In ecosystems dominated by grasses and other small-statured plants, biodiversity and productivity have generally been found to be positively correlated. However, studies in forested ecosystems have found mixed results. Biodiversity in forests has typically been characterized using indices of species diversity, but recent studies have shown that other measures of biodiversity can also play an important role. Several indices of biodiversity were calculated using local-scale inventory measurements and aircraft Light Detecting and Ranging data from Bartlett (BEF) and Hubbard Brook Experimental Forests (HBEF) in New Hampshire, USA to look at relationships between different measures of biodiversity (species, functional, phylogenetic, and structural diversity) and site productivity. For this dataset, a total of 22 biodiversity indices were calculated using the 2001-2003 BEF and 1995-1998 HBEF inventory datasets. These biodiversity indices include three species diversity indices, five functional diversity indices, five phylogenetic diversity indices, and 12 structural diversity indices. In addition, measurements of wood growth and foliar nitrogen for a select number of plots previously collected in another study (Smith et al 2005) were used to represent plot productivity. Site characteristics and land use such as topography, management history, and forest type were also included.
Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest and the Bartlett Experimental Forest are both operated and maintained by the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station.