The Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) was established in 1955 as a site of hydrologic research in New England. The site is located within the White Mountain National Forest in central New Hampshire. The emphasis of early studies at the HBEF was the impact of forest management on water yield and quality, and flood control. The Northern Research Station of the U.S. Forest Service manages the site for longterm ecosystem research and operates an on-site field station, the Robert S. Pierce Ecosystem Laboratory.