Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
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Table of Contents • Notable • College and campus enrollment at record highs • New faculty members enrich variety of programs • Chair holder is culinary tourism expert • Childcare center architects approved • Kent Rorie joins Vice President's staff • Arkansas wins national IFT College Bowl • Savoy forest used for research, extension projects • Turfgrass specialist receives national award • Weed science team wins Southern Region Contest • Faculty member's colleagues host benefit concert • 'Corps of Discovery' lecture scheduled • New soybean variety described at Pine Tree Field Day • NEREC observes 50th anniversary at field day • Vegetable Substation hosts Southern Pea Field Day • Field day features turfgrass programs • Food science sponsors MasterFoods USA summer interns • Habitat project selected for USGBC study • Johnson consults on blackberries in Nanjing
Vision Credits
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Savoy forest used for research, extension projects The Division of Agriculture's Savoy Research Unit is a multi-purpose research and extension location of 3,000 acres about 15 miles west of Fayetteville. It includes cattle, swine and poultry research and extension facilities and a forest of about 2,158 acres, which is being increasingly used for forestry, wildlife and environmental projects. A Forestry and Wildlife Field Day planned for Sept. 15 was cancelled due to an insufficient number of registered participants on the day of the Arkansas vs. Alabama football game. Field day visitors would have heard presentations in three areas. Field Management: Quail habitat management, by Rex Roberg, wildlife management program associate, Little Rock; establishing forest buffers, by Chris Stuhlinger, Arkansas Forest Resources Center (AFRC), Monticello; and managing forests for wildlife, by Matthew Irvin, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Hardwood Management: Regenerating hardwoods, by Rhonda Foster, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Fayetteville, prescribed burning by Kevin Hickie, AFRC; and incentive program updates, by Rhonda Foster, NRCS. Forest Management. Forest management plans, by Tamara Walkingstick, extension forestry specialist, Little Rock. The Savoy forest has been unmanaged in the past, except for some selective harvests conducted in the 1960s. The ridge top woodlands in the center of the property were harvested in 1996-98 by a 12-inch diameter-limit harvest. Two demonstration areas, one for quail habitat management and the other for riparian forest buffer establishment and management, have been installed. The quail habitat area shows the use of grasses, shrubs and trees to provide various types of habitat required by quail. The other area shows how a forest buffer can filter stormwater runoff to maintain water quality in streams. The Upland Hardwood Rehabilitation Study is exploring methods of restoring a significant oak component to the woodlands that were harvested. The use of prescribed fire and herbicide are being evaluated for their effectiveness in controlling undesirable species such as red maple and black cherry, and encouraging the regeneration of oaks. The U.S. Geologic Survey is cooperating with the Division of Agriculture on an animal waste management study to monitor the effects of runoff from the various animal research facilities on ground water quality. Several test wells have been established throughout the Savoy forest. Wildlife in the forest and pastures includes deer, turkey, quail, squirrels, coyotes, armadillos, opossums, raccoons, snakes, and other birds. Hunting is not allowed on the property.
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