Harrison Experimental Forest

Before construction of railroads and establishment of settlements in the southern United States in the latter half of the 19th century, the longleaf pine ecosystem (Pinus palustris) dominated the landscape and extended from Virginia south and west into East Texas through nine US states, covering an area of more than {{cvt|140000|mi2|km2}}.{{Cite web |date=2010-04-17 |title=Longleaf Pine Ecosystem |url=http://www.auburn.edu/academic/forestry_wildlife/longleafalliance/ecosystem/ecosystem.htm |access-date=2022-07-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417153949/http://www.auburn.edu/academic/forestry_wildlife/longleafalliance/ecosystem/ecosystem.htm |archive-date=2010-04-17 }} Numerous sawmill communities sprang up along newly constructed railroads to meet the increasing demand for processed lumber. By the 1930s, this vast resource of virgin pines had been depleted in south Mississippi.{{Cite web |last=Hoyle |first=Zoё |date=October 8, 2015 |title=The Harrison Experimental Forest{{!}}Pine genetics comes of age |url=https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/compass/2015/10/08/the-harrison-experimental-forest/ |access-date=2022-07-31 |website=srs.fs.usda.gov/compass |language=en-US}} Although the land was excellent for pine growth, the poor soils of south Mississippi proved to be worthless for growing agricultural row crops, thus creating a barren landscape.{{Cite web |date=1925–1998 |title=United States Forest Service, Harrison Experimental Forest Station Collection |url=https://lib.usm.edu/spcol/collections/manuscripts/finding_aids/m318/ |access-date=2022-07-29 |website=lib.usm.edu}}

In an effort to conserve these cutover lands, the US government bought up thousands of acres in south Mississippi under the Weeks Act during the 1930s.{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Gerald W. |date=March 29, 2003 |title=PRIVATE PROPERTY TO PUBLIC PROPERTY: THE BEGINNINGS OF THE NATIONAL FORESTS IN THE SOUTH |url=http://npshistory.com/publications/usfs/aseh-so-nf-2003.pdf |access-date=2022-08-02 |website=npshistory.com}} These lands were consolidated into what would become the De Soto National Forest. In 1933, a tract of {{cvt|3850|acre|ha}} was set aside as the Harrison Experimental Forest for conducting long-term silvicultural research.

{{Stack|File:Office at the Harrison Experimental Forest; June 1935.jpg}}

By 1934, numerous buildings – a residence, office/lab, greenhouse, equipment depot, and garage – were under construction or had been completed on the experimental forest by the Civil Works Administration. Concurrently, the Civilian Conservation Corps landscaped the grounds at the headquarters area and constructed fences plus more than {{cvt|11|mi|km}} of roads on the experimental forest.

The earliest research studies conducted on the experimental forest were related to forest fire behavior and wood preservation.{{Cite web |last=The Ohio State University, Knowlton School of Architecture |date=January 2, 2008 |title=Harrison County Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan for State Highway 67 |url=https://cms9files.revize.com/harrison/zoning/Zoning%20-%20Final%20Community%20Plans/Scenic%20Byway%20Cooridor%20Management%20Plan%20for%20Hwy%2067.pdf |website=Mississippi Scenic Byways Program}}{{rp|28–29}} By 1939, researchers at the experimental forest were the first to have initiated the use of water spray as a preservative for log storage at sawmills.{{rp|28–29}} Researchers were also credited with developing preservative treatment of wooden fence posts to increase their longevity.{{rp|28–29}}

Other major areas of research on the experimental forest included studies of pathological diseases. In the late 1940s, research was initiated into brown-spot needle blight (Mycosphaerella dearnessii) in longleaf pine, fusiform rust (Cronartium fusiforme) in loblolly (Pinus taeda) and slash (Pinus elliottii) pines, littleleaf disease (Phytophthora cinnamomi) in shortleaf (Pinus echinata) pines and black root rot (Macrophomina phaseolina) of pine seedlings in nurseries.{{Cite journal |last=Verrall |first=Arthur F. |date=October 1977 |title=Obituary{{!}}Paul Victor Siggers, 1889-1977 |url=https://www.apsnet.org/publications/phytopathology/backissues/Documents/1977Articles/Phyto67n10_1173.pdf |journal=Phytopathology |volume=67 |issue=10 |pages=1173 |via=apsnet.org}}

In the 1950s, the main focus of research at the experimental forest evolved to address problems associated with matching tree seed sources to sites in need of regeneration.

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In 1954, the Southern Forest Experiment Station announced that the Harrison Experimental Forest would become home to the Southern Institute of Forest Genetics.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jB-MCgAAQBAJ&dq=History+%22Southern+Institute+of+Forest+Genetics%22&pg=PA355 |title=Forestry in the U.S. South: A History |first1=Mason C. |last1=Carter |first2=Robert C. |last2=Kellison |first3=R. Scott |last3=Wallinger |date=Nov 9, 2015 |publisher=LSU Press |isbn=9780807160558 |accessdate=Aug 1, 2022 |via=Google Books}}{{rp|128–129}} Formal dedication of the Institute was held at the experimental forest on March 3, 1955. By 1960, a new laboratory facility opened in Gulfport, MS to house project scientists, but actual field research continued at the experimental forest.

During the 1970s, the Gulfport facility housed 19 scientists who investigated genetics and disease resistance.{{Cite web |url=https://msstate-archives.libraryhost.com/repositories/4/resources/330 |title=Collection: Berch Henry collection | Welcome to the Mississippi State University Libraries |website=msstate-archives.libraryhost.com |accessdate=Aug 1, 2022}} In 1992, the Gulfport facility closed because of changing budget priorities; by then, scientists had relocated to the Harrison Experimental Forest.{{Cite journal |last1=Isebrands |first1=J.G. |last2=Zalesny Jr. |first2=R.S. |date=2021 |title=Reflections on the contributions of Populus research at Rhinelander, Wisconsin, USA |url=https://www.fs.fed.us/nrs/pubs/jrnl/2021/nrs_2021_isebrands_001.pdf |journal=Can. J. For. Res. |volume=51 |issue=2 |pages=139–153 |doi=10.1139/cjfr-2020-0248 |s2cid=225261305 |via=}}

In 2022, the mission of the Research Work Unit at the Harrison Experimental Forest was: {{blockquote|text=To advance the scientific understanding of the roles of genetics, environment, and their interactions to provide guidelines and tools for improving the sustainable productivity of southern forest ecosystems.{{Cite web |url=https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/sifg/about/ |title=About Us | Forest Genetics and Ecosystems Biology | SRS |website=www.srs.fs.usda.gov |accessdate=Aug 1, 2022}}}}

The Harrison Research Natural Area was established in 1989 and encompasses {{cvt|180|acre|ha}} within the Harrison Experimental Forest.{{Cite web |title=ArcGIS Web Application |url=https://usfs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=01e16a6736ca433ebd7d50a90bee89c1&find=Harrison |access-date=2022-08-02 |website=usfs.maps.arcgis.com}} When assessed in 1991, 90% of the overstory component was an undisturbed stand of longleaf pines that seeded naturally during clearcutting in the 1920s.

File:Harrison Experimental Forest Headquarters 2022.jpg|{{center|Headquarters facilities}}

File:Harrison Experimental Forest Administrative Bldg 2022.jpg|{{center|Administrative building}}

File:Harrison Experimental Forest Greenhouse 2022.jpg|{{center|Greenhouse facilities}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Commons category-inline|Harrison Experimental Forest}}
• [https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/sifg/publications/ Forest Genetics and Ecosystems Biology Publications (1962–2022)]

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Category:United States Forest Service protected areas

Category:Research forests

Category:Protected areas of Harrison County, Mississippi

Category:De Soto National Forest

Category:Buildings and structures in Harrison County, Mississippi

Category:1934 establishments in Mississippi