AL LEVNO

NEARBY RESEARCH NATURAL AREAS

Several Research Natural Areas (RNAs) have

been established close to the Experimental

Forest which provide examples of forest and

meadow communities and aquatic habitats not

found within the Experimental Forest. Local

RNAs include:

Wildcat RNA (1,415 acres, 573 ha) Highelevation true fir (Abies) and mountain hemlock

forests as well as wet and dry subalpine

meadows.

Ollalie Ridge RNA (655 acres, 265 ha) Highelevation true fir (Abies) forests, moist and dry

subalpine meadows, and several endemic plant

species.

McKenzie Pass RNA (1,187 acres, 480 ha)

Small, shallow lakes and high-elevation meadows and forests surrounded by lava flows.

Hagan RNA (1,127 acres, 456 ha) Dense,

mature Douglas-fir forests at mid to low elevation which established following wildfires in the

1840s and 1880s.

Three Creek RNA (711 acres, 288 ha) Highelevation 800-year old-growth forests and

associated streams, and avalanche track

communities.

Several other RNAs are within a 1- to 2-hour

drive of Andrews Experimental Forest.
Field tour on the Andrews Experimental Forest.

AL LEVNO

NEARBY RESEARCH NATURAL AREAS

Several Research Natural Areas (RNAs) have

been established close to the Experimental

Forest which provide examples of forest and

meadow communities and aquatic habitats not

found within the Experimental Forest. Local

RNAs include:

 (1,415 acres, 573 ha) High- ildcat RNA W

) and mountain hemlock Abies elevation true fir (

forests as well as wet and dry subalpine

meadows.

 (655 acres, 265 ha) High- Ollalie Ridge RNA

) forests, moist and dry Abies elevation true fir (

subalpine meadows, and several endemic plant

species.

(1,187 acres, 480 ha) McKenzie Pass RNA

Small, shallow lakes and high-elevation meadows and forests surrounded by lava flows.

 (1,127 acres, 456 ha) Dense, Hagan RNA

mature Douglas-fir forests at mid to low elevation which established following wildfires in the

1840s and 1880s.

 (711 acres, 288 ha) High- Three Creek RNA

elevation 800-year old-growth forests and

associated streams, and avalanche track

communities.

Several other RNAs are within a 1- to 2-hour

drive of Andrews Experimental Forest.

TRAVEL

The Experimental Forest is about a 1-hour drive

east of Eugene, Oregon. About 3 miles east of the

town of Blue River on Oregon Highway 126, turn

left/north onto USFS road 15, drive about 4.5

miles (7.25 km) on road 15 and turn right/east

onto USDA FS road 130, bear right at Y (about

0.5 mi.[0.8 km]) onto USDA FS road 132.

A few restaurants and motels are available within

drive of the Experimental 15-mile (24.1 km) a 

Forest. Many are available in Eugene (1 hour

away).

ACILITIES F

Housing facilities are limited to people involved in

on-site research or educational activities. There are

overnight accommodations for about 80 people, a

small cafeteria (capacity 32), open air pavilion,

mechanical/wood shop, and a 10,000 square-foot

) laboratory-office complex with class2 (929 m

rooms and conference and meeting rooms.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

bibliography of over 2,500 publications from A 

research at the Experimental Forest is available

from the Pacific Northwest Research Station, the

Andrews Experimental Forest office, or through

the Internet. (See back panel.)

OTHER MAPS

illamette National Forest maps are available W

from the McKenzie River Ranger District,

McKenzie Bridge, Oregon or the Willamette

Supervisor’s Office, Eugene, Oregon.

The H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest is part of

a system of research properties including other

experimental forests, watersheds, rangelands,

and RNAs.

HIKING TRAILS

o public-use trails provide excellent introduc- Tw

tions to the Andrews Experimental Forest. The

Lookout Creek Old-Growth Trail travels about

3.5 miles (5.6 km) through unbroken old-growth

forest along the lower slopes of Lookout Mountain. A short (about 1 mile [1.61 km] long) trail

climbs to the top of Carpenter Mountain, site of

a restored fire lookout with far-ranging views of

the Cascade Range.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest

O. Box 300 P.

Blue River, OR 97413

(541) 822-6300

Internet address:

www.fsl.orst.edu/LTER

Pacific Northwest Research Station

333 S.W. First Avenue

O. Box 3890 P.

Portland, OR 97208

(503) 808-2592

McKenzie River Ranger Station

57600 McKenzie Highway

McKenzie Bridge, OR 97413

(541) 822-3381

illamette National Forest W

211 E. 7th

O. Box 10607 P.

Eugene, OR 97440

(541) 465-6521

United States

Department of

Agriculture

Forest Service

May 2003

Pacific Northwest

Research

Station

H.J. Andrews

Experimental

Forest
Stream team strings restraining net across Lookout Creek, Andrews Experimental Forest, 1991.

Seining hole on Lookout Creek, Andrews Experimental Forest, 1955.

ment practices in determining forest landscape

patterns and the effects of those patterns on such

things as severity of rain-on-snow flooding, or

how disturbances like wildfire or an insect

outbreak might move through the landscape.

EDUCATION

The educational program includes college

classes, formal and informal short courses,

symposia, field trips, and nature talks at local

campgrounds. Participants include high school

classes, college undergraduate and graduate

students, scientists, natural resource managers

and other professionals, elected officials, media

representatives, and the general public.

PHILOSOPHY

The Experimental Forest is dedicated to research

and to communication of research results to land

managers, policymakers, scientists, students, and

the general public. The educational program is a

highly valued component. It is firmly believed

that management of forests and streams will be

improved with better understanding of how they

work. The Experimental Forest is open to all

basic and applied research that does not conflict

with existing programs or detract from the quality

of the site. Experimental manipulations,

including logging, are permitted in specific areas

and are broadly advertised to the scientific

community with the intent of fostering collaborative research. In addition to these experiments,

an array of young stands has been created with

known initial conditions and mixtures of species,

stocking densities, and genetic makeup, which

offer many research opportunities.

The Experimental Forest, with its long history of

experiments and extensive data sets, is committed

to sustaining long-term, interdisciplinary research

programs, which are critical to addressing present

and future problems in natural resource management. Long-term observations are maintained for

basic meteorological and hydrological factors,

vegetation development, stream habitat conditions, and other variables. Many of these data

sets are available through the Internet (See back

panel for address).

condition, road density and placement, and storm

intensity on timing and height of peak flows. The

effects of vegetation composition on summer low

flows also are being studied.

Stream and Riparian Zone Ecology and Restoration: This diverse research area includes studies

that examine links among different types of forests

and stream food resources and habitat structure;

response of riparian zones and streams to floods

and logging; effects of landforms and geomorphology on stream ecosystems; sources and

effects of large woody debris in streams; and

effect of nutrient enrichment on food web

organization. Stream-restoration experiments have

installed different levels of coarse woody debris to

determine the effects on channel complexity,

aquatic habitat, and stream productivity.

Forest Development, and Growth and Yield: A

large network of permanent vegetation plots has

been established in a wide range of vegetation

ages and types. This network is periodically

resampled to study the changes of forest structure

and composition through time; the patterns of

biological diversity; and changes in wildlife

habitat. Particular attention is paid to growth and

yield of various forest types.

Young-Forest Structure and Wildlife Use: To

better understand the relations between forest

structure and composition of young stands and

wildlife use, several areas are being

precommercially and commercially thinned to

create different patterns and densities. The

growth and yield of the different stands also are

being followed.

Invertebrates: Insects, spiders, mites, and their

relatives play many roles, which are poorly

PAST RESEARCH

The Experimental Forest has a rich and diverse

research history with the dominant themes

changing through time. Research in the 1950s

centered on road engineering, logging methods

for old-growth forests, and rapid forest regeneration. In the 1960s, research focused on effects of

logging on water yield, sediment loads, and

nutrient losses from small watersheds. During the

International Biological Program (IBP) of the

1970s, basic ecological studies examined how

forest and stream ecosystems function (e.g.,

nutrient cycling, energy flow, and community

organization) in old-growth and managed forests.

These basic ecological studies continued in the

1980s, which also saw the beginning of research

on ecosystem management. The 1990s research

program has been characterized by landscapescale studies and testing of ecosystem management methods.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the research was

conducted by a few Forest Service scientists. The

size and scope of the research changed dramatically in 1970 with the start of IBP and the use of

the Experimental Forest by university scientists

and graduate students. The program has grown to

include scientists and graduate students from

around the country and the world.

Many of the past research projects established

permanent study areas (i.e., watersheds, forest

plots, stream reaches, and weather stations),

where periodic measurements are needed to

examine natural changes as well as the effects of

logging and other management activities. The

data from these long-term studies have made the

Experimental Forest an important monitoring site

to detect regional changes in climate. This

information also provides excellent opportunities

to examine the effects of catastrophic or episodic

events such as major floods, windstorms, or insect

outbreaks. The Experimental Forest has become a

world leader in development of data management

and archiving methods to ensure high quality and

easy access to long-term data.

Since 1980, the Experimental Forest has been one

of the 230-plus stations in the National Atmospheric Deposition Program, which monitors the

chemistry of the Nation’s precipitation. It has the

purest precipitation in the network.

CURRENT RESEARCH

More than 100 research projects are underway at

the Andrews Experimental Forest each year.

Selected examples are:

Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER): The

centerpiece of Andrews Experimental Forest

research, which holds as its central question:

How do forest management, natural disturbances,

and climate changes affect key ecosystem

properties such as biodiversity, carbon dynamics,

and hydrology? Results from LTER studies are being

tested at large landscape and regional scales.

Watershed Studies: Several sets of watersheds

provide information on the effects of different

logging systems and road construction on yields

of water, sediment, and nutrients; development of

vegetation; and biological diversity. Integrated

studies examine the roles of topography, geology,

vegetation age and composition, snow depth and

understood, as is their response to different

management treatments. Several studies address

the habitat requirements and distribution of these

species as well as their roles in decomposition,

nutrient cycling, pollination, defoliation, pest

control, and other ecological processes.

Carbon Dynamics: The concern over “greenhouse gases” has made this a prominent topic.

The basic processes controlling carbon flux in our

systems are being studied at the Experimental

Forest and then extrapolated over larger areas by

using models and remote sensing. Pacific

Northwest forests play a disproportionately large

role in carbon dynamics because of their high

productivity, the extremely old ages they can

attain, and the slow rate of decomposition of

many tree species.

Remote Sensing: Sites like the Andrews Experimental Forest provide excellent information about

how forest and stream ecosystems work, but that

knowledge needs to be tested over large areas to

be truly useful. Several studies are examining the

application of remote-sensing imagery to

inventory, monitoring, and modeling questions at

large, regional scales. Methods are being

developed that offer the promise of rapidly

measuring ecosystem variables such as

aboveground biomass, carbon stores, leaf area,

and certain aspects of wildlife habitat.

Landscape Ecology: Several studies are underway

that examine the effects of vegetation pattern on

biological diversity, carbon dynamics, and

hydrology. Landscape-scale models are used to

compare presettlement forest disturbance patterns

(particularly wildfire) with current forest manageJOHN CISSEL AL LEVNO MATT HUNTER AL LEVNO KEN HAMMOND

Spotted owl

Red-legged frog

Morel

Bunchberry
Field tour on the Andrews Experimental Forest.

AL LEVNO

NEARBY RESEARCH NATURAL AREAS

Several Research Natural Areas (RNAs) have

been established close to the Experimental

Forest which provide examples of forest and

meadow communities and aquatic habitats not

found within the Experimental Forest. Local

RNAs include:

Wildcat RNA (1,415 acres, 573 ha) Highelevation true fir (Abies) and mountain hemlock

forests as well as wet and dry subalpine

meadows.

Ollalie Ridge RNA (655 acres, 265 ha) Highelevation true fir (Abies) forests, moist and dry

subalpine meadows, and several endemic plant

species.

McKenzie Pass RNA (1,187 acres, 480 ha)

Small, shallow lakes and high-elevation meadows and forests surrounded by lava flows.

Hagan RNA (1,127 acres, 456 ha) Dense,

mature Douglas-fir forests at mid to low elevation which established following wildfires in the

1840s and 1880s.

Three Creek RNA (711 acres, 288 ha) Highelevation 800-year old-growth forests and

associated streams, and avalanche track

communities.

Several other RNAs are within a 1- to 2-hour

drive of Andrews Experimental Forest.

TRAVEL

The Experimental Forest is about a 1-hour drive

east of Eugene, Oregon. About 3 miles east of the

town of Blue River on Oregon Highway 126, turn

left/north onto USFS road 15, drive about 4.5

miles (7.25 km) on road 15 and turn right/east

onto USDA FS road 130, bear right at Y (about

0.5 mi.[0.8 km]) onto USDA FS road 132.

A few restaurants and motels are available within

a 15-mile (24.1 km) drive of the Experimental

Forest. Many are available in Eugene (1 hour

away).

FACILITIES

Housing facilities are limited to people involved in

on-site research or educational activities. There are

overnight accommodations for about 80 people, a

small cafeteria (capacity 32), open air pavilion,

mechanical/wood shop, and a 10,000 square-foot

(929 m2

) laboratory-office complex with classrooms and conference and meeting rooms.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A bibliography of over 2,500 publications from

research at the Experimental Forest is available

from the Pacific Northwest Research Station, the

Andrews Experimental Forest office, or through

the Internet. (See back panel.)

OTHER MAPS

Willamette National Forest maps are available

from the McKenzie River Ranger District,

McKenzie Bridge, Oregon or the Willamette

Supervisor’s Office, Eugene, Oregon.

The H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest is part of

a system of research properties including other

experimental forests, watersheds, rangelands,

and RNAs.

HIKING TRAILS

Two public-use trails provide excellent introductions to the Andrews Experimental Forest. The

Lookout Creek Old-Growth Trail travels about

3.5 miles (5.6 km) through unbroken old-growth

forest along the lower slopes of Lookout Mountain. A short (about 1 mile [1.61 km] long) trail

climbs to the top of Carpenter Mountain, site of

a restored fire lookout with far-ranging views of

the Cascade Range.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest

P.O. Box 300

Blue River, OR 97413

(541) 822-6300

Internet address:

www.fsl.orst.edu/LTER

Pacific Northwest Research Station

333 S.W. First Avenue

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208

(503) 808-2592

McKenzie River Ranger Station

57600 McKenzie Highway

McKenzie Bridge, OR 97413

(541) 822-3381

Willamette National Forest

211 E. 7th

P.O. Box 10607

Eugene, OR 97440

(541) 465-6521