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.'"
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 in area. Experimental forests are distinguished from research natural areas and intensive monitoring sites.
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 of public land administered by the Forest Service.
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 State 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. 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 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. 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
See also
List of types of formally designated forests
References
External links