Also, studies of habitat fragmentation are a key component of SERC's extensive watershed research program, which measures the transportation of water, sediment, and chemicals from the land to the estuary. SERC's research on nutrient movement across landscapes is making significant contributions to understanding global changes in chemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. We are applying these approaches in landscape ecology to issues of land-use management in several regions of the globe, including agricultural and forestry practices in eastern North America, Central America, and Australia. The Canopy Lab at SERC uses rope climbing techniques to study the upper reaches of the forest. The early stages of plants are studied in protected areas.
Plant growth is measured as it is affected by competition for light and nutrients.
Student interns in the Forest Canopy Lab study the accumulation of litter on the forest floor. Dried leaves, stems, seed, and other organic materials are identified and weighed to determine the percentage of composition. Last updated June 19, 1997.