Research at the Northern Research Station

Research Themes

Photo: Emerald Ash Borer emerging from tree

Forest Disturbance Processes

Protect people and forest landscapes from the threat of undesirable disturbances

Photo: Man walks on beach with city skyline and trees in background.

Urban Natural Resource Stewardship

Improve the quality of life in urban areas through natural resources stewardship

Photo: Trees on New England mountainside with lake and blue sky behind.

Sustaining Forests

Maintain and enhance forest productivity and benefits

Photo: Aerial view of bog at Marcell Experimental Forest in Minnesota with trees in their fall colors.

Providing Clean Water and Air

Increase production of clean water and air for a growing population

Natural Resources Inventory, Monitoring, and Assessment

Establish baselines, track change, quantify threats, demonstrate effectiveness, prioritize research efforts, and understand our natural resources, and the policies, practices, and processes that impact them.

Research Units

Unit	Title	Project Leader	Staff
1	Ecological and Economic Sustainability of the Appalachian Forest in an Era of Globalization	Janice (Jan) Wiedenbeck	Staff
2	Sustaining Forests in a Changing Environment	Janice (Jan) Wiedenbeck	Staff
3	Ecology and Management of Invasive Species and Forest Ecosystems	Therese Poland	Staff
5	Forest Inventory and Analysis	Charles H. (Hobie) Perry	Staff
6	Climate, Fire, and Carbon Cycle Sciences	Chris Swanston	Staff
7	Northern Forest Science and Applications	Randy Kolka	Staff
8	Communities and Landscapes of the Urban Northeast	Keith Nislow	Staff
9	People and Their Environments: Social Science Supporting Natural Resource Management and Policy	Robert G. Haight	Staff
11	Sustainable Management of Central Hardwood Ecosystems and Landscapes	Daniel Dey	Staff
13	Institute for Applied Ecosystem Studies: Theory and Application of Scaling Science in Forestry	Deahn Donner	Staff
14	Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center	Keith Woeste	Staff
15	The Strategic Foresight Group	Robert G. Haight	Staff
16	Restoration and Conservation of Rural and Urban Forests	Daniel Lindner	Staff

Research Lands

Hiker looks out over Alpine Gardens Research Natural Area

Research Natural Areas

Research Natural Areas (RNAs) are areas that the Forest Service has designated to be permanently protected and maintained in a natural condition.

Experimental Forests

The USDA Forest Service's Experimental Forests (EF) are dedicated to long-term research on ecosystem processes, silviculture and forest management options, wildlife habitat characteristics, and forest growth and development.

Research Facilities

Rhizotron

A Rhizotron [Greek, from rhiza, root] is an enclosure or exclosure with at least one transparent panel that allows for non-invasive viewing of underground processes, specifically root systems.

Quarantine Facility

The USDA Forest Service Quarantine Facility in Ansonia, Connecticut, is utilized to confine arthropod pests and their biological control agents for biological control research.