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Volunteering USDA Forest Service
Daniel Boone
National Forest
1700 Bypass Road
Winchester, KY 40391
Phone: 859-745-3100
FAX: 859-744-1568
Study Site
Research is conducted in collaboration with U.S.D.A. Forest Service managers on the Morehead and Stanton Ranger Districts of the Daniel Boone National Forest (DBNF). The DBNF is located in the Cliff Section of the Cumberland Plateau in eastern Kentucky. The mean annual temperature is 12º C, with mean daily temperatures ranging from 0º C in January to 31º C in July. The forest stands are approximately 70-80 years old. Fire has not occurred on these sites for at least 25-30 years.
Morehead:
Three study sites are located in Bath and Menifee counties. Study areas are 1000-1200 acres (400-500 ha) with treatment areas within each study area subdivided along ridge systems (300-400 acres; 120-160 ha). The sites range from xeric to sub-xeric oak-hickory forest at the ridge-tops to sub-mesic forest in the coves.
The dominant oak species are scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea Muench.), northern red oak (Q. rubra L.) chestnut oak (Q. prinus L.), white oak (Q. alba L.) and black oak (Q. velutina Lam.). The dominant hickories are pignut hickory (Carya glabra Sweet.) and mockernut hickory (C. tomentosa L. Nutt) with occasional shagbark (C. laciniosa Loud.), shellbark (C. ovata Koch.), and bitternut hickories (C. cordoformis Koch.). Other dominant overstory trees include yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) and white ash (Fraxinus americana L.). The midstory is dominated by red maple (Acer rubrum L.), sourwood (Oxydendrum arboretum [L.] DC), black gum (Nyssa sylvatica Marsh.), sassafras (Sassafras officinale Nees and Ebermaier) and sugar maple (Acer sacchrum Marsh.).
Mean annual precipitation is 109 cm spread throughout the year. Elevation ranges from 260 to 360 m (850 – 1150 ft) with a variety of slope aspects. Soils vary in depth and moisture due to the steep unglaciated topography and are classified as Typic Hapludults, Typic Hapludalfs, Ultic Hapludalfs, and Typic Dystrochrepts.
Stanton:
These sites are located on a series of non-contiguous ridge-tops in Powell, Menifee and Wolfe counties. (see pdf map). Treatment areas are 70-140 acres (20-40 ha). These sites are xeric to sub-xeric oak-pine forests dominated by scarlet oak and chestnut oak, with some white oak and black oak. Hard pines, shortleaf (Pinus echinata Mill.) and pitch (P. rigida Mill.), are also found in the dominant canopy position. The midstory is predominantly composed of red maple and eastern white pine (P. strobes L.), with sourwood and blackgum also abundant.
Mean annual precipitation is 130 cm spread evenly throughout the year. The geologic substrate is composed of shales and siltstones of the Upper and Lower members of the Lee formation. The soils range from Latham-Shelocta silt loam of the clayey subgroups Typic and Aquic Hapludults at Klaber Ridge (Avers et al., 1974) to Alticrest-Ramsey-Rock outcrop complex of the sandy-loam subgroups Typic and Lithic Dystrochrepts (SCS, 1975; Hayes, 1993) at Pinch-Em-Tight, and Gilpin silt loam of the clay loam subgroup Typic Hapludult (Hayes, 1993) at Whittleton Ridge. All of these soils are moderately deep and well-drained.
Last Updated:
April 23, 2008
