Northeastern Research Station

Living Memorials

Research & Development

Fernow Experimental Forest

Introduction:

The Fernow Experimental Forest, a 4700-acre outdoor laboratory and classroom, was established in 1934, and named after Bernhard Fernow, a pioneer in American forestry research. Early research addressed high elevation red spruce and the effects of fire on hardwood forests. Closed during World War II, a new research program was initiated in 1948, in silviculture of mixed hardwood forests of the Appalachians, and watershed research. RWU NE-4353 of the Northeastern Research Station manages the Fernow. Located near Parsons, WV, The Fernow lies within the Allegheny Mountain section of the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. Elevations range from 1750 to 3650 feet, and slopes are generally steep.

Climate:

The Fernow's climate is characterized as rainy and cool. Mean annual precipitation is about 58 inches per year, evenly distributed through the year. Mean annual temperature is 48 oF, with a frost-free season of about 145 days. Although winter snowfall can be heavy, the snow pack is intermittent.

Soils:

A rock layer composed of fractured hard sandstone and shale underlies most of the Fernow. A majority of the soils are of the Calvin and Dekalb series, which originated from these rocky materials (loamy-skeletal, mixed mesic Typic Dystrochrepts). On the southeastern part of the Fernow, Greenbrier limestone outcrops to produce a mid-slope zone of limestone soil of the Belmont series (fine-loamy, mixed mesic Typic Hapludalfs). The average soil depth is about 3 feet.

Vegetation Type:

The Fernow was heavily cutover between 1905 and 1911. The second-growth vegetation is mixed hardwood forest, and has been classified as mixed mesophytic. Characteristic overstory species include northern red oak, sugar maple, yellow-poplar and red maple, among others. Tree species diversity is high on the Fernow with 22 commercial tree species.

Long-Term Data Bases:

Meteorological data have been collected consistently since 1951; deposition chemistry has been monitored since 1987. Streamflow has been recorded from 5 gaged, forested watersheds since 1951 and stream chemistry since 1971; currently a total of 11 are monitored for watersheds flow and chemistry data. Silvicultural databases developed since 1949: Whole stand characteristics based on 100% tallies (dbh > 12.7cm) on over 80 different research compartments that have been periodically remeasured and managed using silvicultural practices from even-aged to uneven-aged regeneration methods, and intermediate treatments. Unmanaged reference areas also are included in this database. Data can be stratified by site quality. Data includes species, dbh, merchantable height/grade, and dead or alive. Regeneration data was concurrently sampled using temporary plot locations for both seedlings (dbh < 2.54 cm) and saplings (dbh < 12.7 cm). Individual tree information is collected on over 800 permanent growth plots. Growth plots were first established in 1979 and complement whole stand data described above. Data includes species, dbh, stem characteristics, logging damage, tree form, crown dimensions, and temporal changes. Permanent growth plots have also been instituted to track net primary productivity in long-term ecological studies.

Research:

Research on the Fernow has followed two lines of research, with considerable overlap. Silvicultural research has focused mostly on the mixed hardwood stands, and addresses questions relating to regenerating, growing, tending and harvesting trees and stands. Watershed research has addressed some of the more basic questions about water use by forests and forest hydrology, as well as dealing with critical issues about roads, best management practices and forest management effects on water and soil resources. In 1994, the two research units combined to incorporate larger and broader scales of research. The Fernow has also been in the forefront of acidic deposition and nitrogen saturation research, conducting a whole watershed acidification study since 1989. Research on wildlife has been a part of the research program throughout the years. Most recently, research on threatened and endangered species has assumed a more prominent role, due to the presence of Indiana bat, and running buffalo clover on the Fernow.

Major Research Accomplishments and Impacts on Management:

Research on the Fernow has demonstrated the benefits of good forest management in the central Appalachians and shown that improved log quality gives the greatest return from good hardwood forest management. Guidelines for determining site quality from topographic and soil features were developed, along with improved logging methods that are practical and profitable. Researchers on the Fernow have demonstrated that while streamflow can be increased by practical forest management, cutting a forest does not create a high flood hazard when the forest floor is protected from erosion. Work from the Fernow has been used to develop the Best Management Practices for the State of West Virginia.

Collaborators:

Collaborators include scientists from West Virginia University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Georgia, Virginia Tech, Purdue University, Penn State University, and specialists from the Monongahela National Forest. Industrial cooperators include Mead-Westvaco, Jim C. Hamer Lumber Company.

Research Opportunities:

Research opportunities are abundant, thanks to the long-term studies, and the wealth of data. We also offer the opportunity for stand manipulations, as we have our own logging crew and equipment.

Facilities:

Facilities include a water quality laboratory, "dirt lab" a small but incredibly cute bunkhouse, and the Timber and Watershed Laboratory in Parsons.

Contact Information:

Mary Beth Adams, Project Leader
USDA Forest Service
P.O. Box 404
Parsons, WV 26287
mbadams@fs.fed.us
http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/parsons