Cooperating Experimental Forest added to the SRS Experimental Forest Network
The current SRS Experimental Forest Network includes considerable coverage of forest types, geographical range, and management activities. However, expanding the suite of conditions represented across the Network by including a broader range of studies on university forests, industry, and National Forest System lands will increase its effectiveness.
There are some gaps in the geographical range covered by the SRS Experimental Forest (EF) network, and one way to broaden that coverage is by working with university and industry partners. The SRS and the North Carolina State University College of Natural Resources signed a memorandum of understanding in May 2020 formalizing the addition of NC State’s Hill Demonstration Forest as a Cooperating EF. The goal is to strengthen the long-standing partnership between SRS and NC State, and create new research opportunities that will deliver knowledge, information, and solutions that provide adequate protection to our natural resources – water, soil, and air. In addition to continuing research opportunities, SRS will establish Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots on the Demonstration Forest to collect forest inventory and health data. This is part of a larger effort to establish FIA plots on all the SRS experimental forests, which is one aspect of ongoing efforts to create a more cohesive network between SRS scientists and the EFs. The integrated research and data generated from the network will be easily accessible through a series of online user-friendly tools, searchable databases, and frequently update reports. This information can then be used by land managers and policy makers to inform their decisions about how best to improve the health of our forests and reduce the amount of pollution in our air and waterways.
Pictured: Water quality and streamflow data collected at the v-notch weir and flume on the Hill Demonstration Forest are used to inform policy makers and land managers who must make decisions and create solutions to improve water quality and forest health. USDA Forest Service image.
Related information: An online story map describes the USDA Forest Service Experimental Forests of the Southern Research Station.
Contact: Johnny Boggs, Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center, johnny.boggs@usda.gov and Stephanie Laseter, Southern Research Station, stephanie.laseter@usda.gov
