Crossett Experimental Forest-72 Years of Science Delivery in the Silviculture of Southern Pines

摘要

The network of experimental forests and ranges within the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture has unique attributes for research, demonstration, and technology transfer. Public forest lands experience a slower rate of ownership change than private forest lands, and this provides greater stability for long-term research studies and demonstrations over time. Experimental forests provide an ideal way to view, test, and display new technologies and tactics for different silvicultural practices. Few experimental forests in the South embody these attributes more than the Crossett Experimental Forest in Ashley County, AR. It was established in 1934 from a donation of 1,680 acres of land by the Crossett Lumber Company to the Southern Forest Experiment Station. The mission was to study new silvicultural practices to restore and manage second-growth loblolly and shortleaf pine stands, and to share that knowledge with forest managers and landowners throughout the South. This approach has been unusually effective at Crossett Experimental Forest, where U.S. Forest Service researchers have published more than 1,000 articles on forest management and silviculture, and hosted more than 45,000 foresters, students, landowners, and university staff in tours of its renowned demonstrations and research studies.