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Home > Experimental Forests > Fort Valley
Fort Valley Experimental Forest
In the midst of an enormous ponderosa pine forest spreading across northern Arizona and New Mexico is the Fort Valley
Experimental Forest that totals about 2,130 noncontiguous ha around Flagstaff, Arizona. The 'Fort Valley' term derives from an open, parklike, bowl-shaped area that was the site of an LDS stockade fort built in 1881. Two excellent springs supply the valley that sits at the base of the southwestern side of the San Francisco Peaks at an altitude of 2,156 m., but the area is also subject to extreme weather and settlement was sparse. Hence, the surrounding ponderosa pine forest had not been heavily logged. Its prime condition caused the USFS to open its first research station in an existing ranger's cabin located in the northwest corner of Fort Valley in August 1908. The scientists' task was to study how the ponderosa pine regenerates as the entire forest was being decimated through extensive logging, yet not regrowing. The ranger's cabin became the Coconino Experiment Station. In 1911, its name changed to the Fort Valley Experiment Station to avoid confusion with the Coconino National Forest.
Being the nation's first USFS Research facility, many pioneer USFS scientists were assigned there. The Experimental Forest designation of 1,108 ha came in 1931 and more forested lands were added in 1941 for a total of 2,130 ac. In 1927, the Fort Valley Experiment Station expanded to include range studies, primarily the effects of domestic grazing animals on ponderosa pine. At that time, the name changed to the Fort Valley Forest and Range Experiment Station.
Climate
The climate is semi-arid to arid, with cool
temperatures and early summer drought. Mean annual
precipitation is 574 mm, with about half of this falling as
snow. The average frost-free growing season is 94 days.
Mean annual temperature is about 7 C. Large diurnal
temperature changes are common.
Soils
Surveys of Fort Valley conducted by the Coconino
National Forest have classified the main soil type as fine
montmorillonitic, frigid Typic Argiborolls, derived from
basalt and cinders.
Vegetation
The predominant ponderosa pine forest type at Fort
Valley consists of pole-size trees, 10 to 28 cm in d.b.h.
and 60 to 100 years old. There are scattered groups of
older trees (28 to 120 cm d.b.h. and 200 to 500 years
old), over dense thickets of sapling-size trees ranging
from 1.5 to 10 cm in d.b.h. and 60 to 70 years old.
Long-Term Data Bases
At Fort Valley, data bases are maintained on the following
subjects: weather (1908 to present), effects of weather on
Ponderosa pine seed regeneration (1909 to 1944), range
research (1927 - present), mistletoe research (1910 to
present), image database of historical photos (2000 -
ongoing), and stress physiology of western conifers (1980-2001).
Research, Past and Present
Studies on natural and artificial regeneration, stand
improvement methods, ponderosa pine and piñon nut
production, and mensurational studies are part of the
research conducted at Fort Valley in the early 1900s.
Other studies focused on range monitoring, forest types,
fence-post durability, logging, and timber-sale
monitoring. Permanent sample plots established in 1909
are still being measured. Historical archives containing all
work done at Fort Valley are located at the Rocky
Mountain Research Station in Flagstaff, Arizona; these
include annual reports, photos, maps, project reports,
personnel, and tree-inventory sheets.
Current studies are addressing forest pathology, forest
restoration, wildland-urban interface treatments, and fire
effects.
Major Research Accomplishments
and Effects on Management
Fort Valley was established primarily to understand why
ponderosa pine was not regenerating after heavy logging.
Recommendations derived from research here were the
basis of many US Forest Service management
practices.
Collaborators
Collaborators working at Fort Valley include the
Coconino National Forest, Northern Arizona University,
and the Ecological Restoration Institute.
Research Opportunities
Fort Valley is an ideal location for research on the
ponderosa pine ecosystem and other forest research. It
has a water source, which can be valuable to research
projects in the Southwest. Past research projects provide a
basis for continued research.
Facilities
There are 14 buildings located on the Fort Valley
Experimental Station within the Fort Valley
Experimental Forest. The Station is listed on the
National Historic Register.
Some of the buildings have been rehabilitated. The site is not open to the public.
Lat. 35°16'06" N, long. 111°44'25" W
Contact Information
Fort Valley Experimental Forest
US Forest Service
Rocky Mountain Research Station
Flagstaff Laboratory
2500 S. Pine Knoll Drive
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Tel: (928) 556-2001
Forest website
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The material for the Experimental Forests pages was originally published in:
Adams, Mary Beth; Loughry, Linda; Plaugher, Linda, comps. 2004.
Experimental Forests and Ranges of the USDA Forest Service.
Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-321. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station. 178 p.
GTR-NE-321 - 5.5 mb pdf
Information has been updated since original publication.
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