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Harvard Forest Research Project 2024
- Title: The Forest and Biodiversity experiment at Harvard Forest
- Principal investigator: Jeannine Cavender-Bares (cavender@umn.edu)
- Institution: University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- Primary contact: Jeannine Cavender-Bares (cavender@umn.edu)
- Team members: Audrey Barker Plotkin
Serita Frey
Noel Michele Holbrook
Jonathan Thompson - Abstract:
The new Forest and Biodiversity at the Harvard Forest (FAB_HF) experiment uses native tree species in varying levels of species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and functional diversity to test the mechanisms and processes that contribute to forest stability and ecosystem productivity in the face of global change. The fourteen native species vary in their dominance, their climatic distribution and their vulnerability to invasive pests. The experiment tests 1) how composition and diversity impact ecosystem processes above and belowground, 2) the impact of invasive pests on forest community dynamics, and 3) how climate change influences community dynamics. Fourteen species are grown in replicated monocultures and combinations of two, four, six and twelve species mixtures that vary in phylogenetic and functional diversity. Mixtures include combinations of close and distant relatives, leading edge species, and two species that are susceptible to invasive pests (hemlock and beech). In total, 253 4x4 m communities will be established in three blocks with trees planted 0.5 m apart, with 64 trees planted per community. FAB_HF will provide insight into the mechanisms by which global change forces influence regional forests and inform restoration efforts.
