Fernow Experimental Forest
Encyclopedia
Fernow Experimental Forest is a research forest in Tucker County
, West Virginia
. It is operated by the U.S. Forest Service's Northern Research Station. It is named for Bernhard Fernow, a prominent forester in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
was set aside to create the current research forest.
In the beginning, foresters studied high-elevation red spruce and the impact of fire on hardwood forests. The forest was closed during World War II
but reopened in 1948 to study forest and watershed management in the central Appalachians.
Tucker County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,321 people, 3,052 households, and 2,121 families residing in the county. The population density was 18 people per square mile . There were 4,634 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. It is operated by the U.S. Forest Service's Northern Research Station. It is named for Bernhard Fernow, a prominent forester in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
History
The area that now makes up Fernow was heavily logged between 1905 and 1911. In 1934, the drainage basin of Elklick Run in Monongahela National ForestMonongahela National Forest
The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It protects over of federally-owned land within a proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Region and portions of 10 counties.The MNF includes some...
was set aside to create the current research forest.
In the beginning, foresters studied high-elevation red spruce and the impact of fire on hardwood forests. The forest was closed during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
but reopened in 1948 to study forest and watershed management in the central Appalachians.