The Southern Research Station (SRS) is one component of seven units that provide the framework for the US Forest Service (USFS) Research and Development organization. Forest Service R&D is described as "...the most extensive natural resources research organization in the world".

Mission

The mission of the Southern Research Station is:

History

The R&D organization has been part of the USFS mission since the agency was created in 1905. As one of seven units in the USFS R&D organization, the Southern Research Station had its beginnings as two separate entities – the Southern Forest Experiment Station and the Southeastern Forest Experiment Station. During their formative years, major areas of research in these two experiment stations included: * Mensuration * Growth & yield * Harvest and reproduction cutting methods * Gum

naval stores Naval stores refers to the industry that produces various chemicals collected from conifers. The term was originally applied to the compounds used in building and maintaining wooden sailing ships. Presently, the naval stores industry are used to ...

production *

Thinning In agricultural sciences, thinning is the removal of some plants, or parts of plants, to make room for the growth of others. Selective removal of parts of a plant such as branches, buds, or roots is typically known as '' pruning''. In forestry ...

research in even-aged,

second-growth A secondary forest (or second-growth forest) is a forest or woodland area which has regenerated through largely natural processes after human-caused disturbances, such as timber harvest or agriculture clearing, or equivalently disruptive natura ...

loblolly and shortleaf pine stands *

Forest fire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a bushfire ( in Australia), dese ...

research

Southern Forest Experiment Station (SFES)

Initiated in 1921, the SFES was responsible for research in southern pine types within the states of

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

East Texas East Texas is a broadly defined cultural, geographic, and ecological region in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas that consists of approximately 38 counties. It is roughly divided into Northeast Texas, Northeast, Southeast Texas, Sout ...

and southern

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

. The SFES was headquartered in

New Orleans, LA New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

Southeastern Forest Experiment Station (SEFES)

The SEFES began as the Appalachian Station in 1921, with its research scope being generally limited to mountain hardwood types. States within the Appalachian Station included

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, South Carolina, northern Georgia, Virginia,

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

, eastern

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

, and eastern

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the Appalachian Station was redesignated as the Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, and research was expanded to include both pine and hardwood types from Florida through

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. Headquarters for the Appalachian Station and SEFES were in Asheville, NC.

Southern Research Station (SRS)

In 1995, the Southern and Southeastern Forest Experiment Stations merged to form the Southern Research Station with headquarters in Asheville, NC. Research was expanded into new fields to address "...how climate change, human population growth, invasive plants, pathogens, and fire affect the provision of timber, wildlife, clean air and water, and recreation, as well as other

ecosystem service Ecosystem services are the various benefits that humans derive from ecosystems. The interconnected living and non-living components of the natural environment offer benefits such as pollination of crops, clean air and water, decomposition of wast ...

s." Thirteen US states are located within the boundary of the Southern Research Station. Southeastern US State Map

SRS Science Centers and Research Work Units

As of 2022, SRS research activities were being conducted within 15 Research Work Units located throughout the southeastern US and were categorized under four scientific objectives or science centers.

SRS Experimental Forests

Within the SRS, there are 20

Experimental forest An experimental forest, or experimental range, as defined by the United States Forest Service, is "an area administered ... 'to provide for the research necessary for the management of the land.'" Size and relation to other areas According to the ...

s and/or

Rangelands Rangelands are grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands, and deserts that are grazed by domestic livestock or wild animals. Types of rangelands include tallgrass and shortgrass prairies, desert grasslands and shrublands, woodlands, savannas ...

located in nine southeastern states. These experimental forests and rangelands provide a network for conducting long-term research studies and are a treasure trove of accumulated historical sampling data that span a time period of up to 100 years. Experimental forests also serve as education and demonstration sites where researchers interact with students, forest landowners, and forest managers.

Research Natural Areas

In 2022, there were 33 established

Research Natural Area Research Natural Area is a designation for certain protected areas in the United States. Research Natural Areas (RNAs) are part of a nationwide network of ecological areas set aside for both research and education. The network includes areas ma ...

s (RNA) located within 12 southeastern US states, excluding Tennessee. At least two Research Natural Areas are located within the boundaries of the Southern Research Station's Experimental Forests: *The Harrison Research Natural Area is located within the Harrison Experimental Forest. This portion of the experimental forest contains that were designated as a RNA in 1989. When assessed in 1991, the overstory component within this RNA was 90% longleaf pines (''

Pinus palustris The longleaf pine (''Pinus palustris'') is a pine species native to the Southeastern United States, found along the coastal plain from East Texas to southern Virginia, extending into northern and central Florida. In this area it is also known as ...

'') that established naturally from seeds after the virgin pine forests were clearcut in the 1920s. *The R. R. Reynolds Research Natural Area is located within the

Crossett Experimental Forest Crossett Experimental Forest is an experimental forest operated by the Southern Research Station (SRS) of the United States Forest Service in Ashley County, Arkansas. It is managed out of the SRS office in Monticello, Arkansas, with onsite fac ...

. Other than fire protection, the R.R. Reynolds RNA was set aside from active forest management in 1943 to provide a contrast to managed stands. Based on a 1993 tree inventory, the RRRRNA was described as "... a closed–canopy, mature loblolly pine (''

Pinus taeda ''Pinus taeda'', commonly known as loblolly pine, is one of several pines native to the Southeastern United States, from East Texas to Florida, and north to southern New Jersey. The wood industry classifies the species as a southern yellow pine. ...

'')–hardwood forest", with oaks (''

Quercus An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

'' spp.) being the predominant overstory hardwood component. This forest area was designated as a RNA in 2005.

Gallery

SRS Crossett Experimental Forest headquarters timeline

This 60-year pictorial timeline is indicative of the USFS commitment to maintaining the infrastructure needed to support long-term forest research. File:Crossett Experimental Forest Headquarters Building 1936.jpg, File:Crossett Experimental Forest Headquarters Building 1959.jpg, File:Crossett Experimental Forest Headquarters Building 1979.jpg, File:Crossett Experimental Forest HQ Building in 2000.jpg,

References

External links

Publications of the Southern Forest Experiment Station: 1921 – 1954

Publications of the Southeastern Forest Experiment Station: 1921–1958

USDA Forest Service TREESEARCH
{{Authority control United States Forest Service Nature conservation organizations based in the United States Forestry research Research and development in the United States Government agencies established in 1921 United States Forest Service protected areas