Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute NEON / SCBI

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) is a terrestrial field site located on the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Front Royal, Virginia. The 12 km² (2966 acre) NEON field site is located within and hosted by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, a research and education institution run by the Smithsonian Institution. The site is dominated by mature and secondary hardwood forest. This site is located within NEON's Mid-Atlantic Domain (D02), a densely populated region bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and stretching down the Eastern Seaboard from southern New Jersey to northern Georgia. The Mid-Atlantic Domain includes two other terrestrial sites and two aquatic sites. SCBI is colocated with the POSE aquatic site. [1] [2]

The climate here is temperate and humid, with annual mean temperatures of 11.6°C (53°F). The coldest month of the year is January with an average temperature of -1.6°C (29.12°F), while July is the warmest month with an average temperature of 23.8°C (74.84°F). On average, this location gets a total of 1125 mm (44 in.) of precipitation annually. September the wettest month with an average monthly precipitation of 160 mm (6.3 in.) and December is the driest with only 50.8 mm (2 in.) of precipitation. [4] [8]

SCBI is located on the Catoctin Formation. The parent materials at the site are residuum, colluvium and local alluvium derived from Cambrian age crystalline rocks, including meta-basalt, greenstone, and gabbro. [2]

The main soil series found at SCBI include Myersville, Hawksbill, Lew, Montalto, Catoctin, and Thurmont soils. From soils sampled at the SCBI site, the most abundant soil series was found to be Myersville soil on residual ridgetops and side slopes. The second most abundant soil series was found to be Lew soil on colluvial side slopes. [2]

SCBI is located within the Potomac-Shenandoah watershed. Major tributaries of this watershed include the Potomac River, South Fork Shenandoah, and North Fork Shenandoah tributaries. The Potomac-Shenandoah watershed drains into the Chesapeake Bay. [3]

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute is primarily dominated by deciduous hardwood forests. These consist of both mature (>100 years) forest and young (<40 years) secondary forest. The mature forests are primarily oak (Quercus spp.), hickory (Carya spp.), ash (Fraxinus spp.), and tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) while the young forests consist primarily of white ash (Fraxinus americana), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), and dogwood (Cornus spp.). [1]

Fauna native to the mid-Atlantic region that encompasses SCBI include white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), coyote (Canis latrans), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), raccoon (Procyon lotor), and black bear (Ursus americanus). [5]

The land and facilities that now make up the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute have a fascinating history that goes back more than a century. In 1911, the U.S. government purchased 42 farms in the Front Royal, Virginia area. The resulting tract of land was 4200 acres of mostly farmland and pasture. A remount station was established on this land to breed and train horses and mules for the U.S. Army. With the onset of World War II, the center was converted into a K-9 training facility and housed 600 Italian and German prisoners of war. After the war ended, the center was acquired by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and used as a Beef Cattle Research Station in partnership with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. During this time, the U.S. State Department used some of the center’s facilities to establish an Emergency Relocation site and communications base in case of national emergencies. By 1973, both the USDA research station and the site’s State Department facilities had shut down. The Smithsonian officially acquired the site in 1975 and converted it into a Smithsonian National Zoo captive breeding center. The site was named the Conservation and Research Center and, since its establishment, has expanded its mission to include a large variety of conservation activities and research. The center was renamed the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and, today, continues its important work safeguarding endangered species and natural places throughout the world. [6]

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) is a research and educational institution associated with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoo. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, previously called the Conservation and Research Center, has been based in Front Royal, Virginia since 1974. The facility is involved in a variety of conservation projects both locally and abroad. Among other missions, SCBI is working to safeguard endangered species through captive breeding programs, research to support understanding of ecosystem functions and changes, and training for current and future conservation professionals. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute currently hosts NEON’s Domain 02 base of operations, with Domain 02’s labs and offices located on-site at the Front Royal facility. [6] [7]

Plot establishment for NEON’s SCBI site was completed in November 2015. The site’s Initial Operations Capability/Capacity Review (IOCR), or when operations were officially approved to start, was November 2014 for terrestrial sampling. The site’s IOCR for tower operations was July 2016.