Introduction Page 8 |
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Much of the research at the HBEF has been done at the watershed scale. That means that scientists have studied how entire watersheds function and respond to experimental treatments such as logging, and how water, nutrients, and elements such as nitrogen and carbon move, or "cycle," through ecosystems. At the HBEF, scientists have mapped 10 watersheds and equipped 9 of them with permanent weirs (see map). Researchers study these watersheds using the "Small Watershed Concept". Maybe you have heard of scientists that study streams, or researchers who are interested in certain groups of plants or animals. At the HBEF, scientists use the Small Watershed Concept to study how ALL the plants, animals, soil, and water interact in a single unit - the whole watershed. Whereas in plant research a tree may be the single unit of study, in small watershed research the watershed is the single (large & complex) unit of study. At the HBEF, we study watersheds as single units to learn how ecosystems function. To learn more about the Small Watershed Concept, click here. Or, if you would rather continue with the Introduction, click on the right arrow to learn what is responsible for the pattern in this photograph. ![]() ![]() |