Overview

The Stone Valley Experimental Forest is owned and operated by the Pennsylvania State University. Located in Huntingdon County, Stone Valley comprises around 7,000 acres, including 72 acre lake Perex. The lake and surrounding area is home to a variety of wildlife, including frogs, beavers, fish, turtles, and deer. Lake Perez is currently drained due to dam repairs so water recreation is not available until later in 2002. Penn State uses the forest for many educational activities such as surveying and timber cruising for its forestry labs. Xi Sigma Pi has maintained a red pine plantation spacing study area in Stone Valley since the 1930's studying the effects of different spacing densities on red pine growth. The forest hosts many hiking trails and recreational opportunities including boating on the lake. Rowboats, canoes and paddle boats are available for rent. Sailboats are also available to holders of a valid sailing certificate or license. The lake is home to panfish, stocked trout, rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris) and pickeral (Esox spp.). One room cabins are available for rent. They include a refrigerator, electric range, dresser, shower with toilet, and bunk beds.

Spotted Newt

A juvenile red spotted newt (Notopthalmus viridescens viridescens) crawls along one of the many marshy areas. This amphibian starts out as a greenish yellow. About three months after the larval stage, legs begin legs have developed and the gills are lost. This red eft stage brings out the bright reddish-orange color. Notice too the rows of black circles on either side of its back. This is the land-dwelling stage of its life. At the end of this stage, the adult enters the water for the remainder of its life. A tail fin emerges and its skin becomes soft, as the color changes to a dark yellowish-brown.

Learn more about salamanders of Pennsylvania

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Virgina Pines

Viginia pines (Pinus virginia)are a common site around Stone Valley. These trees grow on sandy, rocky, or otherwise poor soils. The seeds are eaten by many species of birds as well as squirrels.

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GPS

The trails are mapped using a backpack global positioning system, or GPS. A ring of satellites sends signals to Earth that are picked up by the GPS receiver. Using these signals from three or more satellites, your position is pinpointed sometimes down to a few inches, depending on the accuracy of the receiver.

Learn more about GPS

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Woodcock Trail

This site consists almost entirely of mature trees. A farm woodlot during the 1930s, it probably never provided woodcock habitat. While unsuitable for woodcock, the oak stand provides food and cover for squirrels, turkey, and other forest wildlife. In the next ten years, some of the timber will be cut for commercial sale. With the felled trees no longer using water, the water table in this lowland site will rise. This change will benefit woodcock and other shrub-wetland wildlife species.

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Stewardship Trail

This site is one of eight areas in Pennsylvania established for the purpose of Forest Stewardship Education and Forestry Research. It consists of six two-acre blocks, each demonstrating a different forest harvesting method. We encourage landowners and others interested in the stewardship of Pennsylvania's forests to walk the trail and learn about our dynamic forests.

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Clearcut

The stewardship trail in Stone Valley demonstrates the effects of different forest cutting techniques. In this treatment, all the trees have been cut at one time. In our hardwood forests, care must be exercised to make sure that naturally occurring regeneration is adequate before the cut is made. Otherwise, establishment of the new forest can be delayed significantly, and the site may become occupied by grasses and ferns or trees that do not meet the landowner's objectives. When applied appropriately, this treatment leads to a forest of similarly aged trees, the most abundant being those that grow best in high levels of sunlight. The financial returns with this treatment can be high, but the aesthetic value of the forest can be diminished until the new forest becomes stablished.

Learn more about clearcuts

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Seed Tree

This method cuts all trees except for a few "seed trees" and will eventually produce an even-aged stand. These trees are left to provide seed for regeneration. The Seed Tree method differs from clearcutting in that the source of seed remains in the cutting area. It differs from the shelterwood techinque because the remaining trees in a seed tree cut do not alter the microclimate of the ground (by providing shade, thus trapping moisture and ameliorating temperature fluctuations). The seed trees are often harvested after regeneration has established. Practically, there are often too few seed trees left to be of much use in generating new trees. There is also some site preparation needed to promote new tree growth when using this treatment. Trees to be left are selected based on their species, fecundity, and wind-firmness. They can often be determined by a high live crown ratio, robust trunk, and dominant canopy position. They are usually left evenly distributed in the stand, though sometimes they are left in a row or group to make it easier not to cut them during the harvest and make them easier to harvest after regeneration has reached an acceptable level.

Learn more about seedtree treatments

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Wetland Plants

Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica)are found in the shady, damp areas of the forest. If brushed against, tiny hollow hairs will break off into your skin and release an irritating acid. This acid may be neutralized by applying a base, such as baking soda or spit, or by rubbing Curled Dock (Rumex crispus), a plant that inhabits the same habitat as the nettle. Some butterflies lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves.

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