T.W. Daniel Experimental Forest

General Information

The TWDEF is in the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah about 15 km south of the Utah-Idaho border and about 65 km east of Logan. It is comprised of four sections (sec. 15, 16, 21 and 22, Township 13 North, Range 4 East, Salt Lake Meridian). Utah State University owns one of the sections; the remainder are part of the Logan Ranger District of the Cache National Forest. Access to within 8 km of the experimental forest is via Highway 89. Access to the boundary and within the forest is on unpaved but excellent forest road which bisects the forest north to south; the remainder of the forest is accessed via primitive roads and trails. Winter access is limited to skis or snow machine.

Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) are the dominant late successional species throughout the forest. The major early successional species include lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) and aspen (Populus tremuloides), with Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and limber pine (Pinus flexilis) on south-facing ridges and at lower elevations. The aspen and conifer stands are interspersed with meadows and shrub-forb-grass uplands.

Selected Research

Forest, snow, soil and climate processes
Conifer stand development and production ecology
Disturbance ecology
Silviculture

Selected Education

The forest is intensively used for teaching and demonstration.