Research
Facilities
Facilities at the Santee Experimental Forest headquarters include:
an office-laboratory containing 3 small laboratories, office space,
and a conference room; a four-bedroom guest-house with kitchen,
laundry, and common area; and a workshop with small greenhouse
attached. Also located at the headquarters are a recording meteorological
station (air temperature, humidity, wind, solar radiation, evaporation,
and rainfall), and the hydro-edaphytron facility. The SEF herbarium is located at the Sewee Visitor Center.
Field research sites include:
- Four gauged watersheds with records dating from 1964. These
are the only gauged, natural forested watersheds in the south
Atlantic Coastal Plain. The watersheds range in size from 250 to 16,000 acres.
- Hurricane-recovery field study plots. These are a set of permanent
research plots established in three vegetation types for study
of the recovery processes following hurricane damage. Similar
installations are located at two other locations in the South
Carolina coastal plain.
- A soil drainage catena; these sites represent a drainage system
of soils in the lower coastal plain.
- Riparian zones: there are several streams providing a variety
of riparian zone conditions.
- Long-term prescribed fire
The
Hydroedaphytron
The hydro-edaphytron facility provides a means for studying the
interactions among soil, water regimes and plants. The mesocosm
provide the capability for controlling the type of soil and water
regimes, which may be configured to reproduce water regimes found
in swamps and other wetland sites.
There are two sets of "soil tanks". The
first set consists of 12, 8 m square tanks that provide for
either lateral or vertical water flow. Drainage is either re-circulated
within the mesocosm cell or a central reservoir.
The second set consists of 24, 1.4 m circular tanks. These tanks
are designed for vertical infiltration, with one-way drainage.
[Return to top]
On-Site Analytical Facilities
Intrumentation:
- Shimadzu gas chromatograph configured for CH, NO, and CO
- Varian micro gas chromatograph configured for CH, NO
- Shimadzu spectrophotometer
- Perkin-Elmer atomic absorption unit, with auto sampler
- Licor 6200 photosynthesis machine
- 15 chamber automated soil CO2 respiration system
Facilities:
- 500ft laboratory
- Basic bench space
- Soil physical properties
- – moisture retention
– particle size
- Sample preparation area (including grinders, drying ovens)
- Sample archive
[Return to top]
For more information
about Santee research facilities, please contact:
Dr.
Carl Trettin
USDA
Forest Service
Southern
Research Station
Center
for Forested Wetlands Research
2730
Savannah Highway
Charleston,
SC 29414
phone:(843)
769-7002
fax:(843) 766-8734
e-mail:ctrettin@fs.fed.us |
 |
