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Harvard Forest REU Symposium Abstract 2016

  • Title: Edge Effects on Forest Structure and Productivity
  • Author: Ian A Smith (Boston University)
  • Abstract:

    Forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle by removing atmospheric carbon and storing it in their biomass and soils. Land use change and deforestation reduce forest carbon pools and fragment the forest. Globally, 70% of forests are estimated to be within 1km of an edge. Fragmentation is known to alter microclimate of the remaining forest, this study characterizes how forest structure and productivity change from the forest edge to the interior in Central Massachusetts. Within the research plots, trees are cored and the biomass is mapped; in addition, the microenvironment is characterized by continuously measuring air temperature, soil temperature, soil moisture, relative humidity and light. Our results show that there is higher biomass density within 20m of a forest edge than the interior of the forest, suggesting that biomass density is greater along the forest edge. Despite air temperature gradients of up to 1.5 degrees C, we observed no differences in soil respiration rates from the edge to the interior. Taken as a whole, these data suggest that the forest edge is a larger carbon sink than the forest interior. Given the highly fragmented nature of our forests, these edge effects should be integrated into ecosystem models to better capture carbon balance across heterogeneous landscapes.

  • Research Category: Forest-Atmosphere Exchange