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Alabama has a subtropical climate with hot summers, mild winters, and year-round precipitation. Summers are hot and humid, dominated by maritime tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. This warm, moist air contributes to the formation of convection storms and thunderstorms in the region, causing major precipitation pulses and flooding. The area is subject to tornadoes and hurricanes. The average annual temperature is 17.2 °C (63 °F) and the average annual precipitation is about 1380 mm (54.3 in.). [5] [8]

The parent materials at TALL consist of undifferentiated marine sediments of the Cretaceous age Tuscaloosa Group. In particular they are characterized by the Gordo and Coker Formations containing sand, clay, and mudstone. [4] [6]

Talladega National Forest soils are primarily sand, clay, and mudstone from the Typic Hapludults soil subgroup. Parent materials are undifferentiated marine segments from the Tuscaloosa Group, dating to the Cretaceous age. These marine sediments include Boswell, Boykin, Coldwell, Conecuh, Luverne, Maubila, Smithdale, Wadley, and Wilcox. Soils, as a result of this composition, are dominantly varicolored and sandy, loamy, and clayey. Some soils within the Talladega Forest also have a hardened bedrock of ironstone. [4] [6]

The hydrology of TALL is the same as its colocated Mayfield Creek site, and is located in the Talladega National Forest. Mayfield Creek's stream channel is highly sinuous, with many sharp, meandering bands and few straight reaches. The flow regime is typical of forested streams in the southeast. Base flows are highest in the winter and spring (February through May) and lowest in the late summer and fall (July through November). Precipitation-driven high flow events may occur at any point during the year, though wetlands likely attenuate the intensity of floods. Although the banks and channel of Mayfield Creek are comprised of sand, the vegetation appears to provide significant stability and resistance to bank failure. Mayfield is a small stream, 4.5-6 m (15-20 ft.) across and just a few feet deep. It runs into a larger stream that eventually enters into the Black Warrior River, part of the Black Warrior-Tombigbee watershed that ultimately flows into the Gulf of Mexico. [7]

Vegetation across the Oakmulgee District in Talladega National Forest is similar to that of the Upper Costal Plains; however, the topography is more characteristic of the steep slopes of the Appalachian Plateau. TALL is dominated by conifers, with some areas of intermixed conifers, hardwoods, bottomland hardwoods, and wetlands. TALL's canopy is dominated by longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), with mixed species of oak in the understory. Although the Oakmulgee District is known for its longleaf forests, over 40% of Oakmulgee is covered with hardwoods and wetlands. [2] [3] [6]

The Oakmulgee is home to Alabama's largest population of endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers (Leuconotopicus borealis), a key indicator species motivating the restoration of the longleaf forest. Common mammal species include white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), black bear (Ursus americanus), coyote (Canis latrans), gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), raccoon (Procyon lotor), and cottontail rabbit (Sylviagus floridanus). Wildlife in the region include several other species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Several endangered, threatened, or sensitive species are found here, including the flattened musk turtle. NEON provides data on birds, small mammals, beetles, mosquitoes, and ticks. [3] [9] [10]

Native American presence in the area dates back at least 12,000 years ago. When European explorers and settlers arrived in the 1600s, four major native nations were living in Alabama: Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw, and Choctaw. Following the 1830 Indian Removal Act, the U.S. used forced treaties to relocate these indigenous peoples. During the 1800s, the forests throughout Alabama were extensively logged, destroying most of the old growth forests in the state, and was heavily impacted by agriculture. By the early 1900s, most of central Alabama was deforested and intensive farming had resulted in heavy erosion and nutrient depletion. In 1935, the National Forest Commission purchased around 1135 km² (280,400 acres) of cut-over land as part of the Oakmulgee Purchase Unit, with the intention of reseeding the forests for managed logging, wildlife protection, and recreation. In 1936, President Roosevelt created the Talladega National Forest by proclamation, combining the Oakmulgee Purchase Unit and the Talladega Purchase Unit into protected forestland. By the time the Oakmulgee District was incorporated into the Talladega National Forest, it had already been cut over twice, and desired species were not restocking. The Forest Service's early developments were focused on forestry, upland game, and recreation. Fire management infrastructure included access roads and lookout towers, fire breaks, and the establishment of a fire protection patrol. Many of these structures remain scattered throughout the forest. The University of Alabama also conducts ongoing research in the damaged area. [10-17]

TALL is located within the Talladega National Forest, which is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Current land use inculdes recreation (hiking, fishing, boating, camping, and hunting), with areas set aside for restoration and wildlife preservation. To restore the native longleaf forest, the Oakmulgee district is removing the non-native and overstocked trees and allowing native conditions to thrive. This process involves commercial timber sale. As a result, active logging operations and traffic on roads can be seen; however, ecological protections are in place. The Oakmulgee district is also restoring the natural fire regime, as several plant and animal species common to this ecosystem depend on fire for their existence. To accomplish this, managers are prescribing fire under specific conditions to simulate natural lightning fires. [2] [3] [8] [17]

NEON site characterization at TALL was completed in September 2014. Certain TOS and TIS data products at TALL became available in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The site transitioned to full operations in 2016.