Location East Lansing, Michigan Designated as world heritage site 1976 | Area 9.7 ha | |
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Toumey Woods, also called the Toumey Woodlot, is a 24-acre (9.7 ha) tract of Beech-maple forest located on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. 13.5 acres (5.5 ha) of this wooded parcel of property are classified as old-growth woodland, and this subplot was listed as a United States National Natural Landmark in 1976.
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Ecology
Michigan State University (MSU), the owner, reports that the primary old-growth tree species represented within Toumey Woods are American beech and sugar maple. White ash, basswood, wild black cherry, and red oak are also noted.
History
Many early Euro-American settlers of the U.S. state of Michigan set aside woodlots for personal use. The Bennett family did this when they settled this tract in 1852. The family maintained 13.5 acres (5.5 ha), the future Toumey Woods, in a nondisturbed condition, and sold the woodlot to MSU in 1939. From 1852 until the present, the woodlot has had only two owners.
The woods are named after James W. Toumey, an MSU graduate who later served as dean of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and helped found the Ecological Society of America.