We measure the inputs (precipitation) and outputs (stream flow and evapotranspiration) and chemistry of water for individual gauged watersheds to study the quantity and quality of the water that moves through the forest ecosystem. We measure precipitation using an array of gauges placed throughout the forest. We measure stream flow via gauging weirs and calculate evapotranspiration by subtracting the quantity of water that leaves the watershed as stream flow from the input to the watershed as precipitation. Understanding how water and chemical dynamics are interconnected, how they interact with nearby ecosystems, and how they respond to disturbances like forest harvesting has been a focus of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study since it was founded in 1963.
