Available online
Description
This programme features the long term ecosystem study of a northern hardwood forest in North Eastern USA. The Hubbard Brook experimental forest has become one of the world's most intensively monito...red and documented forests. The USDA Forest Service maintains an experimental station here and their research has shown the importance of monitoring the entire ecosystem when different harveting regimes are introduced. Their research in this forest has shown the importance of maintaining plant cover to mitigate the loss in soil fertility when trees are harvested. Scientists have been able to monitor all the important inputs, such as rainfall, sunlight and airborne chemicals, that stimulate forest growth. And, because the rock foundations underlying the forest floor are relatively impermeable, they have been able to accurately measure virtually all the chemicals, nutrients and water draining each watershed. To do this they have constructed water gauging stations at the bottom of each watershed. The longterm records from this forest enabled scientists to prove that acid rain wasn't just a local phenomenon in the USA, but that industrial pollution can have far reaching global effects too.
This programme features the long term ecosystem study of a northern hardwood forest in North Eastern USA. The Hubbard Brook experimental forest has become one of the world's most intensively monito...red and documented forests. The USDA Forest Service maintains an experimental station here and their research has shown the importance of monitoring the entire ecosystem when different harveting regimes are introduced. Their research in this forest has shown the importance of maintaining plant cover to mitigate the loss in soil fertility when trees are harvested. Scientists have been able to monitor all the important inputs, such as rainfall, sunlight and airborne chemicals, that stimulate forest growth. And, because the rock foundations underlying the forest floor are relatively impermeable, they have been able to accurately measure virtually all the chemicals, nutrients and water draining each watershed. To do this they have constructed water gauging stations at the bottom of each watershed. The longterm records from this forest enabled scientists to prove that acid rain wasn't just a local phenomenon in the USA, but that industrial pollution can have far reaching global effects too.
| Module code and title: | S328, Ecology |
|---|---|
| Item code: | S328; 05 |
| First transmission date: | 1996 |
| Published: | 1996 |
| Rights Statement: | |
| Restrictions on use: | |
| Duration: | 00:24:51 |
| + Show more... | |
| Producer: | Tony Jolly |
| Contributors: | Amey Bailey; Gene Likens; Irene Ridge |
| Publisher: | BBC Open University |
| Keyword(s): | Leaf litter; Mirror lake; Planting trees; Soil profile; Vernal herbs; Water collecting station; Weather station |
| Subject terms: | Biogeochemistry--New Hampshire--Hubbard brook valley; Forest ecology--New Hampshire--Hubbard Brook experimental forest |
| Master spool number: | DOU8059 |
| Production number: | FOUS791A |
| Videofinder number: | 4657 |
| Available to public: | no |
