Introduction Page 1


Welcome to the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest!

An experimental watershed

Think of some questions you might ask about a forest: What happens when all the trees are cut down? How do plant nutrients move around, or cycle, in the soil, water, and air? Are bird populations increasing or decreasing? What's going on in the soil? Is acid rain a problem?

These are the sorts of questions that scientists at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) have been asking for 50 years. Scientists are learning how the HBEF ecosystem works, and are discovering some interesting things. For example, it appears that there are fewer birds per hectare in the forest now than there used to be 30 years ago. What could be the cause of this?

The HBEF is a 3,160 hectare reserve dedicated to the long-term study of forest and stream ecosystems. HBEF scientists study topics ranging from acid rain to nutrient fluxes, from forest logging practices to ice storms, and from bird populations to sugar maple decline. Some research conducted in the HBEF has even affected federal and state laws.

The following pages will introduce you to our research, to the field station and facilities, and to what it is like to be a scientist, student, or technician here. Many terms with which you may be unfamiliar are linked to the glossary. Click on them to read the definition, and then click on the "back" button to return to the Introduction.

The tour is 17 pages long, and has many smaller tours branching off from it - follow the path that is most interesting to you! Eventually you will make your way back to the beginning.

Enjoy!


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