Tree Ring Lab at Lamont Sanctuary Forest
The Lamont Sanctuary Forest is a living laboratory where long-term monitoring of forest health and structure has been ongoing since the 1980s. Researchers at Columbia University have established permanent monitoring plots to track changes in tree growth, mortality, species composition, and canopy structure. These plots provide invaluable insights into how northeastern forests recover from historical land use and respond to climate change.
Recent efforts have focused on expanding forest monitoring to integrate both aboveground and belowground measurements, including soil carbon dynamics, tree physiology, and ecosystem fluxes. Dendrometer data from multiple trees captures daily changes in stem diameter, providing high-resolution information on tree growth patterns and responses to environmental stressors.
The dataset includes metrics like diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height, species identification, and approximate age (based on coring or estimates from local records). This integrated monitoring approach supports a deeper understanding of forest carbon dynamics and informs sustainable forest management.
For detailed information on individual tree measurements, visit our Allometric Measures page.