Old-growth in the Pacific Northwest is generally defined as trees that are more
than 200 years old. A great deal of analysis and discussion about old-growth forests in
western Oregon, however, has focused on the relatively widespread 400 to 500 year
age class of primarily Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) trees. The...
This study describes the composition of forest landscapes surrounding
northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) nests in the central Cascade
Mountains of Oregon. I compared forest composition around 126 owl nests in 70 pair
territories with forest composition around 119 points drawn randomly from all
terrestrial cover-types, and around 104...
Trees that survive disturbances can form a prominent legacy which may influence
post-disturbance successional pathways. The effects of biological legacies on community
dynamics is a critical question in ecology. In the present study, I examined two mapped
stands in which old-growth remnant trees, survivors of partial fires, emerge above a...
Tree species directly and indirectly affect soil nutrient cycles. I sought to characterize soils and foliage associated with four common canopy tree species (Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western redcedar, and bigleaf maple) in mixed-species old-growth forests of the Oregon Coast Range and to determine whether and how soils differ among the...
Information about forest substrate respiration, nitrogenase activity and
mineralizable nitrogen may be incorporated into carbon and nitrogen budgets that comprise an important element of forest management planning. In this study, substrate respiration, nitrogenase activity and mineralizable nitrogen were measured in two western Oregon Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] stands within...
The objectives for the use of the Oregon State
University college forest include providing both facilities
for research and teaching, and providing funding through
timber harvest. The older age-classes of the forest are
valuable for attaining both objectives. The opportunities
and costs of removing acreage in the older age classes...
Mat-forming ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi represent a prevalent constituent of many temperate forest ecosystems and create dramatic changes in soil structure and chemistry. EcM mat soil have been shown to have increased microbial respiration rates and have been hypothesized to harbor unique assemblages of fungi and bacteria. The objectives of this...
Changes in the type and amount of plant inputs can occur gradually, as with succession, or rapidly, as with harvesting or wildfire. With global change it is anticipated that both gradual and immediate scenarios will occur at increasing frequency. Changes in vegetation inputs alter the quality and quantity of soil...