01/08/1997

Wetland Research Area Designated at E.V. Smith Research Center

TALLASSEE, Ala. - As wetland areas around the state vanish, one valuable bottomland area in Macon County is now being preserved as a site for research and education, according to officials with the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES). The wetlands area is located at the E.V. Smith Research Center (EVSRC) and includes 120 acres of bottomland forest and creek channel along Calebee Creek where scientists and students can study wetland habitat first-hand.

The AAES set aside this land last summer after George Folkerts, professor of zoology and wildlife science at Auburn University, asked to use the area for teaching and research purposes. Folkerts, who teaches a wetlands biology class, had been taking his classes to wetland and bottomland areas on private land around Lee and surrounding counties, but the availability of those resources was dwindling. "More and more around here we are not able to find any good bottomland sites to study," he said. "Most of the land has been logged or cleared or drainages are so unprotected that flooding is unnaturally high and erodes the habitat."

"The nicest place we used to go," added Folkerts, "was a wonderful bottomland on Chewacla Creek. The site was clear-cut three years ago and that left us with almost no place to take students or do research."
As he searched for wetland education areas, Folkerts thought of land at EVSRC. "Over the years as I would drive back from Montgomery on Interstate 85, I would look to the right and see what looked like some mighty nice bottomland on the E.V. Smith land," he recalled.

"I called Jim Bannon (EVSRC director) and asked him if I could bring my wetland biology class down there," said Folkerts. Before taking students to the area, Folkerts and Bannon surveyed the land and discovered that the small acreage harbors a wealth of resources and opportunity.

"I was surprised by the relative lack of disturbance and by the fact that a lot of timber down there is getting pretty old, which makes it a highly prized area," Folkerts said.

AAES officials designated the area a protected wetlands research site this past summer, which ensures that it will be preserved in its natural state for years to come. Folkerts noted the area is home to several rare or threatened species of plants and animals, including the Alabama map turtle, needle palm and red-legged tube tarantula.

According to David Teem, associate director of the AAES, this wetland area illustrates just how valuable research land is to Auburn University and Alabama's citizens. The AAES maintains 14 research facilities across the state where scientists conduct studies on a wide range of subjects. EVSRC is the main research station for the AAES and includes study areas for livestock, row crops, horticultural crops and agricultural engineering.

"One of the reasons we have research stations across the state is to provide faculty and students reliable, consistent access to land resources," said Teem. "By having our own land, we are able to control access and management of these areas. This is extremely important to students, researchers and also the public we serve."

He noted that the wetland area at EVSRC will be available to AU faculty and students and also is available for use by primary school teachers and others in the state who wish to use it as an educational resource. Anyone interested in having access to the land should contact Bannon at (334) 844-5598. Detailed information about the area also is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.auburn.edu/~folkegw/wetarea/.

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News from:

Office of Ag Communications & Marketing

Auburn University College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall, Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
334-844-4877 (PHONE) 334-844-5892 (FAX)

Contact Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu
Contact Katie Jackson, 334-844-5886 or smithcl@auburn.edu

01/08/97