A new USDA Forest Service research laboratory (commenced January 2001), developed as a subunit of the Ecology and Management of Southern Appalachian Hardwood Forests research work unit, is addressing some of the questions concerning sustainable management of the upland hardwood forests of the Cumberland Plateau and associated highlands.  Knowledge about the silvics and site requirements of tree species and their complex relationships within forest communities is continually refined through research and the experience of forest managers.  Initial scientific activities in this new program have focused on understanding vegetation distribution and productivity in relation to environmental gradients and understanding structural and compositional dynamics in response to disturbance, including fire.  Additional research activities are focusing on the dynamics of old growth forests, dendroecology, and artificial regeneration practices for species such as oaks and American chestnut.

Cumberland Plataeu Studies