Sweet Root Natural Area
Natural area in Pennsylvania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sweet Root Natural Area is a 1,526-acre (618 ha) protected area in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Buchanan State Forest.[1][2]
| Sweet Root Natural Area | |
|---|---|
  Location within Pennsylvania | |
| Location | Bedford County, Pennsylvania |
| Nearest town | Chaneysville |
| Coordinates | 39°50′25″N 78°31′42″W |
| Area | 1,526 acres (618 ha) |
Description
The Natural Area was originally established to protect a small grove of old-growth hemlock trees, but most of those were damaged by a woolly adelgid infestation.[2] However, a 69-acre parcel of old-growth hemlocks survived and are protected within the Natural Area.[3] The area has since been expanded to protect a second-growth forest of oaks and other hardwoods.[1]
The area has been added to the Old-Growth Forest Network because even the second-growth trees have surpassed 150 years old,[4][5] never having been harvested by loggers during the Pennsylvania logging era because of the rugged terrain.[2][6] The area has a history of saltpeter mining dating back to the American Revolution, and if protects the watershed of Sweet Root Run, which in turn has been designated as a protected wild trout stream.[3]