Thinning the 1927 “Graveyard” red pine stands in the Cutfoot Experimental Forest

Metadata:

Identification_Information
Data_Quality_Information
Entity_and_Attribute_Information
Distribution_Information
Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Data_Quality_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:: These data are assumed to be accurate, but there are no accuracy assessments or documents provided by the people who collected and recorded the data. These data are provided based on information gathered from historical records, so minimal information was available.

Logical_Consistency_Report:

On the original paper datasheets, a tree was only recorded as DEAD in the first year it was assessed as dead, afterward all measurements were blank. In order to not mix up 'no data' due to a dead tree with 'no data' due to other circumstances (such as a missing tag or data were not recorded), a tree was recorded as DEAD for every year after the first recording of it being dead in the digital files.

On the original data sheets, some 1953 DBH attributes had 'cut' after the measurement, meaning the tree was cut sometime after being measured. After consultation with the current Cutfoot researchers, these trees would have been cut later in 1953 or pre-growing season in 1954. Therefore we added a 1954 column with the same measurements as 1953 except for those trees marked to be cut, which now read 'CUT'.

Due to a timber sale in 1953, trees in plots 22, 23, and 25 were measured that year in late June and early July during the active growing season while plot 24 was measured in November. Plots 22, 23, and 25 should be used with caution when studying growth between 1949 and 1953.

Crown class classifications used in 1949 are different than those used in all other years due to the development of a newer classification system to help guide intermediate cuttings.

Data from 1973 do not include tag numbers for the trees measured for DBH or height, therefore they cannot be directly compared to earlier years.

The ‘remarks’ field was taken verbatim from the original datasheets and did not often contain much in the way of descriptors. These remarks are often not consistent especially when commenting on a dead tree. The user may want to fill these in or ignore them as needed.

"Birch" was listed in the Graveyard_Plots.csv and "PB" was originally listed in the Graveyard_Plots_1973.csv. These were changed to "Paper Birch".

Completeness_Report:

For the graveyard plot data, not all measurements were provided every year. Any blank data means no data were provided on the original forms.

Crown class was not provided for plots 22, 23, and 25 in the years 1927, 1944, and 1953. It was also not provided for plot 24 (control plot) in the years 1944 and 1953.

Although the month was included, the day of measurements in 1953 for plots 23 and 25 was not recorded. The names of the people who measured and tallied the data in 1953 for plots 23-25 are also missing from the datasheets.

Lineage:

Methodology:

Methodology_Type: Field
Methodology_Description:: The study was started in 1927 as a follow-up to a study started in 1923 and ended in 1926 after the plot vegetation was destroyed in a crown fire. In that study red pine was thinned to a spacing of 5x5 feet.

In 1927, four plots were laid out, at least one-tenth acre or larger. Plot 24 was used as the control and not thinned. Plot 22 was thinned to obtain a spacing of approximately 6x6 feet; plot 23 was thinned to a spacing of 8x8 feet; and plot 25 was thinned to a spacing of 10x10 feet.

Plot 22 (0.1326 acres) had 6x6 foot spacing and was established in the thickest portion of the young stand (about 5,850 trees per acre). The heights and diameters for this plot averaged less than for any of the other plots which was thought to indicate stagnation. Strips of white cloth were tied around the stems to be retained at about 1 foot above the ground. Then all the others were cut and burned off the plot. Most of the few hardwoods on the plot were retained where it seemed that they were not interfering with pines and their leaf fall might have been beneficial to the soil. Most of them were suppressed or intermediate in the original crown canopy. The retained pines were tagged with metal tags and their diameters and heights recorded.

The same method was employed with plot 23 (0.10 acres; 8x8 foot spacing) and plot 25 (0.211 acres; 10x10 foot spacing).

On plot 24 (0.10 acres; control), all the trees were tagged and their diameters measured. Sufficient heights were taken to form a well defined curve. Heights were taken with a long pole marked off in feet. Volume table measurements were taken on the trees found to be over the 3 inch DBH class, which was as high as C.G. Bates’ volume table went (Bates established the only experimental thinnings in very young Norway pine in 1923, see \Supplements\Preliminary_Report_and_Plan_for_1923_Study.pdf). These were worked up and added to his table so that the volume removed from the plots in the young stand could be computed.

The trees left on the plots were as near the determined distance for spacing as possible. However, retaining trees of good form and size was favored over exact spacing. After the final stand was marked, the trees were counted to see how near to correct the spacing was. On a per acre basis, the 6x6 spacing left 1,210 trees, the 8x8 spacing left 680 trees, and the 10x10 spacing 435 trees.

Trees were supposed to be measured every 5 years until the end of the study. Measurements were taken in 1927, 1932, 1937, 1944, 1949, and 1953. The “Graveyard” plots were retired in 1953.

In 1932, a vegetation abundance list was created for each plot, measuring all vegetation within the plot as ‘sparse’, ‘intermediate’, or ‘abundant’.

DBH measurements were taken again for all plots in 1973. Tags were not recorded so it is unknown which measurements correspond to which trees. Five height measurements were taken in each plot as well. It is unknown which trees were measured.
Methodology_Citation:
Methodology_Citation:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:: Data sheets and documents were provided to the Forest Service Research Data Archve by the Cutfoot Experimental Forest. All original paper documents were scanned into PDF files and the data were digitized into comma-delimited ASCII text (CSV) files.
Process_Date: 201904

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Overview_Description:

Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:: Below is a description of the data and supplemental files included in this data publication.

DATA FILES (3)

1. \Data\Graveyard_Plots.csv: Comma-delimited ASCII text file containing red pine tree measurements collected on plots 22, 23, 24, and 25 at the Cutfoot Experimental Forest in 1927, 1932, 1937, 1944, 1947, and 1953.

On the original paper datasheets, a tree was only recorded as DEAD in the first year it was assessed as dead, afterward all measurements were blank. In order to not mix up ‘no data’ due to a dead tree with ‘no data’ due to other circumstances (such as a missing tag or data were not recorded), a tree was recorded as DEAD for every year after the first recording of it being dead in the digital file.

If a DBH attribute has ‘cut’ after the measurement, this means the tree was cut after being measured. No dates were given for when the trees were cut.

The specific dates of measurement and the names of the foresters involved can be located on the digitized paper datasheets within the supplemental files included as part of this data publication.

Attributes:

PLOT = Study plot designation number

TRT = Tree spacing treatment on the plot [measured in feet]

DIMENSION = Size of the plot [measured in feet]

TREE = Tagged number for each tree

SPECIES = Tree species measured
Aspen
Birch (Paper Birch)
Jack Pine
Norway Pine
Oak
Red Oak
Red Pine
Scarlet Oak
Spruce
White Pine
Missing = The tree or tag was missing

DBH27 = Diameter at breast height measured in 1927 [inches]

DBH32 = Diameter at breast height measured in 1932 [inches]

DBH37 = Diameter at breast height measured in 1937 [inches]

DBH44 = Diameter at breast height measured in 1944 [inches]

DBH49 = Diameter at breast height measured in 1949 [inches]

DBH53 = Diameter at breast height measured in 1953 [inches]

CC27 = Crown class in 1927
C = Codominant
D = Dominant
I = Intermediate
S = Suppressed

CC32 = Crown class in 1932
C = Codominant
D = Dominant
I = Intermediate
S = Suppressed

CC37 = Crown class in 1937
C = Codominant
D = Dominant
I = Intermediate
S = Suppressed

CC49 = Crown class in 1949
1a = Head dominants, good crown
2a = Strong dominants, good crown
2b = Strong dominants, medium crown
3a = Conditional dominants and codominants, good crown
3b = Conditional dominants and codominants, medium crown
4a = Weak dominants and codominants, good crown
4b = Weak dominants and codominants, medium crown
5a = Intermediates, good crown
5b = Intermediates, medium crown
5c = Intermediates, poor crown
6a = Suppressed, good crown
6b = Suppressed, medium crown
6c = Suppressed, poor crown
S = Suppressed

HT27 = Height recorded in 1927 [feet]

HT32 = Height recorded in 1932 [feet]

HT37 = Height recorded in 1937 [feet]

HT44 = Height recorded in 1944 [feet]

HT49 = Height recorded in 1949 [feet]

HT53 = Height recorded in 1953 [feet]

REMARKS = Extra information written about the tree or data

2. \Data\Graveyard_Plots_1973.csv: Comma-delimited ASCII text file containing red pine measurements collected on plots 22-25 at the Cutfoot Experimental Forest in 1973.

Attributes:

Date = Date of measurement [mm/dd/yyyy]

Location = Name of study plots

Plot = Number of the plot measured

Spacing = Amount of thinning completed on the plot [measured in feet]

Crew = People who conducted the measurements

Species = Tree species measured
Black Spruce
Paper Birch
Red Pine
White Pine

DBH = Diameter at breast height [inches]

Height = Tree height [feet]

3. \Data\Graveyard_VegAbundance.csv: Comma-delimited ASCII text file containing the abundance of vegetation collected on plots 22-25 at the Cutfoot Experimental Forest in 1932.

Attributes:

Species = Plant species measured

Plot 22 = Plot thinned to 6x6 feet spacing
S = Sparse
I = Intermediate
A = Abundant

Plot 23 = Plot thinned to 8x8 feet spacing
S = Sparse
I = Intermediate
A = Abundant

Plot 24 = Control plot
S = Sparse
I = Intermediate
A = Abundant

Plot 25 = Plot thinned to 10x10 feet spacing
S = Sparse
I = Intermediate
A = Abundant

SUPPLEMENTAL FILES (9)

1. \Supplements\Data_Sheets_1973_Graveyard_Plots_22-25.pdf: Portable document format (PDF) file containing a scan of the original data sheets containing red pine tree measurements collected in 1973.

2. \Supplements\Data_Sheets_Graveyard_Plot_22.pdf: Portable document format (PDF) file containing a scan of the original data sheets containing red pine tree measurements collected on Plot 22 in 1927, 1932, 1937, 1944, and 1953.

3. \Supplements\Data_Sheets_Graveyard_Plot_23.pdf: Portable document format (PDF) file containing a scan of the original data sheets containing red pine tree measurements collected on Plot 23 in 1927, 1932, 1937, 1944, and 1953.

4. \Supplements\Data_Sheets_Graveyard_Plot_24.pdf: Portable document format (PDF) file containing a scan of the original data sheets containing red pine tree measurements collected on Plot 24 in 1927, 1932, 1937, 1944, and 1953.

5. \Supplements\Data_Sheets_Graveyard_Plot_25.pdf: Portable document format (PDF) file containing a scan of the original data sheets containing red pine tree measurements collected on Plot 25 in 1927, 1932, 1937, 1944, and 1953.

6. \Supplements\Preliminary_Report_and_Plan_for_1923_Study: Portable document format (PDF) file containing a scan of an unpublished 1923 report detailing the working plan for the prior thinning study established by C.G. Bates.

7. \Supplements\Species_Taxonomy.html: HTML file containing the full taxonomy for all species measured in these data files.

8. \Supplements\Vegetation_List_Plots 22-25_1932.pdf: Portable document format (PDF) file containing a scan of the original data sheets containing vegetation abundance in all plots collected in 1932.

9. \Supplements\Working_Plan_Thinning_in_Young_Norway-Jack_Pine_Stands_1927.pdf: Portable document format (PDF) file containing a scan of an unpublished 1927 report detailing the working plan for the red pine thinning study.
Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:: None provided

Distribution_Information:

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20220721

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: Douglas Kastendick
Contact_Organization: USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station

Contact_Position: Ecologist

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: 1831 Highway 169 East
City: Grand Rapids
State_or_Province: MN
Postal_Code: 55744
Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 218-326-7131

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 218-326-7123

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Biological Data Profile of the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001.1-1999