Udell Experimental Forest

Climate

Weather statistics for the Udell are supplied by NOAA climate summary (1995). Average temperatures for January range from -9 to -2 °C; for July they range from 15 to 27 °C. Average annual rainfall is 790 mm; snowfall is 2,340 mm. There are 6 days when the temperature exceeds 32 °C and 5 days when it dips below -18 °C.

Soils

The Udell consists of sand outwash plains surrounding a sand moraine that result from the late Pleistocene (Valders) advance of continental glaciation about 10,000 years ago. Terminal moraines of the Port Huron substage were breached and reworked by this ice front and its recessional melt waters to form a large sand plain surrounding small morainal remnants, one of which is the upland known locally as the Udell Hills. The Manistee and Little Manistee Rivers flow westward to Lake Michigan through the sand plain. The Udell lies between these two rivers. Small tributaries to the Little Manistee River form in high water-table areas southeast of the Udell Hills. The Pine and Claybank Creeks flow from the north side of the area and drain into the Manistee River. The pattern of water-table levels shows that ground water flowing from the study area supplies these streams. Upland soils are predominantly within the Grayling sand soil type, a Spodic Udipsamment. On some ridgetops in the morainal hills, a clayey sand susbsoil within the surface 120 cm characterizes inclusions of the Graycalm series (Alfic Udipsamment). Shallow water-table areas on the northwest and southeast boundaries contain the imperfectly drained Au Gres sands (Entic Haplaquod) and poorly drained areas contain Roscommon sand (Typic Aquipsamment) interspersed with woody Tawas histosols. Grayling sand covers more than 90 percent of the Udell.

Vegetation

Approximately 70 percent of the Udell is in oak and aspen forest cover types. Stand composition in these types range from mixed oaks with relatively few aspen to pure aspen stands. There are about 610 ha of jack pine and red pine plantations that have been established on the eastern and western outwash plains. In the southeast and northwest portions, lowland hardwood forests of elm, red maple, and occasional northern white-cedar are found.

There are no on-site research facilities.

Lat. 44°15′ N, long. 85°24′ W

Research, Past and Present

Research at the Udell has focused on the effects of forest type and partial cutting on ground-water yields and pulp and papermill sludge fertilization of red pine plantations.

Major Research Accomplishments and Effects on Management

Numerous reports have been published on changes in streamflow resulting from reforestation and cutting.

Research Opportunities

Today there are opportunities here to study forest ecology, social science, and silent sport impacts and users.