 Natural
Areas
|
| Virginia Natural Areas
| North Carolina Natural
Areas | South Carolina
Natural Areas |
History
The importance of natural areas for scientific and
educational purposes was recognized in the United
States by ecologists as early as 1917. Interest in
the preservation of forested natural areas began in
the 1920's when foresters of the U.S. Forest Service
suggested natural area status for a number of areas
located on National Forest lands. The first of these
was formally designated as a "Natural Area" in 1927.
The Society of American Foresters (SAF) role in furthering
natural area programs began in 1947 when the council
of the Society authorized the creation of a Committee
on Natural Areas consisting of forestry professionals
in a diversity of employments.
The Society of American Foresters, through the Committee
on Natural Areas, continues to provide leadership
in establishing and maintaining natural areas. The
SAF hopes to provide representative samples of typical
undisturbed major forest types. Today the program
includes more than 420 sites in the United States
and Puerto Rico.
Definition
A natural area is a physical and biological unit
in as near a natural condition as possible which exemplifies
typical or unique vegetation and associated biotic,
edaphic, geologic and aquatic features. The unit is
maintained in a natural condition by allowing physical
and biological processes to operate, usually without
direct human intervention.
Purpose and Use
SAF natural areas are established primarily for
purposes of science and education to:
- provide outdoor laboratories for the study of
natural processes in relatively undisturbed ecosystems;
- provide benchmarks to access environmental change;
- serve as reservoirs of genetic diversity;
- serve as outdoor classrooms for the education
of those interested in natural forest landscapes.
Those using SAF natural areas include research foresters,
biologists, wildlife and fishery experts, soil scientists,
micro-climatologists, geologists and others interested
in the opportunities for scientific inquiry afforded
by natural areas. In addition, natural areas are used
by educators desiring to develop in students a greater
appreciation of natural processes peculiar to forests.
The scientific and educational use of natural areas
is essentially observational in nature. Collection
of soil samples, increment cores, plant and animal
specimens and related activities which are nondestructive
(or easily repaired) are permitted, while other activities
such as camping, tree cutting and grazing of domestic
animals are not allowed. In order to protect the natural
area and the work of the investigator, the owner or
custodian of the land on which the SAF natural area
is situated must be consulted. For protection assurance,
the owner will normally acknowledge in writing use
of the area and restrictions thereon.
Natural Areas of APSAF
|
