Campuses:
Cloquet Forestry Center
175 University Road
Cloquet, MN 55720
Phone: 218-726-6400
Fax: 218-726-6488
cfc@umn.edu
map to Forestry Center
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More Research Info Minnesota Tree Improvement Cooperative CFC Forest Info: includes tree species, coordinates, elevation, soil, and other details |
The Cloquet Forestry Center is an first-rate site for forestry research projects. We welcome faculty, students, and a diverse array of scientists who wish to conduct research here.
Our highly skilled on-site staff can help researchers establish projects and procure data. We continuously collect ecosystem data on forest growth, vegetation, and weather, as well as stream and watershed information. This information is available in a GIS-compatible database to supplement research projects.
We host research on many different aspects of forestry. Researchers determine their own projects and parameters. Topics have included: reforestation and ecology, tree harvesting and productivity, tree genetics, tree pathology, silviculture, entomology, wildlife studies, Riparian zone management, and more.
The center is also home to the Minnesota Tree Improvement Cooperative, which conducts research in applied forest genetics
I. Boreal Forest Warming at an Ecotone in Danger
Principal Investigator: Peter Reich (Regents Professor)
Co-investigators: Rebecca Montgomery, Roy Rich, Sarah Hobbie, Jacek Oleksyn.
How will Minnesota tree species respond to a warming climate?
This is a new experiment that uses the latest technological achievements to to assess the potential for climate change to alter future forest composition. This new multi-year experiment began in 2008 and will experimentally manipulate temperature on forest research plots using infrared heaters and heating cables to warm the soil. This study is unique from other warming experiments in that both the plants and soil are being warmed in the field without the use of chambers. Thus, plants will be grown in a realistic natural environment and any effect of increased temperatures on establishment, growth, and survival of seedlings from ten important tree species will be documented.
II. Functional Diversity
Principal investigators: Christian Messier, Peter Reich, Alain Paquette, Jacek Oleksyn
What is the role of functional diversity on ecosystem productivity? What are the mechanisms involved in plant complementarity?
This project started in 2010, and is being replicated at 4 different locations across two continents. Two research sites are located in Canada [Remouski, Montreal], one in Cloquet, Minnesota and one in Poland (Kornik). At each of the sites, 12 tree species native to the northern hemisphere were planted in various combination to look at the effects of functional diversity on ecosystem productivity and the mechanisms behind it. This project is unique in linking researchers from different terrestrial ecosystems (forests and grasslands) to test one of the most important theoretical and practical questions in ecology: what is the role of biodiversity in maintaining productivity and resilience of natural ecosystems? The project is also unique in that it will integrate above and below ground processes to develop a more holistic understanding of the role of biodiversity in ecosystem dynamics.
Dr. Alan Ek
aek@umn.edu
Objectives: To conduct remeasurement of established permanent forest growth and inventory plots at the Cloquet Forestry Center. These plots are intended for long term monitoring of forest stand growth and the development of growth and yield prediction models. They are also intended as an inventory of the entire property. Plot records will also aid a variety of research studies.
Lorelle Berkeley - University of Minnesota
berk0035@umn.edu
Objectives: Habitat preference will be studied by observing grouse behavior and mate selection using video footage of grouse at their drumming logs. The number of mates each male obtains will be quantified as an indirect measure of reproductive success of males in different habitats. Video footage of grouse will also capture other aspects of their behavior that have thus far not been described due to the elusive nature of these birds.
This study is also part of a long term research program on Ruffed Grouse population dynamics at the Cloquet Forestry Center. Density and numerical trends will be estimated over four years and will be used to analyze overall patterns of habitat selection during varying densities.
Michael Rentz - University of Minnesota
rent0009@umn.edu
Objective: Evaluate the species diversity and populations of small mammals and forest vegetation in a before/after analysis on standard logging and timber harvest sites. Research sites include three treatments; clearcut and slash removed from site, clearcut and slash retained on site, and no-cut as a control. Each site is surveyed for two years pre-harvest to determine baselines and two years post-harvest to analyze impacts.
Carrie Pike - MN Tree Improvement Cooperative
cpike@umn.edu
Objectives: One of seven white pine blister rust trial sites planted across Northeastern Minnesota is located at the Cloquet Forestry Center. Measurements of the incidence of blister rust were last taken in 1998. This trial contains a variety of seed sources of eastern white pine.
Carrie Pike - MN Tree Improvement Cooperative
cpike@umn.edu
Objectives: In Spring 2007, a red pine comparison trial was established at the Cloquet Forestry Center. It is one of five sites planted across the lake states by member organizations of the MN Tree Improvement Cooperative. This trial will test the growth potential of three seed-sources of red pine to one control (woods run) source.