LTREB: Collaborative Research: Long-term Studies of Forest Dynamics on the North Carolina Piedmont

9707551 Peet目前关于森林演替的性质和机制的不确定性很大程度上是缺乏长期数据集的结果，特别是缺乏关于单株植物的建立、生长和死亡模式的长期数据集。北卡罗莱纳州皮埃蒙特的森林长期以来一直被视为研究次生演替的模型系统，部分原因是森林发展的长期记录的可用性。有待解决的关键问题包括：在从平均龄林分向全龄林分过渡期间影响社区重组的进程，以及不经常发生的大规模干扰的作用。该项目将继续测量杜克森林及其附近丰富的长期研究地块组合，从而提高该地点作为演替研究模型系统的价值。1996年9月，许多长期地块受到飓风弗兰不同程度的影响，为本项目提供了新的方向和机会。众所周知，像飓风这样的重大干扰在森林动态中起着重要作用，但很少有这样的事件发生在具有足够长期研究历史的地点，以便评估干扰事件引起的生态过程的变化。本研究的第二个重点将是杜克森林数据的文档和存档，包括标准元数据，以便分发给当前和未来的研究人员。最终，这些数据将通过标准网络协议免费提供给调查人员。

9707551 Peet Much of the current uncertainty regarding the nature and mechanisms of forest succession is a consequence of the paucity of long-term data sets, particularly those dealing with patterns of establishment, growth, and mortality of individual plants. The forests of the North Carolina Piedmont have long been viewed as a model system for the study of secondary succession, in part because of the availability of long-term records of forest development. Among the key issues that remain to be resolved are the processes that influence community reorganization during the transition from even-aged to all-aged stands and the role of large, infrequent disturbances. This project will continue measurements of a rich assemblage of long-term research plots in and near the Duke Forest and thereby enhance the value of this site as a model system for the study of succession. In September 1996, many of the long-term plots were impacted to various degrees by Hurricane Fran which provides a new direction and opportunity for this project. Major disturbances like hurricanes are known to play an important role in forest dynamics, but rarely do such events occur on sites with a sufficient long-term history of research to allow assessment of the changes in ecological processes induced by the disturbance event. A second focus of tis study will be the documentation and archiving of the Duke Forest data, including standard metadata, for distribution to current and future researchers. Ultimately, these data will be freely accessible to investigators via standard network protocols.