Experimental forest

An experimental forest, or experimental range, as defined by the United States Forest Service, is "an area administered ... 'to provide for the research necessary for the management of the land.'"^[1]^[2]

Size and relation to other areas

According to the USFS, "Most Experimental Forests are large enough to contain significant stream systems and several dozen contain experimental watershed study sites with multiple paired basins." Individual experimental forests range from 0.47 to 225 km² (120 to 55,600 acres) in area. Experimental forests are distinguished from research natural areas and intensive monitoring sites.^[3]

History

The present system of 80 experimental forests and ranges began in 1908. Many experimental forest are more than 50 years old. The system provides places for long-term science and management studies in major vegetation types of the 195,000,000 acres (790,000 km²) of public land administered by the Forest Service.^[4]

Experimental forests and ranges in the United States

Alum Creek Experimental Forest, Arkansas
Argonne Experimental Forest, Wisconsin
Baltimore Long Term Ecological Research, Maryland (cooperating)
Bartlett Experimental Forest, New Hampshire
Beaver Creek Experimental Watershed, Arizona
Bent Creek Experimental Forest, North Carolina
Big Falls Experimental Forest, Minnesota
Black Hills Experimental Forest in South Dakota is used to study ponderosa pine timber production, mountain pine beetle, and wildlife habitat.
Blacks Mountain Experimental Forest, California
Blue Valley Experimental Forest,
Boise Basin Experimental Forest in Idaho is used to study old-growth restoration, prescribed fire, and root-system structures.
Bonanza Creek Experimental Forest, Alaska
Calhoun Experimental Forest, South Carolina
Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed, Alaska (cooperating)
Cascade Head Experimental Forest, Oregon
Caspar Creek Experimental Watershed, California
Challenge Experimental Forest, California
Chipola Experimental Forest, Florida
Clemson Experimental Forest surrounds the Clemson University campus in South Carolina. The 17,500 acre forest is the largest university forest adjacent to its campus in the country. It is used for research, education, and recreation.
Crossett Experimental Forest is located in Ashley County, Arkansas.
Coulee Experimental Forest, Wisconsin
Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, North Carolina
Coram Experimental Forest in Montana is used to study western larch, Douglas-fir, forest regeneration, forest growth, silvicultural systems, climate, and hydrology.
Cutfoot Sioux Experimental Forest, Minnesota
Deception Creek Experimental Forest in Idaho is used to study sediment movement and transport, forest genetics, root disease, small tree use, and fire effects.
Delta Experimental Forest, Mississippi
Denbigh Experimental Forest, North Dakota
Desert Experimental Range in Utah is used to study cold-desert-plant communities, desertification, sheep management, rodent ecology, pronghorn antelope, soils, and bird and mammal populations.
Dukes (Upper Peninsula) Experimental Forest, Michigan
Entiat Experimental Forest, Washington
Escambia Experimental Forest, Alabama
Estate Thomas Experimental Forest, U.S. Virgin Islands
Fernow Experimental Forest, West Virginia
Fort Valley Experimental Forest in Arizona is used to study forest diseases, forest restoration, wildland-urban interface studies, and fire effects.
Fraser Experimental Forest is on the western slopes of the Continental Divide in Colorado.
Glacier Lakes Ecosystem Experiments Site (GLEES) in Wyoming is used to study seedling germination, nitrogen deposits, riparian hydrology, disturbance changes, tree growth, atmospheric pollutants.
Great Basin Experimental Range in Utah is used to study plant adaptation and ecosystem shifts, nutrient cycling, replanting, restoration ecology, and game habitat.
H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest, Oregon
Harrison Experimental Forest, Mississippi
Hawaii Experimental Tropical Forest, Hawaii
Héen Latinee, Alaska
Henry R. Koen Experimental Forest, Arkansas
Hill Forest, NC State Univ. North Carolina (cooperating)
Hitchiti Experimental Forest, Georgia
Howland Cooperating Experimental Forest, Maine (cooperating)
Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire
Kane Experimental Forest, Pennsylvania
Kaskaskia Experimental Forest, Illinois
Kings River Experimental Watershed, California
Long Valley Experimental Forest (Arizona) — ponderosa pine, burning interval effects, tree growth history.
Lower Peninsula Experimental Forest, Michigan
Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico
Manitou Experimental Forest (Colorado) — ponderosa pine ecosystems, fire, insect and bird biology, dwarf mistletoe, and wildland-urban interface issues.
Marcell Experimental Forest located in Chippewa National Forest and 40 km north of Grand Rapids, Minnesota.^[5]
Massabesic Experimental Forest, Maine
Maybeso Experimental Forest, Alaska
North Mountain Experimental Area, California
Olustee Experimental Forest, Florida
Olympic Experimental State Forest, Washington (cooperating)
Onion Creek Experimental Forest, California
Palustris Experimental Forest, Louisiana
Paoli Experimental Forest, Indiana
Penobscot Experimental Forest located in Maine is 16.18 km² (4,000 acres) and focuses on silviculture research.
Pike Bay Experimental Forest, Minnesota
Priest River Experimental Forest in Idaho is used to study woody debris, soil productivity, acid deposits, seedling development, water yield and quality, and wood decomposition.
Pringle Falls Experimental Forest, Oregon
Redwood Experimental Forest is located in Northern California near the mouth of the Klamath River.
Rhinelander Experimental Forest, Wisconsin
Sagehen Experimental Forest, California
San Dimas Experimental Forest in southern California covers 6,945 hectares in the San Gabriel Mountains.^[6]
San Joaquin Experimental Range is in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in California.
Santa Rita Experimental Range is located in southern Arizona and is the oldest experimental range in the United States.
Santee Experimental Forest, South Carolina
Scull Shoals Experimental Forest, Georgia
Sierra Ancha Experimental Forest in Arizona is used for long-term hydrologic studies.
Silas Little Experimental Forest, New Jersey
Sinkin Experimental Forest, Missouri
South Umpqua Experimental Forest, Oregon
Stanislaus-Tuolumne Experimental Forest is in the central Sierra Nevada in California.
Starkey Experimental Forest and Range, Oregon
Stephen F. Austin Experimental Forest, Texas
Swain Mountain Experimental Forest, California
Sylamore Experimental Forest, Arkansas
Tallahatchie Experimental Forest, Mississippi
Teakettle Experimental Forest, California
Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest in Montana is used to study hydrology, climate, and regenerating and restoring lodgepole pine.
Udell Experimental Forest, Michigan
Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest, Ohio
Wind River Experimental Forest, Washington
Young Bay Experimental Forest, Alaska

References

^ "Northeastern Research Station - Research and Development - Glossary". Fs.fed.us. 2013-12-16. Retrieved 2014-01-18.
^ "USDA Forest Service - Experimental Forests and Ranges". Fs.fed.us. 2008-10-08. Retrieved 2014-01-18.
^ "Experimental Forests & Ranges". Fs.fed.us. 2008-03-05. Retrieved 2014-01-18.
^ "USDA Forest Service - Experimental Forests and Ranges". Fs.fed.us. Retrieved 2014-01-18.
^ "About the Marcell Experimental Forest - Northern Research Station - USDA Forest Service". www.nrs.fs.fed.us. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
^ here, put your internet short name. "Pacific Southwest Research Station". www.fs.fed.us.