Massabesic Experimental Forest

Ownership of the Massabesic is not typical of that of other experimental forests in that the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station purchased the land under the Weeks Act between 1937 and 1942. The 1,497-ha forest consists of two units (North and South) that are about the same size. There are a number of special ecological features, including one of the largest Atlantic white-cedar wetlands in New England, many vernal pools, and numerous plants and animals that are rare or uncommon.

As one of the largest blocks of public land in southern Maine, the Massabesic is popular for recreation. It is managed by one of the units at the Northern Research Station Laboratory in Durham, New Hampshire, and is the only experimental forest with appreciable amounts of white pine and red oak.

The history of Massabesic is one of change and challenge. Soon after establishment, it closed for World War II. It reopened in 1946, and studies on white pine management were planned and installed.

Following years of drought, 1,214 ha burned in October 1947, in a 61,000-ha fire that consumed entire villages in southwestern Maine. On the Massabesic, the fire was a stand-replacing disturbance in some places, while in other areas only part of the forest floor was consumed, or skipped entirely. Although many trees killed in the fire were harvested the next year, 80 percent of the timber was destroyed or salvaged. Over the next few years, windstorms blew down many more trees in fire-weakened stands.

Following the fire and windstorms, research emphasis shifted from stand management to artificial regeneration, both direct seeding and planting, and later to forest genetics.

Climate

The Massabesic climate is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, which is fewer than 20 mi (32 km) southeast of either unit. Average annual temperature is 46.6 °F (8.1 °C), with July normally warmest (70.2 °F, 33.9 °C) and January coldest (21.5 °F, -5.8 °C). Total annual precipitation averages 46.8 in (1,188 mm), with September typically the driest and November the wettest month. May 4 is the average date of the last killing frost and the growing season averages 157 days.

Soils

Soils are of glacial origin over granite bedrock. Upland soils are typically stony to very stony sandy loams, ranging to sandy on outwash plains. Exposed ledge is common. Major soil taxa are Dystrochrepts, Udorthents, and Udipsamments. The land is flat to gently rolling, lying at elevations from 200-450 ft (61 to 137 m) elevation.

Vegetation

The eastern white pine-northern red oak forest type dominates upland sites. Eastern hemlock and red maple are also well represented throughout the forest. Nearly pure stands of paper birch occupy some areas cleared by the 1947 fire and subsequent salvage. Other cleared areas were planted or direct seeded to white pine or a mixture of white and red pine. Non-native species, including western white and Scots pines, were also planted. Common woody shrubs include beaked hazelnut, several species of Viburnum, winterberry, witch-hazel, sheep-laurel, and Vaccinium species. Common herbaceous plants are star flower, Canada mayflower, bracken fern, wild sarsaparilla, wintergreen, wild oats, and mountain rice. 

The Massabesic has minimal facilities, some of which are occupied by other agencies under long-term use permits.

Lat. 43°27′8″ N, long. 70°40′44″ N

Research, Past and Present

When the Massabesic was established, permanent sample plots were installed but many plot location stakes were lost in the 1947 fire, which also destroyed 80% of the timber. Following the fire, white pine management research was reinitiated, but emphasis shifted to artificial regeneration research, including a number of trials to control competing vegetation and white pine weevils. In the 1960s a series of genetics studies on white pine weevil resistance was initiated, followed by a broader focus on tree improvement research. Although the original sample plots were never reestablished, 399 sample points were established by Dibble et al. (2004) for an inventory of all upland vascular plants, including trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. More recently, research included investigations of soil nitrogen processes, aquatic insects, amphibian and owl ecology, and comparison of methods for sampling coarse woody material.

Major Research Accomplishments and Effects on Management

Some of the first recommendations for aerial seeding of burns and for herbicide use in white pine management were based on research on the Massabesic. Early research showed that, fifty years after farming ceased, the effects of farming were still evident on soil pH, C:N, percent organic matter, and concentrations of total C and total N. The effects of fire on soil after the same period were much less clear. Given the similarity of the Massabesic to family forests nearby, these findings shed light on the conditions of local forests.

With its location in the most populous part of Maine, the Massabesic EF has hosted conservation education projects that reached hundreds of school children and adults each year.

The Massabesic EF has been an important site for forest health research conducted in collaboration with State, Private, and Tribal Forestry. This research includes silvicultural and plant physiological studies to examine the effects of pests and pathogens on white pine and eastern hemlock and to improve regeneration and the health of residual trees.

Research Opportunities

There are ample opportunities for research on all aspects of ecology and management of pine-oak and other mixed-species forests, especially with regard to meeting information needs of family forest owners.