Kane Experimental Forest

The 3,441 acres that comprise the Kane Experimental Forest (KEF) were originally part of the Allegheny National Forest. On March 23, 1932, land was formally dedicated for research on the unglaciated portion of the beech-birch-maple-hemlock or northern hardwood forest type, and the area was expanded in 2007. The Allegheny hardwood or cherry-maple forest is a subtype of the northern hardwood forest that spans the northern portion of the eastern United States from New England to the Lake States. Today, the Experimental Forest serves as a field laboratory for scientists located at The Forestry Sciences Laboratory in Irvine, PA.

The Kane Experimental Forest ranges in elevation from approximately 1,800 to 2,100 feet above sea level, primarily on flat to gently sloping land.

Climate

The climate is humid-temperate. Annual rainfall is about 45 inches, of which an average of 4 inches per month falls during the growing season. The average annual temperature is 43 degrees Fahrenheit.

Soils

The soils are derived from shales and sandstones. In general, they are extremely stony loams and sandy loams and are strongly acidic. The major soils are the well-drained Hazelton series, the moderately well-drained to somewhat poorly-drained Cookport series, and the somewhat poorly drained Cavode series.

Vegetation

The forests are primarily second-growth, arising from logging in the early 20th Century. Some stands were only partially cut, giving them a mature forest character. In recent decades, sugar maple decline, beech bark disease, and a 2003 windstorm added complexity to the forest. 

The headquarters of the Kane Experimental Forest provide offices for Experimental Forest personnel, a conference building for meetings and training sessions, and temporary quarters for visiting scientists and students working on the forest. The office facilities are open year-round, while living accommodations are generally available May through October. The residential facilities provide rustic accommodations for college classes for a field trip, or longer-term quarters for up to 6 residents in the Bunkhouse and 2 residents in the staff dwelling.

Lat. 41°35′52″ N, long. 78°45′58″ W

Contact Information

Kane Experimental Forest
Forestry Sciences Laboratory
P.O. Box 267
Irvine, PA 16365

Tel: (814) 837-7349
Or
Tel: (814) 563-1040

Research, Past and Present

Research at the Kane Experimental Forest is aimed at understanding ecology and stand-development processes in stratified mixed hardwood forests and the interactions of these processes with forest management. The focus is on regeneration processes, wood production, carbon sequestration and wildlife habitat. Regeneration research has included studies of the effects of white-tailed deer and the mechanisms of interference from invasive, native understory herbaceous and woody species. Several of the older studies on the Kane are planned to be part of an Allegheny National Forest timber sale that will create early successional stands for new research in their place. Three or four immature stands are planned to be thinned to various densities to repeat the study of thinning on long-term yield in third growth forests. 

Major Research Accomplishments and Effects on Management

Regeneration studies conducted on the Kane were translated into guidelines for assessing understory regeneration stocking that changed the way harvesting decisions were made throughout Pennsylvania and beyond. Data collected from thinning studies form the basis for the SILVAH stand growth simulator, and management guidelines developed from KEF research form the basis for the decision-support processes in the SILVAH computer program. Through the silvicultural training sessions conducted annually on the Kane, results from research there are widely adopted and were cited in recent certification reports for public agencies through the Forest Stewardship Council as one component of a sustainable forest management program.

Research Opportunities

In addition to the opportunities that arise simply because long-term data sets are associated with many plots on the Kane, there are numerous subjects for which data from existing study plots could provide important insights on herbaceous plant communities, soil mega- and microfauna, lichens, fungi, genetics of tree and other plants, and various wildlife communities. Because a great deal is known about the disturbance history of much of the Kane, such studies could be rich and rewarding in a short time. There is also the opportunity to resume hydrologic studies by renovating or rebuilding an existing weir. Planned management activity will create additional opportunities to study early successional forests.