Welcome to the Guide for Researchers FAQs!
Use the tabs below to explore frequently asked questions about Hubbard Brook. The initial FAQs list was generated by participants of the April 2021 Quarterly Project Meeting.
If you have new questions you'd like to add to this list or suggested revisions to the existing questions or answers, please enter them using this Google form or email the information manager at hbr-im@lternet.edu.
How does my research fit in to ongoing studies? How can I integrate my expertise/research with other people's research?
A lot of work has been done over the years at Hubbard Brook, and new research projects are often inspired and enabled by the large amounts of existing data, which often reveal interesting gaps in our collective understanding. If there are processes, parts of the ecosystem, or new methods which you think are under-explored at HBEF, you can develop a proposal to do something novel. The PIs responsible for existing data will generally be interested in talking about additional collaborations arising from their previous or on-going work.
Attending the annual and quarterly meetings is a great start for learning what's currently happening. Read new and classic papers, and keep an eye out for newly published datasets in the Hubbard Brook Monthly email. PIs are generally happy to discuss how various studies can together help us better understand complex ecosystem processes.
How do I get a foot in the door with research community beyond my own mentor scientist? How do I find potential collaborators?
Attending the annual meeting or quarterly meetings is a great step. There is also a list of collaborators under the "People" tab on the website.
How do I figure out if the research I want to do conflicts with existing or past work at the site?
This is the job of Ian Halm, site manager, and the RAC (Research Approval Committee). In order to conduct any new research at HBEF you must submit a proposal to the RAC via the website.
How do I get permission to start research at Hubbard Brook? Who do I contact if I have questions about site selection? Who should I contact about starting a research project at Hubbard Brook?
Two key people to talk to are Ian Halm, site manager, and Linda Pardo, chair of the Research Approval Committee (RAC). Please see the Research Proposal Submission page for detailed information.
How do I find out who already works at Hubbard Brook?
Visit the People page.
What are the various groups at Hubbard Brook and who is involved in each group (bird group, insect group, etc.)?
The field crews change year to year. Beginning late June 2022, there will be an on-site community relations assistant who can help orient you to the summer crews.
What should I bring to Hubbard Brook for the summer field season?
I would say the basics include: field back pack, 2 1L water bottles or more, good hiking boots (happy feet make a happy field crew), light rain coat (I don't think rain pants are worth it in the summer), containers to pack your lunch (otherwise it might not be very appetizing). — Field crew leader
How does field safety work?
Crews are responsible for their own safety. The crew leader should have Ian Halm's contact information readily available (email: ian.halm@usda.gov phone: (603) 726-8902). The crew leader should also be aware of any crew medical issues such as asthma, allergies, joint issues, other medical conditions that are chronic and may impact field work. Every crew should have a solid first aid kit. The most common field injuries are minor cuts, insects in the eyes, and wasp stings. I always carry Tylenol (or equivalent), Benadryl, various band aids, antibiotic cream, eye drops and an ace bandage. Crew should always be in contact with one another and inexperienced crew should not be alone. Working in pairs is recommended whenever possible though I know the birders need to work alone and maintain radio contact.
Always have a map and compass, and don't rely solely on a phone or GPS for navigation and emergency communication. Limit solo work to necessary people and establish clear check-in procedures.
Contact Geoff Wilson (wilsong@caryinstitute.org) for lab safety information.
What lab facilities are available?
HBRF operates the Henrietta Kendall Towers Lab at Pleasant View Farm. Please contact Geoff Wilson for more information (wilsong@caryinstitute.org).
What parts of Hubbard Brook are open to the public?
Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest is part of the White Mountain National Forest and public access is allowed. The Forest Service headquarters building is open during business hours except during COVID-related closures. The dormitories and lab are not open to the public. The research community asks that all visitors follow leave-no-trace principles and avoid any impacts to areas with visible research equipment or flagging, to avoid disturbing ongoing experiments or measurements.
How does housing at Hubbard Brook work?
In the spring, the HBRF facilities manager announces the new housing rates and procedures for PIs and students via the Hubbard Brook listserv. Research groups organize rooming situations among themselves, and units are rented out to the whole group. Units are also rented to the public throughout the year to keep costs down. See more info in the information packets below (pdf downloads) and on the Contact Us & Visit page and the Facilities page.
Please review the resident information packets for Pleasant View Farm and Mirror Lake Campus before your arrival.
Who should I contact if I have questions/issues about/with housing?
Dan Clark is the HBRF facilities manager: dclark@hubbardbrookfoundation.org
What else is available in the area for lodging?
There are a number of hotels and restaurants in the North Woodstock/Lincoln area, about 10 miles north of Hubbard Brook at the intersection of Routes 3 and 112. For a list see www.lincolnwoodstock.com.
There are several motels and cottages near Hubbard Brook on Route 3.
Gilcrest Cottages & Motel (888) 741-0129 Exit 29 on I-93.
Days Inn (603) 536-3520 Exit 27 on I-93.
Shamrock Motel (866) 726-3534 Exit 29 on I-93.
Who manages Hubbard Brook?
The Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest is administered by the USDA Forest Service's Northern Research Station. Because the forest is part of the White Mountain National Forest's Pemigewasset Ranger District (administered by the WMNF Supervisor and District Ranger), certain responsibilities such as administering timber sales, construction and maintenance of roads, and fire protection are retained by the White Mountain National Forest. The forests of the Experimental Forest are not included in the timber base for the National Forest; thus timber on the Experimental Forest can only be removed for research purposes and with the approval of the Northern Research Station Director.
Acknowledging the above responsibilities and without diluting them, the Forest Service shares in the oversight of long-term ecological research at the Hubbard Brook Experimental forest with research institutions, recognizing the need for all parties to commit funds, personnel, and equipment to attain common long-term objectives in research and education. Please see the Hubbard Brook Committees page for more information about the governance structure of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study.
What is the RAC? COS? HBRF? SCC?
The About Us page decodes many of the Hubbard Brook acronyms and the Hubbard Brook Glossary on this page has many definitions.
What determines the COS membership? How are committee members chosen?
The COS (Committee of Scientists) consists of principal investigators conducting research at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Nominations for the COS may be sent at any time to the chair or co-chair of the SCC (Scientific Coordinating Committee). Please reach out to the chair or co-chair of the SCC if you'd like to join the COS! See the Hubbard Brook Committees page for a list of current chairs/co-chairs of the SCC, as well as more info about the COS, committee membership, and an organizational chart.
How do I get on the Hubbard Brook e-mail list(s)?
The Hubbard Brook Information Manager maintains three Listservs: one for graduate students, one for active Hubbard Brook researchers, and a general 'all Hubbard Brook' list (including Committee of Scientists members, graduate students, lab/field staff, and other 'friends of Hubbard Brook'). To join these listservs, contact: hbr-im@lternet.edu. To communicate to the "all Hubbard Brook" list, email: hubbardbrook@lists.sr.unh.edu.
The Hubbard Brook Research Foundation also sends out two e-newsletters: the Hubbard Brook Monthly and the Quarterly E-News. Please sign up for those e-newsletters here.
Should I attend the Quarterly Project meetings (QPMs) (formerly COS meetings) if I'm an undergraduate or a researcher not currently conducting research at Hubbard Brook? How do I find out about them?
Yes! The QPMs are open to all. Announcements are made via the events page of the website and emailed via the listservs (see above).
Statement for personnel managers at Hubbard Brook
Workplace Safety, Sensitivity, and Inclusion at the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study
Management and legal responsibilities related to workplace sensitivity training and interpersonal workplace conflicts, including harassment, are established on the basis of employment. Regardless of the work setting, it is the responsibility of the employer to insure that staff/students are able to enjoy a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace. It is the employer’s responsibility to intervene in order to resolve ongoing interpersonal workplace conflicts involving staff/students. Additionally, the location of the incident or conflict (e.g., USFS HBEF, HBRF Mirror Lake hamlets, PVF dormitory) gives the owner/operator of the facility the authority to determine whether a disruptive site-user or renter should be asked to leave.
Criminal behavior requires immediate action.
Each organizational unit at Hubbard Brook (HBEF, HBRF, HBES Cooperators, HB LTER) is responsible for training personnel and insuring that staff/students have read and understand the workplace sensitivity policies of their home institutions.
As a community at Hubbard Brook, we can contribute to coordinated, responsible supervision through shared training resources, a clear understanding of responsibility, and good communication.
Statement to the general Hubbard Brook community
Workplace Safety, Sensitivity, and Inclusion at the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study: Our Shared Commitment to Preventing, Detecting, and Addressing Harassment and Other Barriers to a Productive and Positive Environment for Working, Living, and Studying
Our goal at Hubbard Brook is to create a vibrant, inclusive work environment that is safe and free of harassment and other forms of discrimination. All staff/students are expected to conduct their work with sensitivity to others and in consideration of any barriers that might limit a colleague’s ability to work across the full range of his or her tasks. Sensitivity and respect are the foundation of an inclusive work environment. Good communication with one another and with managers that raises awareness is essential to preventing many interpersonal conflicts that affect employees’ ability to thrive at work.
Anyone who feels that he or she has been harassed or experienced discrimination in any way or who has witnessed harassment is encouraged to discuss the incident or behavior with a colleague or supervisor (see mandatory reporting policy below). In the event that an employee is being harassed by his or her direct supervisor, the employee is advised to report the issue to the supervisor’s manager or a colleague. Facility owners/operators also have the authority to evict renters or site-users if their behavior is generally disruptive.
At Hubbard Brook, students and employees from cooperating universities are subject to the workplace sensitivity and harassment policies of their home institutions. The following file contains links to the harassment policies of Hubbard Brook cooperators. The file also includes up-to-date contact information for crew leaders, principal investigators, managers, and other Hubbard Brook cooperators from participating institutions. All supervisors at Hubbard Brook are considered mandatory reporters, required by law to actively address issues of harassment. The lines of reporting as well as institutional policies are listed in this Google sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1V2ZaLhXULpSRsM_w4Vr8_Iu9wNr5eR7HS0orFzCUgEE/edit?usp=sharing
Concerns should be addressed to direct supervisors. For cases where the complaint involved the direct supervisor, concerns can be lodged with the supervisor’s boss and/or the home institution’s Human Resource or Title IX office.
Mandatory Reporters
As a training institution and recipient of federal funding, Hubbard Brook is subject by federal law to mandatory reporting policies as set forth in Title IX. All “responsible employees” (i.e., personnel managers) are required to take action and to report incidents of harassment. The lines of reporting as well as institutional policies are listed in the Google Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1V2ZaLhXULpSRsM_w4Vr8_Iu9wNr5eR7HS0orFzCUgEE/edit?usp=sharing
Crowd-Sourced Hubbard Brook Glossary
This Glossary was started in 2013—some terms may be dated!
Autotrophs: plants and algae (they can feed themselves).
Barn Dance: A lively social event with live music and dancing that occurs every summer during the Cooperators’ Meeting (if held in person)—as of 2018, this no longer takes place in the Barn and is now the Tent Dance!
Bartlett Experimental Forest: A ~1,000-hectare “sister site” to Hubbard Brook, located in the White Mountain National Forest, in Bartlett, NH. Silvicultural prescriptions have long been applied at Bartlett, including single-tree selection, group and patch cutting, clearcutting, and diameter-limit harvesting. Thus Bartlett is a good place to study forests of different ages (see MELNHE). Bartlett is a NEON site (see below).
Bear Brook: Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM) is the site of a long-term, gaged, forested, first order paired stream watershed located in eastern Maine. The BBWM research program began in the mid-1980s, led by the University of Maine, the USDA Forest Service, and the US Geological Survey.
Beech hell: Impassably dense growth of beech saplings that sprouted in the early 1970s. Origin debatable. Now recruiting to the 10cm taggable size.
Bird lines: Permanent transects through the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (west of W6? In W6?) that are used for monitoring spatial patterning of birds as part of the long-term ecological record. The mid-grid also includes tagged trees on lines 5, 9, 13 and 17 that are visited every two years for status and re-measured for growth every 10-years. These lines extend off-grid into the center of the valley.
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies: Independent, non-profit environmental research organization founded in 1983 by Gene E. Likens. Located in Millbrook, NY.
CCASE: Climate Change Across Seasons Experiment. Investigation of the impacts of climate change across seasons and how these impacts interact. Involves warming soils during the growing season with buried, heated cables and freezing soils in winter by shoveling snow to remove insulating snowpack.
Cooperators’ Meeting: The Wednesday and Thursday after the 4th of July. 10-minute talks, 5-minute talks, and 2-minute “lightning” talks. Interspersed with Barn Dance (see above).
COS: The Committee of Scientists, consisting of investigators conducting research at Hubbard Brook. 2021 update: Quarterly meetings are no longer to be referred to as COS meetings!
Databarn: Garage at the Hamlets for processing samples and data entry by the bird and bug crews.
Dobson Hill Road: The location of Pleasant View Farm (see below).
DroughtNet: A Research Coordination Network funded by the National Science Foundation to advance understanding of how and why terrestrial ecosystems across the globe may differ in their sensitivity to drought. As part of this network, a throughfall-exclusion experiment at Hubbard Brook began in 2015. Plots are near CCASE.
EAB: Emerald Ash Borer, a non-native beetle many fear will kill ash trees at Hubbard Brook and elsewhere.
Hamlets: A group of cottages on Mirror Lake owned and operated by the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation, part of the Likens Conservation Campus at Mirror Lake.
Heterotrophs: Animals and microbes. They feed on autotrophs or other heterotrophs, or detritus.
HBEF: Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, founded in 1955 by the USDA Forest Service.
HBES: Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study, founded in 1963 by Gene E. Likens, F. Herbert Bormann, Robert Pierce, and Noye Johnson.
HBRF: Hubbard Brook Research Foundation, non-profit organization founded in 1993 to support and enhance the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study.
Henrietta Kendall Towers Lab: Building with 3 lab-rooms, an acid-wash room, and the facilities manager’s office. Located next to the Pleasant View Farmhouse.
KNB: Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity, an international data repository from National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS): https://knb.ecoinformatics.org/about
Hydropedology: Transdisciplinary study of the role of water in soil development and the role of soils in water flowpaths and rates. Also, a way of classifying soils based on patterns in subsurface water availability and resulting differences in the presence and thickness of genetic soil horizons. Hydropedologic approaches to soil classification are proving useful to understanding local variations in soils and their distribution at small watershed to regional scales.
Hubbard Brook Annual Cooperators Meeting: Held annually since 1963, the Wednesday and Thursday after the 4th of July. Mark your calendars now for next year!
ISE: The Ice Storm Experiment. An investigation of the impacts of ice storms on northern hardwood forests. Study includes following the first-ever controlled, experimental ice storm manipulation in a forest ecosystem.
Jeffers Brook: A research site in the White Mountain National Forest, northwest of Hubbard Brook.
LTER: Long-term Ecological Research Network. A network of 28 sites, funded by the National Science Foundation, conducting long-term research in the US. Hubbard Brook is a site in the LTER Network, and the LTER grant from NSF is a source of funding for many projects at Hubbard Brook.
MODUS: Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroadiometer: a key instrument aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites. Terra MODUS and Aqua MODUS view the entire Earth’s surface every 1 to 2 days acquiring data in 36 spectral bands.
MELNHE: Multiple Element Limitation in Northern Hardwood Ecosystems. An ongoing nitrogen, phosphorus, and calcium fertilization experiment in 13 forests of 3 age classes distributed across three sites: Hubbard Brook, Bartlett Experimental Forest, and Jeffers Brook.
NDVI: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index for Agriculture. Landsat Surface Reflectance-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) are produced from Landsat 4–5 Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI)/Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) scenes that can be successfully processed to Landsat Level-2 Surface Reflectance products. NDVI is used to quantify vegetation greenness and is useful in understanding vegetation density and assessing changes in plant health. NDVI is calculated as a ratio between the red (R) and near infrared (NIR) values.
NEON: National Ecological Observatory Network
NSF: National Science Foundation
PAR: Photosynthetically active radiation
PI: Principal Investigator
Pierce Lab: The Robert S. Pierce Ecosystem Laboratory is owned and operated by the Forest Service and serves as headquarters for the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Named for Robert S. Pierce, a Forest Service scientist who initiated the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study along with Gene E. Likens, F. Herbert Bormann, and Noye Johnson.
Pleasant View: Owned and operated by the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation, the Pleasant View Farmhouse houses up to 14 people and can operate year-round. During the field season, Pleasant View runs as a cooperative house with chores and cooking shared by the residents. Henrietta Kendall Towers Lab is located next door.
Quarterly Project Meetings (QPM): formerly known as COS meetings. Scientists involved with Hubbard Brook meet in October, January, and April as well as the Friday after the Cooperators Meeting. The SCC is responsible for organizing these, with different scientists hosting topics at each meeting.
RAC: Research Approval Committee: evaluates and recommends approval of proposed projects at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Final decisions on activities at the HBEF are made by the USFS, which manages the HBEF.
REU: Research Experiences for Undergraduates, a program funded by the National Science Foundation
The Rounds: Weekly visits to the weirs to check on equipment and data and collect stream water samples
SCAN: An installation of the Soil Climate Analysis Network supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
SCC: Scientific Coordinating Committee. A volunteer body that provides leadership for the COS (see above).
Shoestring project: early (pre-grant) reference to the Multiple Element Limitation in Northern Hardwood Ecosystems study.
Spodosol: A soil order (the highest level in US soil taxonomy) that is common in northern New England, and in other parts of the world with forests in temperate humid climates. The defining feature of a Spodosol is the spodic horizon, which consists of organic matter stabilized by iron and aluminum in mineral soil horizons.
Tent Dance: See Barn Dance.
TLS: terrestrial laser scanning
USDA: United States Department of Agriculture
USFS: United States Forest Service
USGS: United States Geological Survey
VW: Valley-wide plots established by Paul Schwarz in his spatial vegetation research under Tim Fahey 1995-1998; re-measured for trees every 10 yrs;; 431 total; 371 core plots; though the Birder surveys seems to include 373 plots and are measured every year (two times).
WaterViz: A real-time data visualization project at Hubbard Brook and HJ Andrews experimental forests, created by a group of visual artists, musicians, ecologists, computer scientists, neuroscientists and educators.
W1 (Watershed 1): Received a calcium silicate (wollastonite) addition via helicopter in 1999.
W2 (Watershed 2): Devegetated for a 3-year period (1965-1967). Trees were cut and left in place in year 1, and herbicide treatments in years 2 and 3 prevented vegetation regrowth.
W3 (Watershed 3): Hydrologic reference watershed, center for hillslope hydrology and hydropedology studies
W4 (Watershed 4): Strip cut in 1970, 1972, and 1974
W5 (Watershed 5): Whole-tree harvest conducted in 1983–1984
W6 (Watershed 6): Biogeochemical reference watershed
W7, W8, W9 (Watersheds 7, 8, and 9): No experimental treatments. Long-term measurements of streamflow, stream chemistry, and meteorology.
W10: Overall watershed to Hubbard Brook gauged at the end of Cant Dog Road. (drainage area 29.7 km2)
W11, W12: Planned but as yet unbuilt watersheds on the west branch of Zig Zag Brook and Cushman Brook.
W101 (Watershed 101): Block clearcut in 1970, with research on watershed hydrology and nutrient flux and cycling. One of Tony Federer’s Chronosequence plots is here (formerly known as C3) in the eastern subcatchment. One set of MELNHE treatment plots (HBM) is in the western subcatchment.
Weir: A low, dam-like structure built across a stream that allows all water to flow through a control structure (v-notch or flume) that allows measurement of the flow rate (water volume per time) of a stream.
WMNF: White Mountain National Forest. Approximately 800,000 acres in central New Hampshire and western Maine which includes the Hubbard Brook and Bartlett Experimental Forests.
Wollastonite: A form of calcium silicate added to Watershed 1 (calling this a “calcium” addition is no longer in favor: say “calcium silicate”--thanks to Don Buso).