Kaskaskia Experimental Forest: Historical inventory of an oak-hickory forest in southern Illinois

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) US Department of Agriculture; US Forest Service

Version:  View help for Version V1

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RDS-2025-0025.zip application/zip 7.5 MB 05/30/2026 01:04:PM
RDS-2025-0025_Metadata_Fileindex.zip application/zip 15.3 KB 05/30/2026 01:04:PM
catalog_detail.pdf application/pdf 107 KB 05/30/2026 10:08:PM
file_index.pdf application/pdf 66.3 KB 05/30/2026 01:04:PM
metadata.pdf application/pdf 156.6 KB 05/30/2026 01:04:PM

Project Citation: 

US Department of Agriculture, and US Forest Service. Kaskaskia Experimental Forest: Historical inventory of an oak-hickory forest in southern Illinois. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2026-05-31. https://doi.org/10.3886/E248768V1

Project Description

Project Title:  View help for Project Title Kaskaskia Experimental Forest: Historical inventory of an oak-hickory forest in southern Illinois
Summary:  View help for Summary Established in 1942, the Kaskaskia Experimental Forest (KEF) is a designated research area within the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois. The predominant forest types are oak-hickory and mixed hardwood, encompassing 38 research compartments with uneven and even age stands which encompasses 466 hectares. From 1948 to 1962, research focused on the effects of various silvicultural treatments; however, this was halted in the 1960s due to funding limitations. These data specifically examine the 19 oak-hickory compartments located on ridges and southerly slopes, dominated by species such as white, black, scarlet, southern red, post oak, and hickory species. The composition also includes occurrences of yellow poplar, ash, hard maple, and walnut. The study evaluated silvicultural management practices regarding their costs and returns while ensuring sustained yield. The ultimate goal was to identify methods that maximize the quality and quantity of forest products, enhancing forest wealth. This data publication includes the following data for each compartment, year of measurement, species, and diameter class: number of non-cull or live trees, number of inoperable trees, number of culls, number of trees marked for girdling, and number of dead trees. Also included in this package are the general plan for forest management studies by compartment in the KEF in 1960 as well as a map showing the compartment system and a schedule of the compartment cuttings completed.
Original Distribution URL:  View help for Original Distribution URL https://www.fs.usda.gov/rds/archive/catalog/RDS-2025-0025

Scope of Project

Subject Terms:  View help for Subject Terms biota; Inventory; Monitoring; Analysis; Resource inventory; Natural Resource Management & Use; Forest management; Timber; oak-hickory forest; silviculture; species composition; timber supply; hardwood; long-term study; group selection; clearcutting; culling; diameter class; Kaskaskia Experimental Forest; Illinois; Shawnee National Forest
Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage Illinois
Time Period(s):  View help for Time Period(s) 1948 – 1962
Collection Notes:  View help for Collection Notes DOI: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2025-0025 Authors: Fraser, Jacob S. ; Pile Knapp, Lauren S. ; Silanskis, Morgan E. Publication year: 2025 (Downloaded 2026-05-30)


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V1 [2026-05-31]

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