University of Kentucky
Tier2-2: Wildlife Habitat

The Robinson Forest, managed for research, teaching and Extension education by the University of Kentucky Department of Forestry, is one of the largest research and educational forests in the eastern United States. Robinson Forest is a collection of seven tracts totaling 14,800 acres, and is located on the Cumberland Plateau in southeastern Kentucky. The forest was conveyed in trust to the University of Kentucky in 1923 by the E.O.Robinson Mountain Fund for the purposes of agricultural experiment work, teaching, and the demonstration of reforestation. The virgin timber was logged from Robinson Forest prior to 1923. However, continued protection from mining, commercial logging, and fire has resulted in a healthy second growth forest. The plant communities in Robinson Forest are excellent examples of the mixed mesophytic type, which is characterized by high diversity of species and complex structure. The variable, dissected topography of Robinson Forest contributes to a wide variety of microclimatic conditions of sites and provides a unique outdoor laboratory in which to conduct long-term forest research. Since the formation of the formal Department of Forestry at the University of Kentucky in 1970, there has been continuous research in several forestry related disciplines: Wood utilization: projects in wood properties and processing characteristics of underutilized hardwoods, the feasibility of solar drying hardwood lumber, and the use of hardwoods for pencil manufacture. Forest ecology: the availability and use of nutrients in the forest relative to harvesting practices and soil characteristics. Silviculture: the effects of previous agricultural land use and thinning patterns on the regeneration and development of second-growth forests. Hydrology: the effects on stream water quantity and quality of various clear-cut harvesting techniques. Additional research: tree physiology, wildlife ecology and management, and Christmas tree production.