Cutfoot Experimental Forest

The Cutfoot Experimental Forest, established in 1932, contains about 1255 ha. The Sunken Lake Research Natural Area, consisting of about 260 ha, is contained within it.

The portion of Minnesota Highway 46 that passes through the Cutfoot is called the Avenue of Pines. The Avenue is well known for its scenic beauty and the outstanding pine forest. Most people who drive through the Avenue do not realize that it is one of the most intensively researched red pine forests in northern Minnesota.

Climate

The climate at the Cutfoot is continental. Average summer temperature is around 25 °C, with maximums of >40 °C. Minimum winter temperatures can be -30 to 35 °C. Both are increasing with climate change. Growing season length is over 120 days and increasing. Average annual precipitation is 50 to 64 cm; snow depths average 1 to 2 m. Prolonged summer droughts occur and are expected to increase.

Soils

Well-drained medium to fine sand developed in glacial outwash parent materials. The soils are typical of the natural red pine and mixed pine stands of northern Minnesota.

Vegetation

The major forest type, roughly 75 percent of the Cutfoot, is red pine with varying amounts of jack and eastern white pine. Paper birch and quaking aspen are common components of the pine-dominated stands and in some places are the most dominant species. Site index for red pine is about 55 (based on age 50 years).

The majority of the red pine stands in the forest are of natural origin. Most red pine originated after a major fire in 1870. Based on fire scars there have been seven major fires in the forest: during 1865, 1870, 1876, 1888, 1892, and 1918. There are scattered red pines that are more than 200 years old. These trees are remnants left to meet a reserve tree requirement during initial logging.

Plantations occupy a small percentage of the Cutfoot. The most notable areas of planted red pine are the Greely Lake and Gravel Pit stands. A major feature of the red pine in the forest is the understory composed mostly of beaked hazel. A major objective of the prescribed burning research conducted in the 1960s was to reduce the density of this species and improve understory conditions for red pine regeneration.

There is no on-site housing, but resorts in the area provide opportunities for short-term rentals. Nearest communities are Squaw Lake to the north and Deer River to the south. Grand Rapids, Minnesota, is about a 45-minute drive to the southeast. There are numerous woods roads in the forest, making most of the area readily accessible.

Lat. 47°40′ N, long. 94°5′ W

Research, Past and Present

Research on the Cutfoot began in 1927, before the area was officially designated as an experimental forest. Research has focused on silviculture of red pine ecosystems, with emphasis on thinning, regeneration, extended rotations, carbon storage, and climate change adaptation. Most recently, the experimental forest is the site of the Red Pine Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) experiment, the first installation in the North American ASCC network.

Major Research Accomplishments and Effects on Management

• Groundbreaking research on the role of density management (through thinning) on mitigating growth reductions of red pine during drought.
• Documenting the high survival and growth of assisted migration seed source of tree species.

Research Opportunities

Opportunities exist to add research to the Red Pine Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change experiment.