You are here: NRS Home / Research Units / Sustainability of the Appalachian Forest

Located in Parsons and Princeton, West Virginia and Delaware, Ohio we work on problems relating to the sustainability of Appalachian forest ecosystems and related economies in a changing world.  We develop tools and new knowledge to promote efficient, sustainable management of these forests in the following ways:

By providing guidelines for managing these forests to sustain the productivity and diversity of the soil, water, and forest resources

By providing critical information to support diverse forest-based industries and outcomes (e.g., hardwood lumber, tourism, wildlife habitat) that maintain or restore the integrity of forest ecosystem processes (e.g., biological productivity, maintenance of biological diversity).

Globalization and U.S. competitiveness will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of the hardwood industry, which in turn affects the management and health of these important forests. Research can provide information, analysis, tools, and other assistance to the wood-products industry, landowners, government policymakers, land managers, and citizens to help sustain healthy, productive, and viable forests and communities within the region.

In addition we manage the Fernow Experimental Forest for long-term silvicultural, hydrologic, and ecological research.

Research Focus

• Ecosystem Structure and Processes
• Ecosystem Responses to Disturbance
• Forest Products
• Markets & Globalization

Recent Publications