvard Forest）内受飓风严重破坏的林分（stand）中设立永久样地，其中多数林分在飓风过后遭到采伐，旨在获取森林演替（forest succession）相关的研究数据。绝大多数样地的演替过程均发生在冰川碛物（glacial till）或冰水沉积土（outwash soils）上的白皮松（white pine）风倒（blowdown）区域。研究人员分别于1940年至1948年，以及1978年、1991年对样地内的树木密度以及草本、灌木物种的存在与否进行了统计记录。由种子萌发的先锋物种（pioneer species）与长寿物种的先期更新（advance regeneration）个体快速在样地中定植。