North Central Research Station - Experimental Forests

Paoli Experimental Forest Hoosier National Forest 571 acres, Est. 1963 Contact: Frank Thompson White and northern red oak planting.

Brief introduction

The Paoli Experimental Forest was established in 1963 in the Wayne-Hoosier National Forest in south central Indiana. The primary goal was to conduct research on mixed hardwood species in order to find out and demonstrate how to increase the number and quality of high-value species on good sites. The Paoli, approximately 571 acres, is located in the Tell City Ranger District, sections 10, 14, and 15, Township 1 North, Range 1 West, Second Principal Meridian.

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Climate

The climate is temperate, with long summers and mild winters. The average frost free period is 175 days. Annual precipitation is 43 inches, which is distributed throughout the year, although late July and August droughts are common. Most of the precipitation falls as rain.

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Soil types

The great soil group is the gray-brown podzolic soil found in the temperate, humid hardwood forest region. Soils are in the Muskingum series, one of the most common forest soils in southern Indiana, and in the Wellston-Gilpin-Zanesville series. They are acid, deep and moderately deep, well drained and moderately well drained soils that formed in loess that overlays sandstone, siltstone, and shale.

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Vegetation types

The forest types are typical of forests in southern Indiana and other area of equally good sites in the region. Mixed hardwoods are on lower slopes, in valleys, and in coves. The oak-hickory type is found on the upper slopes and ridges. The predominant species are sugar maple (Acer saccharum), ash (Fraxinus spp.), beech (Fagus grandifolia), hickory (Carya spp.), white oak (Quercus alba) and elm (Ulmus spp.) in the mixed hardwood type, and white oak, hickory, sugar maple, red oak (Q. rubra), and black oak (Q. velutina) in the oak-hickory type. Yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) is deficient in the overstory but a few scattered trees provide a seed source. Black walnut (Juglans nigra), though not numerous, is scattered through the mixed hardwood stands. Plantations and old fields are generally on broad ridges. The old fields range from a small field with no woody species to fields with volunteer trees and shrubs.

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Long-term data bases

The oldest research databases include studies of oak regeneration and stand dynamics that are less than 20 years old.

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Research – past and current

• White and northern red oak planting,
• Effects of nursery undercutting and shoot pruning on growth of outplanted oaks,
• Prescribed burning to stimulate both planted and natural stands of regenerated oak trees and control competition to the oak from yellow-poplar, aspen, and maple.

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Major research accomplishments

The research in oak regeneration has been used to develop silvicultural prescriptions for regenerating oaks that have been published in the scientific journal literature, in conference proceedings, and in North Central Research Station papers. This research has added to our knowledge of how oak regeneration dynamics vary by ecoregion in the eastern United States, and was recently incorporated in a landmark synthesis on oak forest ecosystems in the book “The ecology and silviculture of oaks” by North Central Research Station scientists Paul Johnson and Steve Shifley.

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Collaborators

Hoosier National Forest, Purdue University, Indiana Division of Natural Resources

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Research opportunities

Opportunities include stand-level investigations into the forest ecology and silviculture of Central Hardwood forests. Monitoring ongoing research will continue to be productive and add to our knowledge of how forests respond to specific management disturbances. Periodic forest inventory can document forest succession in the absence of managment.

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Facilities, contact address, location

An equipment shed (726 sq. ft) is located on the property.

Contact information:
Dr. Frank Thompson
North Central Research Station
202 Natural Resources Bldg.
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO, 65211
phone: 573-875-5341
email: Frank Thompson

USDA Forest Service - North Central Research Station
Last Modified: Thursday, 19 February 2004