North Central Research Station - Experimental Forests

Marcell Experimental Forest Chippewa National Forest, MN 2,254 acres, Est. 1962 Contact: Randy Kolka Basic and applied research in upland/peatland watersheds. This site provides summary information.  For more detailed information visit the comprehensive site for Marcell Experimental Forest.

Brief introduction

Streamflow, weather, and well data collection started on the The Marcell Experimental Forest in 1960. This 2200-acre site has six calibrated watersheds each consisting of a mineral soil upland and an organic soil peatland; an intermittent or perennial stream drains each peatland and its larger watershed. Formally established in 1962, it contains two units on land owned by the Chippewa National Forest, State of Minnesota, Itasca County, and a private individual. Originally established to study the ecology and hydrology of peatlands, research there concerns typical upland/wetland watersheds in the Lake States, atmospheric chemistry, nutrient cycling, soil quality, tree stand dynamics, and a variety of watershed treatments applied to upland or bog to investigate their impacts on water yield, peak streamflow, water quality, and nutrient processing. It is operated by the North Central Research Station, Research Work Unit 4351: Ecology and Management of Riparian and Aquatic Ecosystems located at Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

top

Climate

The climate of the MEF is subhumid continental, with wide and rapid diurnal and seasonal temperature fluctuations. The average annual air temperature is 3°C (37°F), with extremes of -46°C (-51°F) and 38°C (100°F). The average January temperature is -15°C (5°F), and the average July temperature is 19°C (66°F).

Average annual precipitation at the MEF is 78.5 cm, with 75% occurring in the snow-free period (mid-April to early November). An average of 75 rainstorms occur each year, but normally only 3 to 4 exceed 2.5 cm.top

Soil types

Ely greenstone and Canadian Shield Granite and Gneiss bedrock underlie glacial drift deposits 45 to 55 meters thick. An 8 meter thick, compact till of clay, sand, and gravel containing limestone fragments (fingernail size) lies directly on bedrock and limestone in this deposit (derived from Hudson Bay) typically gives perennial stream water in the area a pH of 6.5 with Ca and Mg concentrations of 25 and 5 mg/L respectively. Sand drifts totaling 35 m in thickness overlay the compacted till, and derive from the N and NE; first near the Labrador Ice Center near the Hudson Bay Dome and later near the Patrician Ice Center West of James Bay.

The upper member of these sand drifts (the Rainy Lobe-Bemis Phase) is exposed at the surface on about 1/3 of the Experimental Forest. Soils in this parent material are: Menahga sands (a mixed, frigid, Typic Udipsamment), Graycalm loamy sands (a mixed, frigid, Alfic Udipsamment), Cutaway loamy sands (a loamy, mixed, Arenic Eutroboralf), and Sandwick loamy fine sands (a loamy, mixed, frigid, Arenic Glossaqualf).

 On 2/3rds of the Experimental Forest, the deep sand drifts are over-ridden by the Koochiching phase Red-River Lobe originating from the NW near the Keewatin Ice Center. This brown till is a clay loam with rock, is slightly calcareous and has few cretaceous shale fragments. In many places, a 10-cm layer of eolian loess lays on the surface. Soils in this parent material are: Warba fine sandy loam - clay loam at depth (a fine-loamy, mixed Glossic Eutroboralf), Nashwauk fine sandy loam (a fine-loamy, mixed, Typic Glossoboralf), and Keewatin fine sandy loam (a fine-loamy, mixed Glossic Eutroboralf).

Forested fen peatlands developed on the Mooselake peat (a Euic, Typic, Borohemist). They are typically hemic in decomposition, reddish in color and full of wood fragments. The forested bog peatlands developed on Loxely peat (a Dysic, Typic, Borosaprist) with porous Sphagnum and Ericaceous moss at the surface grading to hemic and sapric horizons within a meter depth. The poor fen, sedge peatlands developed on Greenwood peat (a Dysic, Typic Borohemist).top

Vegetation types

Sandy uplands support Red Pine (Pinus resinosa), Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana), in pure fire-origin stands or in plantations. They also support mixed stands of Aspen (Populus tremuloides), White Birch (Betula papyrifera), Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea), and White Spruce (Picea glauca). The sandy loam till soils support similar mixed stands where Beaked Hazel (Corylus cornuta) is a common and abundant shrub species. Big Leaf Aster (Aster macrophylus) and Braken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum) are common herbs. Forested bogs contain Black Spruce (Picea mariana), and Eastern Tamarack (Larix laricina). The peatland surface is dominated by Sphagnum mosses, and Ericacea shrubs. The forested fens contain similar species as the bogs but also Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis), and occasionally Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra). Shrub, moss and herbaceous species in the fens far out number those in bogs. Open poor fens are dominated by depauperate sedges (Carex spp.), and a wide variety of mosses.

top

Long-term data bases

Many of the databases available are accessible at the Forest’s full Web site. Soil data available at Marcell include: organic soil physical properties, mineral soil physical properties, saturated hydraulic conductivity of mineral and organic soils, soil temperature profiles in both organic and mineral soils, and von Post profiles for organic soils.

Weather data include max., min., and mean daily air temperature, and daily precipitation. Precipitation chemistry includes all major anions and cations (weekly since 1978; accessed through the NADP database in Champaign, IL), total mercury (weekly values), and methyl mercury (monthly composites of weekly values), and various QA/QC data associated with the chemistry and precipitation amounts. Seasonal snowpack data (depth and water equivalent), soil frost (depth and occurrence), and soil moisture (one foot increments to 10 feet) are available. Streamflow (daily) and water table elevation data (daily in peatlands and one regional water table site, monthly at other wells) are available at a variety of V-notch weir, and steel well pipe sites. Streamflow is partitioned between the mineral soil and organic soil parts of each watershed. Interflow and near surface flow amounts of runoff are available for mineral soil sites. Water chemistry (major anions) is available from mineral soil runoff plots, peatland water tables, watershed streams, and regional water table wells on a two-week or storm grab-sample basis.top

Research – past and current

• Research on organic soils includes the relation between organic soil physical properties (bulk density, fiber content, and degree of decomposition) and water properties (hydraulic conductivity, moisture content, water tension, and specific yield).
• Research on peatland hydrology and ecology includes: the relationship between peatland vegetation and chemical and physical aspects of water source.
• Peatland hydrology studies include: the albedo and evaporation characteristics of forested and harvested peatlands; the impact of wetlands on streamflow patterns and peak flows and hydrograph shape in relation to organic soil profiles; and the impact of harvesting or prescribed fire on water chemistry, soil temperature, and water table response.
• A wide variety of nutrient cycling studies in peatlands have been done for all major nutrients and trace metals in acid bog peatlands, the rate of evolution of methane and carbon dioxide from various bog and fen peatlands, and the rates of carbon accumulation in peatlands.
• Detailed studies of the fate of mercury (both total and methyl) and interactions with sulfur and nitrogen inputs have been and are on going.
• Watershed studies include the evaluation of various forest management options on water yield and water chemistry. Treatments include upland clearcutting of aspen, peatland strip and clearcutting of black spruce, prescribed fire in a harvest fen peatland, upland nitrogen fertilization, conversion of upland aspen forests to conifer forests, and use of cattle grazing or herbicides to convert from aspen to conifers.
• Analyses of various watershed treatments in combination with hydrologic modeling are used to evaluate land use change impacts on water chemistry, annual water yield, and peak flows from treated watersheds.
• The Marcell Experimental forest is an LTSP (Long Term Site Productivity) site to evaluate the impact of soil compaction and surface organic matter removal (mineral soils) on aspen productivity. It is the longest running NADP (National Atmospheric Deposition Program) site in the nation (since July 1978). It was one of three pilot sites for the measurement of total mercury and methyl mercury in precipitation (beginning in 1993) as part of the NADP MDN (Mercury Deposition Network), and it is a proposed CRN (U.S. Climate Reference Network) site.
• Various demonstrations have been undertaken at the MEF including a variety of cut-to-length harvest trials, under planting of white pine in mature, thinned aspen stands, crushed rock road surface evaluations, and the evaluation of a long running set of instrument evaluations for the NADP program.top

Major research accomplishments

Many of the current concepts of peatland hydrology and peatland ecology were first observed and tested in a variety of experiments at the Marcell Experimental Forest. Peatland hydrology and organic soil physical property work done at Marcell is repeatedly quoted in the literature.

Watershed evaluations of forest management options (eg. Clearcutting of aspen) and watershed modeling of storm hydrographs have been used to show the relation between open or young forest land and increases in bankfull streamflow rates. These data have been translated to harvest rate and open land guides for various national forest plans, state forest plans, and county forest plans as well as river basin planning groups in the Lake States.

Unlike many experimental watersheds, the Marcell Experimental forest incorporates an extensive and long term evaluation of groundwater wells. These data are used in combination with paleo botanical studies of peat profiles, and soil hydraulic conductivity to illustrate the significance of deep seepage to water and nutrient budgets on experimental watersheds.

The MEF along with (now) some 200 sites in the United States has documented the chemistry of precipitation and trends in atmospheric deposition in the United States for the last 25 years. Work at Marcell, in conjunction with other U.S., Canadian, and European data, illustrated the fundamental relationship between coal plant emissions and acid rain by removing the confounding effect of salt neutralization of acid in precipitation.

Currently the MEF has built 8 years of mercury deposition data.

We have significantly contributed to the evaluation of methane as a greenhouse gas and potential impacts to global warming processes.

Work at the MEF on soil compaction was the first site in the Lake States to illustrate on experimental plots the serious and prolonged impact to future aspen productivity.

top

Collaborators

The Univ. of Minnesota (Depts. of Soil Water and Climate, Natural Resources, Ecology, Environmental Engineering, Water Resources Research Center), Science Museum of MN (St. Croix Watershed Group), MPCA, MNDNR, Chippewa National Forest, Univ. of Nebraska, Univ. of Wisconsin, Michigan State Univ., Univ. of Mich., Michigan Tech Univ., NASA, NOAA, USGS, NSF, USEPA, various USDA grant programs, and UPM-Kymmene.

top

Research opportunities

The Marcell Experimental Forest has been the subject of hundreds of studies since its establishment in 1962. Most of these studies have been hydrological in nature, but there is a great opportunity for many other types of research. The depth, variety, and length of water, soil, atmosphere, and vegetation databases at the Marcell Experimental Forest afford graduate students and collaborative scientists a unique opportunity to study watershed and landscape aspects of northern Lake States upland and peatland ecosystems. Additionally, the experimental forest installs and monitors a variety of demonstration plots. We welcome any interest in using the facilities and watershed plots for research in vegetation, entomology, ecology, wildlife, nutrient cycling, etc.

top

Facilities, contact address, location

The experimental forest currently has a field laboratory constructed in 1964 with a bunkroom, office, bench lab, kitchenette and ¾ bathroom. This facility will be replaced in 2003 with a larger field laboratory with four bedrooms, handicap access toilets, laundry, kitchen, bench laboratory, and small conference area.

Contact information:
Dr. Randy Kolka
USDA Forest Service
North Central Research Station
1831 Hwy. 169 E
Grand Rapids, MN 55744
Phone: 218-326-7115
Fax: 218-326-7123
e-mail: Randy Kolka

The Marcell Experimental Forest is located 25 miles north of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Its address is:
Marcell Field Lab
43837 Wilderness Trail
Bovey, MN 55709
 phone: 218-326-2611

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