Introduction Page 10


Why is long-term research important?

If you were studying a part of a forest - for example, what types of trees grow best in that forest - how long would you want to conduct your research?

Would you be able to learn all about these trees in just one year, or would it take many years? Is it possible that it could even take decades? Think of some reasons why long-term research might help you understand more about these trees.

While there are many short-term research projects at the HBEF, most scientists conduct research over very long periods of time. For example, since the beginning of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study in the early 1960s, scientists have been measuring the pH (acidity) of precipitation.

Trends seen in short-term data (for example, 5 years) are often very different than trends seen in long-term data. Click here to look at these trends and examine the differences between some short- and long-term data at the HBEF.


Long-Term Ecological Research Network (LTER)


Because of its committment to long-term ecological research, the HBEF became an LTER site in 1987. The US National Science Foundation runs the LTER network, which consists of 24 sites across the nation where long-term ecological research is conducted. For more information on the LTER network and its sites, click here.


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