Title:

Silas Little Experimental Forest biometric database

Author(s):

Cole, Jason A.; Gallagher, Michael R.; Patterson, Matthew M.; Minicuci, Natale (Lee) P.; Bendixen, Nicole M.; Wall, William M.; Cook, Jacob H.; Schmieder, Allyson G.; Skowronski, Nicholas S.; Brown, Kevin C.

Publication Year:

2025

How to Cite:

These data were collected using funding from the U.S. Government and can be used without additional permissions or fees. If you use these data in a publication, presentation, or other research product please use the following citation:

Cole, Jason A.; Gallagher, Michael R.; Patterson, Matthew M.; Minicuci, Natale (Lee) P.; Bendixen, Nicole M.; Wall, William M.; Cook, Jacob H.; Schmieder, Allyson G.; Skowronski, Nicholas S.; Brown, Kevin C. 2025. Silas Little Experimental Forest biometric database. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2025-0040

Abstract:

This data publication includes long-term biometric data collected at forest census plots installed by the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station Silas Little Experimental Forest (SLEF) for forest productivity, fire management, and forest disturbance research in eastern oak and pine forests. The data in this publication reflect conditions at three field sites in the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve that typify a range of pine, oak, and mixed pine oak conditions: Silas Little (oak/pine forest), Cedar Bridge (pine/oak forest) and Fort Dix (pine/scrub oak forest). Installation and early observations of these data (2004-2012) were collected in support of carbon flux observations at or around each of the three sites, and as part of a broader multi-tier forest monitoring network of long-term monitoring sites. The early data have been summarized in other publications, with several sites across the country that were a part of the broader network; however, because all sites did not follow the same sampling protocols, only SLEF sites are included here. As that project came and went and sites progressed independently, the Silas Little program continued periodically censusing the plot network in response to new forest research needs and objectives (e.g., forest fuels, impacts and recovery of prescribed fire and invasive insect disturbances, ecosystem processes, LiDAR relationships with traditional observations) using primarily Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) standard protocol unless otherwise specified. This data publication includes all biometric field measurements collected at the New Jersey sites between 2004 and 2024 and is comprehensive of multiple forest types and environmental disturbances that occurred during that 20-year period. Biometric measurements include tree, sapling, seedling, shrub, down wood material, litter, soil, forest floor and understory cover. Measurement frequency varied between items sampled and locations depending on varying research objectives at the time and site accessibility. The data are provided in three formats: database, spreadsheet, and tabular digital data. This package also includes shapefiles locating plot, subplot and areas of interest and detailed sampling protocol information for soil, down woody material, and understory sampling as well as the FIA Northeast Field Guide version 1.6, which was used to obtain these data.

Keywords:

biota; Inventory, Monitoring, & Analysis; Biometrics; Resource inventory; Carbon; Ecology, Ecosystems, & Environment; Plant ecology; Soil; Fire; Fire ecology; Fire effects on environment; Prescribed fire; biometric data; inventory data; forest monitoring; woody debris; fuels; fuel models; hazardous fuels; invasive insects; disturbance; Silas Little Experimental Forest; New Jersey; Burlington County; Ocean County; Pinelands National Reserve; Pine Barrens; Pinelands; New Jersey Pine Barrens; NJPB

Related publications:

• Cole, Jason, A.; Johnson, Kristofer D.; Birdsey, Richard A.; Pan, Yude; Wayson, Craig A.; McCullough, Kevin; Hoover, Coeli M.; Hollinger, David Y.; Bradford, John B.; Ryan, Michael G.; Kolka, Randall K.; Weishampel, Peter; Clark, Kenneth L.; Showronski, Nicholas S.; Hom, John; Ollinger, Scott V.; McNulty, Steven G.; Gavazzi, Michael J. 2015. North American Carbon Program biometric database (2nd Edition). 2nd Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0008-2
• Cole, Jason, A.; Johnson, Kristofer D.; Birdsey, Richard A.; Pan, Yude; Wayson, Craig A.; McCullough, Kevin; Hoover, Coeli M.; Hollinger, David Y.; Bradford, John B.; Ryan, Michael G.; Kolka, Randall K.; Weishampel, Peter; Clark, Kenneth L.; Showronski, Nicholas S.; Hom, John; Ollinger, Scott V.; McNulty, Steven G.; Gavazzi, Michael J. 2013. Database for landscape-scale carbon monitoring sites. General Technical Report. NRS-115. Newtown square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 12 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/NRS-GTR-119

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