H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest & LTER Program

1. H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest & LTER Program H.J. ANDREWS EXPERIMENTAL FOREST Since its establishment in 1948, the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest has grown to be a major center for research and education about the ecology and management of forests and streams. The Andrews Forest is dedicated to research and to communication of research results to land managers, policy makers, scientists, students, and the general public. Located about 80 km east of Eugene, Oregon, the Andrews Forest is centrally located in the coniferous forest biome of the Pacific Northwest. The Andrews Forest is administered cooperatively by the USDA Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station, Oregon State University, and the Willamette National Forest.

3. THE ECOSYSTEM The Andrews Forest is on the west slope of the Cascade Range of Oregon, and occupies the 6400-ha watershed of Lookout Creek, a tributary of Blue River and the McKenzie River. Elevation rangers from about 410 m to 1630 m. Broadly representative of the rugged, mountainous landscape of the Pacific Northwest, the Forest features excellent examples of the big, Pacific Northwest, conifer forests and steep, fast-flowing streams. Annual average precipitation exceeds 2500 mm, falling mainly in the fall and winter as rain at low elevations and snow in upper elevation areas. Before timber cutting began in 1950, about 65 percent of the Forest was cloaked in 450-year-old Douglas-fir forests. The remainder was largely stands regenerated following wildfires in the mid- and late 1800s. Since 1950 clearcutting has created plantations over about 25 percent of the Forest. The wide range of canopy to soil and stream habitats supports diverse fauna and flora. About 500 species of vascular plants are found on the Forest. Vertebrate species include cutthroat trout, Pacific giant salamander, black bear, coyote, mountain lion, osprey, Roosevelt elk, and bobcat.

4. RESEARCH PROGRAM HISTORY In the 1950s the program of research began as a few Forest Service scientists studied effects of forest practices on vegetation, wildlife, and watersheds. In the 1970s university researchers began working at the Forest as it became a site in the Conifer Forest Biome of the International Biological Program (IBP). This basic science examined how forest and stream ecosystems function in old-growth and managed forests. The Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program of the National Science Foundation began in 1980, making it possible to sustain this basic work on ecosystem structure and function. Also in the 1980s researchers and land managers teamed up to develop approaches to ecosystem management. The 1990s saw major growth in landscape studies and development of ecosystem management concepts and practices.

5. canopy aquatic CWD litter/soil riparian terrestrial conifer Time line of selected LTER-related research, programmatic, and issue history of H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest. Biodiversity/Arthropods Decomposition/C Dynamics regional C log decomposition leaf Soils soil characterization, mapping mycorrhizal mats soil solution chemistry trace gases Vegetation Succession growth and yield post-clearcut succession characterize old growth species diversity Hydrology/Small Watersheds land use treatment effects, water quality, peak flows rain-on-snow revisit peak, low flows, roads Forest-stream Interactions river continuum geomorphic template old-growth/clearcut comparisons coarse woody debris riparian hyporheic Disturbance/Landscape EVENTS fire history forest harvest patterns windthrow landslides Blue River Experimental Forest established Named H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest IBP LTER 1 LTER 2 LTER 3 LTER 4 forestry research ecosystem research 1950s 1980s 1990s 1960s 1970s ISSUES species conservation global change management efficiency environmental protection cumulative effects of management clearcutting old growth

6. RESEARCH PROJECTS Research themes of LTER and Andrews Forest - Over 100 research projects are underway at Andrews Forest under the direction of dozens of lead investigators from many institutions. Central Question of Andrews Forest LTER Program: How do land use, natural disturbance processes, and climate variability affect key ecosystem processes such as biodiversity, carbon dynamics, and hydrology?

7. Watershed Studies Experimental watershed studies of water, sediment, vegetation, and nutrient dynamics Landscape Ecology Pattern dynamics, and effects of vegetation patchworks and stream networks on biodiversity, hydrology, and carbon dynamics

8. Stream and Riparian Zone Ecology and Restoration Dynamics of woody debris dynamics and riparian vegetation, hyporheic zones, water temperature, and nutrient dynamics.

9. Forest Development, Growth and Yield Forest structure and composition dynamics at stand and regional levels Invertebrates Identification of species and their functional roles.

10. Carbon Dynamics Carbon flux and storage at log to regional scales

11. View of a SLICER lidar transect through H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest 140 Forest Height Ground Surface- vertical scale of forest height exaggerated 10x 0 0 4 Distance Along Transect (km) Close-up of mature stand Close-up of young stand 70 70 Height (m) Height (m) 0 0 0 Distance Along Transect (m) 0 550 Distance Along Transect (m) 550 Close-up of old growth stand 70 Low Canopy Density High Canopy Density Height (m) 0 0 550 Distance Along Transect (m) Remote Sensing Application of diverse technologies to ecosystem science

12. LINKS WITH LAND MANAGEMENT The Andrews Forest program has a long history of important contributions to forest management and policy on themes as diverse as old-growth forests, watershed protection, ecology of northern spotted owl, and efficient road construction practices to minimize water quality effects. Currently land managers of the Willamette National Forest working closely with the Andrews Forest ecosystem research program develop, test, and apply new approaches to management of forest and stream ecosystems through the Cascade Center for Ecosystem Management and Central Cascades Adaptive Management Area. Projects to develop and apply landscape management plans based in part on the historic wildfire disturbance regime draw on studies of fire history and fire effects as well as habitat requirements of individual species. Several large-scale field and modeling experiments concerning alternative silvicultural practices examine tradeoffs between wood production and ecological properties of stands.

13. Simulated future landscape patterns, Central Cascades Adaptive Management Area, Willamette National Forest, Oregon. Landscape Plan based on historical wildfire disturbance; Interim Plan based on Federal land-use mandate for matrix land allocation.

14. BROADER PERSPECTIVES The Andrews Forest is a major node in a series of networks at regional, national (e.g., LTER), and global (e.g., MAB Program) scales. It is the hub of many regional studies of forest cover change, carbon sequestration in forests, forest hydrology, decomposition processes, historic fire regimes, and other phenomena. FURTHER INFORMATION For further information check out the webpage http://www.fsl.orst/lter for a science emphasis or http://www.fsl.orst/ccem for information with management emphasis or call the Andrews Forest at 541 822-6300.