Learning from nature

Research natural areas protect largest, unfragmented expanses of land

Joseph Phillips

Northern Research Station

October 15, 2024

Image shows a dense, dark forest with moss along the ground. — The uplands on the west side of the newly established research natural area are connected to the lowlands on the east side by an extensive transition zone dominated by black spruce. This densely vegetated transition zone provides optimal conditions in which researchers can study tree diversity across varied topography. (*Photo courtesy of Ethan Perry, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources*)

Most forests in the U.S. are affected – directly or indirectly – by human activity. But what do forests look like without human activity? How do they thrive or recover naturally, when left untouched?

A vast, largely untouched landscape on the Superior National Forest is a petri dish of sorts. The difficult-to-reach area holds Minnesota’s largest peatland and the most unfragmented, mature upland forest outside the nearly 1-million-acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The lack of roads, absence of recent large-scale logging, and large size of what is now the 5,518-acre protected Big Lake-Seven Beaver Research Natural Area, just designated this summer, is ideal for studying natural ecological processes on an untouched forest. In fact, the plant communities found in the area still resemble the pre-settlement vegetation described in the 1882 Public Land Survey.

For agency scientists, research natural areas are areas of the Earth that offer an invaluable treasure trove for research as a baseline or reference to compare similar areas that are managed for ecosystem health. Research natural areas are established to protect and maintain biological diversity at the genetic, species, ecosystem, and landscape level.

“There are over 70 research natural areas within the geographic footprint of the Forest Service’s Northern Research Station,” said Christel Kern, scientist and co-leader of the station’s research natural area program. “Nationally, there are more than 430 totaling more than 250,000 acres of protected land.”

Image shows a beach strand with water in the foreground and marshgrasses in the background — The newly designated research natural area preserves a type of rare inland strand beach—characterized as a shoreline along an inland body of water that mimics the characteristics of an oceanside beach. These inland waterfronts are categorized as critically imperiled within the state of Minnesota due to human development, making their preservation of utmost urgency. The Big Lake-Seven Beaver Research Natural Area’s establishment ensures that this valuable ecosystem will remain intact for future study. (*Photo courtesy of Ethan Perry, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources*)

There is no cookie cutter template for this special designation—some research natural areas are selected for their unique features not often found elsewhere, while others represent common ecosystems.

For example, the Dukes Research Natural Area in Lower Michigan provides a pristine old-growth forest, nearly identical in composition and structure to a nearby stand that has been harvested. This comparison allows researchers to assess the impacts of logging on forest ecosystems.

Similarly, the Headwater Lakes Research Natural Area in Wisconsin has been instrumental in understanding the role of natural disturbances in forest regeneration. Studies there have shown that a disturbance-based management approach, following moderate-severity windstorms, can promote tree diversity.

“Big Lake-Seven Beaver Research Natural Area is just one piece of a larger natural system,” says Jack Greenlee, plant ecologist on the Superior National Forest. “The site is part of the largest, most complex peatland on the Superior National Forest and plays an important role in water filtration and carbon storage.”

Image shows a grassy peatland with a small inlet of water. — On the Superior National Forest, the roughly six-mile North River flows into Seven Beaver Lake, which borders the 5,518-acre Big Lake-Seven Beaver Research Natural Area. The floodplains are dominated by extensive rich fens, or peat-forming wetlands that rely on groundwater and require thousands of years to develop and cannot easily be stored once destroyed. The recently designated research natural area will remain in its natural condition and where researchers can study the evolution of the land and compare the natural changes to managed land elsewhere. (*Photo courtesy of Ethan Perry, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources*)

Peatlands are wetland ecosystems formed when waterlogged plant materials partially decompose. These spongelike landscapes store massive amounts of carbon—even more than all of the world’s forests combined. Protecting healthy peatlands directly translates into fighting climate change.

Notably, at Big Lake-Seven Beaver Research Natural Area the Laurentian Continental Divide traverses the peatland, meaning that water flowing north ultimately empties into the Arctic Ocean, while water flowing southward feeds into the St. Louis River and on to Lake Superior. This unique geographic feature means that this area is a critical watershed for two very different regions.

A burned tree stump surrounded by green plants. — The absence of human-caused disturbances does not mean the research natural area is without change over time. This charred stump is evidence of a wildfire that occurred in the 1920’s in the Big Lake Seven Beaver Research Natural Area. Researchers can use the areas to study the transition from one predominant tree variety to another through natural processes, such as wildfire. (*Photo courtesy of Ethan Perry, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources*)

“In addition to its unique watershed, Big Lake-Seven Beaver Research Natural Area also safeguards a portion of the largest unfragmented expanse of mature upland forest in Minnesota outside of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness,” said Greenlee “To cap it all off, there appear to be no invasive species observed within this area, which is no small feat in today’s interconnected world.”

Invasive species often wreak havoc on ecosystems by outcompeting native plants and animals for limited resources.

“The absence of these ecological invaders underscores Big Lake-Seven Beaver’s truly exceptional integrity,” Greenlee said.

While the Forest Service encourages recreation on its lands nationwide, research natural areas are best kept off of the beaten path.

“Accessing the Big Lake-Seven Beaver Research Natural Area is no easy feat,” said Greenlee. “There are no roads or maintained trails leading to the area. This remoteness is actually a key factor in preserving this research natural area’s pristine condition.”

Unlike many national forests, we encourage people to stay away from research natural areas because these unique forests manage themselves, and human interference can disrupt that process.

Learn more about research on these unique lands here.