Videos
Waters of Coweeta
The 1950’s version of “The Waters of Coweeta”
Enjoy a twenty-minute trip into the past and visit the Coweeta of yesteryear. See the instrumentation and the people that were at the beginning of Coweeta’s research legacy and watch the “little waters of Coweeta write big stories”.
Glade Restoration on the Ozark-St. Francis and Ouachita National Forests
Glades are natural openings in the forest, characterized by thin soils and exposed bedrock, that house a diversity of rare plant and animal species. Without proper management, however, much of this biodiversity can be lost. The Southern Research Station works with the Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests, along with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and other valued partners, to study and conserve these important ecological communities. This 5-minute video tells the story of glade restoration in Arkansas and why management is essential to maintaining these biodiversity hotspots.
Shortleaf Pine Bluestem Restoration on the Ouachita National Forest
Video highlighting Shortleaf Pine Bluestem Restoration on the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas.
Restoring the Piney Woods - Burning with Cooperators
Working with partners to accomplish landscape-scale prescribed burns is essential to maintaining healthy and resilient forests in the southeastern US. On January 28, 2022, personnel from the Ouachita National Forest, Arkansas State’s Forestry Division, and the Southern Research Station, worked together to accomplish a 400-acre prescribed burn on the Crossett Experimental Forest in south Arkansas. The burn reduced hazardous fuels which will protect adjacent landowner property and helped restore the diversity of the Piney Woods ecosystem.
Alum Creek Pollinator Study
When most people think of bees, they think of the European honeybee. However, there are hundreds of bee species native to the southeastern US that provide essential pollination services for native plants and crops. The Southern Research Station is currently studying the diversity of bees and other pollinators on all 19 of the southeastern Experimental Forests to better understand how forest composition and management affects these important insects.
Direct Seeding of Southern Pine
As late as the 1960s there were still millions of acres of cutover forest land resulting from the harvest of the virgin forests during the early 20th century. It was projected that it would take 50 years to plant nursery grown seedlings to reforest this land. Hence, the effort to sow seeds directly—the technique became successful and greatly speeded reforestation efforts.
Restoration Research of the American Chestnut (Part 1: Intro)
The American chestnut was once a common and abundant tree species that occupied 200 million acres in the eastern hardwood forests of North America. The species had a cultural significance and was a keystone species, providing wildlife with food and habitat sources. Two non-native pathogens led to the chestnut's extirpation in the 20th century, but efforts are underway to conserve and restore this iconic tree.
Restoration Research of the American Chestnut (Part 2: Science in Action)
The USDA Forest Service, The University of Tennessee, and other partners showcase their research on the American chestnut (Castanea dentata), a species that was extirpated by a non-native pathogen (Cryphonectria parasitica) that causes chestnut blight disease. Over 4,000 hybrid chestnuts that were bred for blight-resistance were planted on three national forests since 2009, and research is still ongoing.
American chestnut research in the Southern Appalachians
Forest Service Research Forester, Stacy Clark, describes how planted American chestnuts bred for resistance to a non-native pathogen (Cryphonectria parasitica) that causes chestnut blight are performing in southern Appalachian forests.