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

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.
These data were collected on the experimental compartments in order to evaluate different types of silvicultural management methods. Data were to be applied to stand management to demonstrate good forest management practices, as well as costs and returns.
For more information about this study and these data, we strongly encourage users to read the supplemental files included in this data publication.