Forest Ecosystem Responses to Chronic Nitrogen Additions
In this activity, students work with data collected during 15 years as part of a long-term research project at Harvard Forest. Students analyze the data to address the question, "How have stands of pine and hardwood forest responded to long-term nitrogen fertilization?" Students address the question using data on several ecosystem characteristics and processes: net primary productivity, tree photosynthetic capacity, soil respiration, and soil microbial biomass.
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| Primary or BEN resource type | |
|---|---|
| Format | |
| Temporal and geographic description | Harvard Forest, Massachusetts, USA. |
| Core Concepts | |
| Drought & Water-Ecosystem Services Collection | Off |
| Conservation Targets Under Global Change Collection | Off |
| Big Data Collection | Off |
| Editor's Choice | No |
| Audience | |
| Pedagogical Use Description | This activity can be used to teach students about the effects of long-term nitrogen deposition on forest ecosystems. It provides background information on nitrogen deposition and the research project that generated the data. There are complete instructions that guide students through the data analysis as well as guidelines for teachers on how the activity can be used and adapted. The activity incorporates active learning methods to engage students in their own learning process. Open-ended questions, synthesis activities and criteria for student evaluation are included. |
| Keywords | nitrogen, nitrogen deposition, soil respiration, photosynthesis, primary production, NPP, hardwood, pine, soil microbes, Harvard Forest, long term ecological research, LTER |
| Key taxa | American beech, Fagus grandifolia, red maple, Acer rubrum, Betula lenta, black birch, Quercus rubra, red oak, Quercus velutina, black oak, red pine, P |
| Life science discipline (subject) | |
| Primary Author Controlled Name | |
| Primary Author Affiliation | Department of Natural Resources, University of New Hampshire |
| Primary Author email | serita.frey@unh.edu |
| Rights | Author retains copyright |
| Date Of Record Submission | 2007-09-24 |
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