| Fernbank Forest | |
|---|---|
 Tour at Fernbank Forest | |
| Geography | |
| Location | DeKalb, Atlanta Georgia, USA |
| Coordinates | 33°46′34″N 84°19′23″W / 33.77622°N 84.32307°W |
| Area | 65 acres (26 ha) |
| Administration | |
| Established | 1937 |
| Governing body | Fernbank Museum of Natural History |
| Website | www |
| Ecology | |
| Ecosystem(s) | Mature Urban Forest |
Fernbank Forest is a 65-acre (25 hectares) mature mixed forest that is part of Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta, Georgia. It has some relatively old trees compared to much of the forests in the Piedmont; as such, it has been extensively studied by scientists. Large specimens of white oak and tulip poplar, which grow up to 156 feet (48 meters) tall, can be found along one slope within the forest. There also are a few equally tall loblolly pine. Other canopy species include American beech, black oak, northern red oak, southern red oak, pignut hickory, bitternut hickory, mockernut hickory, winged elm and red maple. Eastern flowering dogwood, sourwood, umbrella magnolia and eastern redbud are prominent among the smaller trees. The forest floor is covered by many shrub, wildflower, and fern species.
Common animals include raccoon, coyote, opossum, gray squirrel, chipmunk, American crow, pileated woodpecker, box turtle and several snake species, including the venomous copperhead.
The soils are mostly well-drained, with medium brown or dark reddish brown sandy loam topsoils. The subsoils are clay loam or clay; they are medium red or dark red. The darker soils, which support higher plant diversity, have developed on mafic rock; the medium-toned soils are on felsic rock.
