Aton Forest Flora

Over the decades Dr. Egler and colleagues introduced 2000 separate plantings of over 600 taxa into the established plant communities of Aton Forest and and farm fields as they reverted to our mostly beech-birch-maple-hemlock forest stands.

Aton Forest has an herbarium with over 500 botanical samples collected. Currently we are working to re-organize the herbarium and re-map it to the land.

Perhaps the best way to appreciate how Dr. Egler approached vegetation management and forest succession work he did on the land over the course of five decades is to read his book, written under his pseudonym, Warren G. Kenfield (1966), a link to which is here. The wild gardener in the wild landscape. The art of naturalistic landscaping.

Flora Research

This section covers research on the diverse plant life of Aton, which includes studies on vascular plants, vegetation types, and ecological dynamics. The objective is to enhance our understanding of plant communities and their roles within the forest ecosystem.

Vascular Plants of Aton Forest
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A Selected List and Description of Egler’s Research Plots
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Trees, Shrubs, and Vines of Aton Forest 2013
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Geum urbanum report 2013
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A Short Survey of the Vegetation of Aton Forest 2009
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Aton Forest Initiated Active On-site Studies 2006
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Frank Egler’s Research Plots at Aton Forest 2004
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Behavior of Aton Forest Phytotaxa, 1925-1991. Civco
View PDF of the Behavior of Aton Forest Phytotaxa, 1925-1991. Civco

The Life and Death of Old Fields Powerpoint 2009
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Status of Dr. Frank Egler’s Research Plots
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Aton Forest Rare Plant Survey – Moorehead 2005-2010
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Aton Forest Taxa List 2020 (2009 taxa list May 2013)
View PDF of Aton Forest Taxa List 2020 (2009 taxa list May 2013) [Password Required]

A prolific writer, amongst Frank’s other publications are a book he wrote under the pseudonym, Warren G. Kenfield, The Wild Gardener in the Wild Landscape: The Art of Naturalistic Landscaping. 1966. View PDF of The Wild Gardener in the Wild Landscape.

For several decades he used three large fields around his house on North Colebrook Road to experiment with introduced taxa and naturalistic gardening.

Learn More

Explore the scope of research conducted at Aton Forest. Gain deeper insights into the ecological discoveries made over the years by reviewing studies.

Forest Succession

View our research on Forest Succession, which examines the natural changes and development of forest ecosystems over time within our preserves.

Fauna Research

View our research on the Fauna of Aton Forest. This includes the birds and other animals that inhabit our forests.

Research Fellow

Learn about the Aton Forest Fellow and his contributions to advancing ecological knowledge.