Prior to 1977 this old-growth forest was dominated by hemlock, yellow birch, and sugar maple with some white

ash, elm, basswood, and very large white pine. A wind storm (downburst) on July 4, 1977, felled the entire stand except for a few large trees,providing a unique opportunity to study the role of natural disasters within natural ecosystems. Tip-up mounds and pits, insect population dynamics, and salvage/no-salvage techniques are also being studied. The forest is now composed of sugar maple, yellow birch, and basswood; the hemlocks are disappearing. Small deer and hare exclosures were constructed in both salvaged and unsalvaged portions of the natural area in 1982.