Organic matter and nutrient dynamics in a regrowing northern hard wood forest following a whole-tree harvest will be studied. Particular attention will be paid to changes in the patterns and magnitudes of organic matter and nutrient pools in the vegetation and soils of a system in years four and five after cutting. Root studies will be emphasized since response to change of this belowground component of forest systems in very poorly known. A number of state-of-the-art techniques will be used in this study. For example, the relative contributions of various plant species to organic matter stocks in the soil will be determined using the cupric oxidation technique. This is a procedure for identifying the proportions of phenolic monomers in lignin of plant tissues. Preliminary evidence suggests that the initial proportions and changes in the proportions of the monomers are species specific. Well developed forest growth and hydrologic models will aid in the synthesis of the data derived from this research. The research plan also includes further development of the below- ground portion of the forest growth model. This research will add to our understanding of how forests recover from disturbance. The knowledge gained from this study is important for developing wise management plans for a critical natural resource, the nations forests. The collaborative research effort between researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University will be augmented by contributions from researchers at the University of Wyoming and Yale University. All of the scientists involved in the study are productive. The facilities at all involved institutions are excellent. The research being done at the Hubbard Brook Experiment Forest in north central New Hampshire and the field facilities there are excellent.
