Approximately 78 percent of the land area in West Virginia is forest covered. The State's economy depends heavily on its forests for wood production, recreation, wildlife, and for other uses. Research into better forest management is done on the Fernow in the hope that results can be applied toward maintaining the productivity and diversity of the soil, water, and forest resources of West Virginia, and the central Appalachians.

In 1934 a portion of forest which would eventually become the Monongahela National Forest, was recognized as representative of much of the timberland in West Virginia and adjacent states in topography, history of cuttings, climate, and variety of species. It was set aside for research use and designated the Fernow Experimental Forest in memory of Bernhard E. Fernow, a pioneer in American forestry research. The experimental forest, with recent land acquisitions from the Monongahela National Forest, now totals approximately 4,700 acres.

Today the Fernow Experimental Forest is a thriving field laboratory for the research project "Sustainable Forest Ecosystems in the Central Appalachians." This project of the USDA Forest Service is headquartered at the Timber and Watershed Laboratory at Parsons, WV.

Soils:

The Fernow Experimental Forest lies in the Allegheny Mountain section of the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. Its elevation ranges from 1,750 to 3,650 feet, and its slopes are generally steep.

A rock layer composed of fractured hard sandstone and softer shale underlies most of the forest. A majority of the Fernow soils are of the Calvin and Dekalb series which originate from these rocky materials. At one point, beyond Big Spring Gap, a belt of Greenbriar limestone outcrops in places to produce a mid-slope zone of limestone soil of the Belmont series.

Almost all Fernow soils - including the sandstone, shale, and limestone soils - are well-drained, medium textured loams and silt loams. Stoniness is characteristic of the Fernow. Average soil depth is about 3 feet.

Climate:

The Fernow Experimental Forest has a rainy and cool climate. Mean annual precipitation is about 58 inches, concentrated in the winter, spring, and summer months. Mean annual temperature is about 48 degrees Fahrenheit, and the length of the frost-free season is about 145 days.

Because of elevation, winters are more severe on the Fernow than in lower surrounding areas. Annual snowfall is heavy. Temperatures between 10 and 20 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit) are not uncommon.

Drainages:

The Fernow Experimental Forest encompasses practically the entire Elk Lick Run drainage - about 3.8 miles long and 2.3 miles across at the widest point. Elk Lick Run has seven major tributaries including Big Spring, which drains a headwater limestone formation. Headwater areas on two of these tributaries have been gaged to show how forest management influences streamflow.

Roads:

Most of the roads on the Fernow Experimental Forest are a part of the Monongahela National Forest road system. The main Fernow road is open for public use. Follow the signs from north of the Shavers Fork bridge in downtown Parsons to the Fernow Forest.

Forest Sites:

Tree growth, like the growth of field crops, reflects the influence of soil, topography, and climate. The combined influence of these factors determines "forest site."

Site quality is generally measured as the height of dominant and co-dominate forest trees at a given age - usually 50 years. This is known as "site index." The timber yield per acre is related to this index.

Based on site index, almost all areas on the Fernow can be rated as excellent, good, or fair. These designations correspond to oak-site indices of 80, 70, and 60 feet, respectively. The effects of different site quality are important in the overall research program.

Tree Species:

The Fernow Experimental Forest is primarily a hardwood forest. Upland oaks are the most common species group. Northern red oak (Quercus rubra L. ), which is found on all sites, is very abundant. Chestnut oak (Quercus prinus L.) and white oak (Quercus alba L. ) are the next most abundant oaks. These two species, although seldom found on the excellent sites, are more common than red oak on the fair sites. Scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea Muenchh.) and some black oak (Quercus velutina Lam.) can also be found on fair sites.

Beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh. ) are numerous on all but the poor sites. Yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) makes up a large part of excellent and good-site stands, along with black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh. ), white ash (Fraxinus americana L.), and basswood (Tilia americana L.). Scattered trees found in mixture on these sites include yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton ), cucumber tree (Magnolia acuminata), butternut, ( Juglans cinerea L.), black walnut ( Juglans nigra L.), and elm ( Ulmus americana L.).

Red maple (Acer rubrum L.), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L .), sweet birch (Betula lenta L. ), and, to a lesser extent, Fraser magnolia (Magnolia fraseri Walt. ) are consistent, but generally minor, components of the forest on all sites. Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica Marsh .), sassafras (Sassafras albidum (Nutt.) Nees.), and sourwood ( Oxydendrum arboreum (L.) DC. ) are poor-site trees of little commercial importance. Among the shrubby tree species are flowering dogwood (Cornus florida L.), pin cherry ( Prunus pensylvanica L. f.), striped maple ( Acer pensylvanicum L. ), and downy serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea (Michx. f.) Fern. ).

Wildlife:

The Fernow Experimental Forest contains a wide variety of wildlife. Among the species represented are: white-tailed deer, black bear, wild turkey, red and grey foxes, squirrels, many rodents as well as many species of neotropical birds and aquatic life.

Cooperation:

Research on the Fernow Experimental Forest by the Timber and Watershed Project scientists is done in cooperation with the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia University, Marshall University, Penn State University, Virginia Tech, and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.