Introduction Page 3 |
| |||
What does the forest look like?
The HBEF is located in a ~3,160 hectare (~7,800 acres) valley that is drained by a single major stream: the Hubbard Brook. The Hubbard flows out of the Valley into the nearby Pemigewasset River, which then flows into the Merrimack River and eventually the Atlantic Ocean. If you live in New Hampshire or northern Massachusetts you are probably close to one of these rivers. The photo on the right, taken in the 1970s, shows the HBEF with the Hubbard Brook draining towards the bottom (east) of the photo. On the right side of the photo are two of the experimental watersheds. Why do you think these patches look different than the rest of the forest? You will learn more about these watersheds later in this tour. To see a map of the Forest, click here. The HBEF lies in what scientists refer to as the "northern hardwood forest" ecosystem. In Pattern and Process in a Forested Ecosystem*, Drs. Herb Bormann and Gene Likens, the scientists who founded the HBES, wrote, "The northern hardwood forest ecosystem at and around Hubbard Brook is part of an extensive forest type that lies between boreal forest to the north and the main body of the deciduous forest to the south."
Take a look at this photo - taken from the top of one of the experimental watersheds - to quickly see what the forest often looks like here in central New Hampshire. The photo below shows the forest at ground level. How is this forest different from plant communities near your home and school?
Besides plants and trees, what else characterizes a forest? For example, different types of precipitation fall on forests, which in turn have streams that drain away the excess water. What are some other important forest components? On the next page you will learn about HBEF streams, precipitation, soil, and more. * Bormann, F. H. and G. E. Likens. 1979. Pattern and Process in a Forested Ecosystem. Springer-Verlag New York Inc. 253 pp. ![]() ![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||