I compared species composition and relative abundance of'small
mammals and herpetofauna between riparian and upslope habitats among 5
forest types. Riparian- and upslope- associated species were identified
based on capture frequency. Small mammal species richness was similar
between stream and upslope habitats and among the 5 forest types. There
were...
Riparian areas that can be used as reference sites on which to base goals of vegetation restoration have not been documented in the Oregon Coast Range. I examined the composition and distribution of unmanaged riparian overstories in the central Oregon Coast Range along nine streams which have experienced minimal disturbance...
Analysis of the long-term spatial pattern and dynamics of hardwood patches in the Coast Range of Oregon provides numerous ecological insights. Natural and anthropogenic disturbances have contributed to the development of a patchy mosaic of vegetation types in the area. Some hardwood patches in the Coast Range may be the...
Riparian zone vegetation can influence terrestrial and aquatic food webs through variations in the amounts, timing, and nutritional content of leaf and other litter inputs. Differences in vegetation composition and density, as well as riparian topography, may modulate the strength and quality of these inputs. Changes in inputs to small...
This study was conducted to describe variation of riparian vegetation in an Oregon Coast Range system according to geomorphic characteristics and in relation to streamflow. Specific objectives of this study were to: I) examine if the vegetation composition and structure of the riparian forest varied among channel-reach morphologies, 2) examine...
This publication is aimed at watershed councils, government agencies, and specialists (foresters, wildlife and fisheries biologists) interested in riparian area silviculture or watershed restoration. It contains information on the ecology of riparian forests and a checklist of recommended practices and common mistakes made in restoring conifers to hardwood-dominated riparian forests....
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...
Forest stands were studied to determine if old-growth
forest structure could be mimicked in younger stands via
overstory manipulation. Cover and species composition of
understory plants were systematically sampled in sixteen
thinned second-growth stands and sixteen adjacent unthinned
second-growth Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirabel)
Franco.) stands. The stands were thinned...
In the Coast Range of western Oregon, some natural resource managers are converting red alder-dominated riparian areas to conifers to increase the future source of in-stream large wood for salmonid habitat. However, studies in Alaska have shown red alder-dominated riparian areas support greater invertebrate biomass compared to conifer-dominated areas. In...
Natural Douglas-fir stand development is the result of
many types of disturbance, both natural and management
induced. The magnitude and timing of these disturbances
have profound effects on the structure and composition of
both the overstory and understory plant communities. Vine
maple responds to disturbance by basal sprouting, layering,
producing...
The objective of my study was to examine differences in riparian tree and shrub composition associated with adult aquatic emergence and implications for terrestrial spiders in these sites. Seasonal abundance and biomass of adult emergent aquatic insects, riparian arthropod abundances and spider densities were compared between conifer- and hardwood-dominated sites...
Detailed phytosociological and physical data were gathered from six grass-fern balds in the Oregon Coast Range, Monmouth Peak, Grass Mountain, Prairie Peak, Roman Nose Mountain, Tyee Mountain, and Saddle Mountain. Panchromatic and color infrared air photography guided sampling within individual balds. The resultant floristic data was manipulated by a Braun-Blanquet...
During 1988-1989, stream habitat variables were compared between beaver-dam sites and unoccupied-stream sites to identify variables that may have been important for beaver (Castor canadensis) in selecting dam sites in the streams of the Drift Creek basin, Lincoln County, Oregon. Increasing valley floor width and grass/sedge cover and decreasing stream...
Nutrient and particulate matter balances were established for five ecosystems dominated by Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] in the western Cascades, Oregon. Carriers of N and P were particulate matter (dust in precipitation and sediment in streams) and dissolved matter in both precipitation and stream water. The input and outflow...
Fire and other catastrophic disturbance events in the Douglas-fir forests of the Oregon Coast Range have been significant in determining the distribution of stand age classes and, hence, habitat. Except for the past half century, knowledge of fire in the region has largely been local and anecdotal. The Douglas-fir forests...
Ten species of bats occur in the Oregon Coast Range and are hypothesized to be
associated with late-successional forests. The development of characteristics of late-successional
forests in young forest stands can be accelerated through silvicultural
practices such as thinning I examined the effects of thinning on the use of forests...
Fire history and fire regime were interpreted from tree ring analysis of 4320 stumps at 178 sites in a 25 by 55 km area in the central Oregon Coast Range. A total of 27 fire episodes were identified in a 516 year period, with sizes estimated at 18 to 544...
A framework is presented for a more causal explanation and ordering of stream characteristics than traditional means have used. Patterns of stream habitat distribution are related to particular characteristics of the geomorphology of watersheds. Variability in stream characteristics can be explained by the spatial distribution of properties of the watershed...
Streamside buffer strips provide numerous benefits to stream ecosystems. The buffer strips create shade, provide shelter for wildlife, act as barriers to logging debris during and after timber harvest, and serve as a continued source of large woody debris. Quantifying woody inputs resulting from windthrow provides managers with estimates for...
Riparian areas in the Pacific Northwest provide important biotic and abiotic
features, such as down wood, moist microsites, and abundant invertebrate prey that
benefit aquatic and terrestrial amphibians. Reported high densities of amphibians from
streams and riparian areas in the Pacific Northwest highlight their importance in riparian
food webs. Amphibians...