Pacific Southwest Research Station

The ability to conduct scientific research in-house, to apply research findings on the National Forest System lands, and to transfer them to others for use on all of the nation's forest land sets the Forest Service apart as a natural resource agency. A unique and exceedingly valuable part of the infrastructure in place to conduct this research is the national network of experimental forests and ranges, a land base authorized by Congress and designated by the Chiefs of the Forest Service over the last 100 years. These experimental forests and ranges are not historical relics, but the sites for most of the longterm research conducted by Forest Service Research and Development and our partners. The experimental forests and ranges are living laboratories where Forest Service scientists not only make discoveries but also demonstrate research results for cooperators and stakeholders. They provide the opportunity to conduct the bold, imaginative research that will be required for the future.

The USDA Forest Service has an outstanding scientific resource in the 77 Experimental Forests and Ranges that exist across the United States and its territories. These valuable scientific resources incorporate a broad range of climates, forest types, research emphases, and history. The Pacific Southwest Reasearch Station currently administers the ten experimental forests in California. These sites are described here, providing information about history, climate, vegetation, soils, long-term data bases, research history and research products, as well as identifying collaborative opportunities, and providing contact information.

For a complete guide to the experimental forests throughout the country, see the publication cited below.