2009 Science Accomplishments 

of the Pacif ic Northwest Research Station
We are highly sought for our scientific leadership and impartial knowledge. 

Our mission is to generate and communicate scientific knowledge that helps people understand 

and make informed choices about people, natural resources, and the environment.

V I S I O N A N D M I S S I O N
Contents

4 Pacific Northwest Research Station: The Setting

6 A Message From the Station Director

8 100 Years of Experimental Forests

10 Goal 1: Develop a Fundamental Understanding of Ecological, 

 Social, and Economic Systems and Their Interactions

32 Goal 2: Assess the Status and Trends of Ecosystems and

 Natural Resources and Their Uses

40 Goal 3: Develop Science-Based Options for 

 Informed Management

60 Goal 4: Communicate Science Findings and Enhance 

 Their Application

68 Learning Events

74 Honors and Awards

76 Publications

77 Finances and Workforce

80 PNW Research Station Organization

Umpqua National Forest, by Tom Iraci
We are highly sought for our scientific leadership and impartial knowledge. 

Our mission is to generate and communicate scientific knowledge that helps people understand 

and make informed choices about people, natural resources, and the environment.

Derby Canyon, Washington, by Tom Iraci

T H E S E T T I N G
The Setting 5

• Laboratories and Centers

Alaska Wood Utilization and Development Center (Sitka)

Anchorage Forestry Sciences Laboratory

Boreal Ecology Cooperative Research Unit (Fairbanks)

Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory

Juneau Forestry Sciences Laboratory

La Grande Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory

Olympia Forestry Sciences Laboratory

Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory (Seattle)

Portland Forestry Sciences Laboratory

Wenatchee Forestry Sciences Laboratory

Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center (Prineville)

• Headquarters in Portland, Oregon

• 11 laboratories and centers in Alaska, 

Oregon, and Washington

• 12 active experimental areas (watershed, 

range, and experimental forests)

• Research also conducted in more than 

20 research natural areas

• Pacific Northwest Research Station is 

one of five research stations in the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest Service 

• 416 employees (299 permanent, 

117 temporary)

Pacific Northwest Research Station: The Setting

• Experimental Areas

1. Bonanza Creek Experimental Forest

2. Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed

3. Héen Latinee Experimental Forest

4. Maybeso Experimental Forest

5. Olympic Experimental State Forest

6. Entiat Experimental Forest 

7. Wind River Experimental Forest

8. Cascade Head Experimental Forest

9. Starkey Experimental Forest and Range

10. H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest

11. Pringle Falls Experimental Forest

12. South Umpqua Experimental Forest

Seattle

Olympia

Wenatchee

6

7

Fairbanks

Anchorage

Juneau

Sitka

A l a s k a

2

1

3

4

Portland

Corvallis Prineville

8

12

9

11

La

Grande

Seattle

Olympia

Wenatchee

Fairbanks

Anchorage

Juneau

Sitka

Portland

Corvallis Prineville

La

Grande



W a s h i n g t o n

O r e g o n

5

10
Rooster Rock State Park, Oregon 

© Miles Hemstrom

A M E S S A G E F R O M T H E S T A T I O N D I R E C T O R
A Message From the Station Director 7

Station Director Bov B. Eav

Looking back, I see that 2009 was a 

year of hard work and celebration at the 

Pacific Northwest Research Station. The 

hard work by our scientists, technicians, 

administrative support staff, partners, 

and volunteers allowed us to continue 

generating information that is used by land 

managers and policymakers to address 

pressing questions about climate change, 

carbon accounting, fuel treatments, and 

more. For example, station scientists and 

collaborators developed a GIS-based system 

for downscaling commonly available gridded 

climate data to 100 meters. The Olympic 

National Forest used this new method to 

simulate effects of climate change across its 

complex, mountainous terrain. 

The station celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Forest Service experimental 

forest network. Experimental forests provide 

unique opportunities for long-term research, 

and the experiments conducted at these sites 

over the decades have yielded invaluable 

information about forest management and 

ecosystem processes. The station welcomed 

two new sites into the experimental forest 

network and decommissioned the inactive 

Young’s Bay Experimental Forest on 

Admiralty Island in southeast Alaska. It 

was replaced by Héen Latinee near Juneau, 

which is more accessible and has a higher 

potential for research among our own 

scientists and our university partners in 

Juneau. The second new site is the Olympic 

Experimental State Forest on Washington’s 

Olympic Peninsula, a result of a new partnership between the station and the Washington Department of Natural Resources. 

We also celebrated the new Alaska 

Coastal Rainforest Center, a collaborative venture of the University of Alaska 

Southeast, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 

the station, the Forest Service’s Alaska 

Region, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Alaska Region, and the City and 

Borough of Juneau. The center, located in 

the Juneau Forestry Science Laboratory, will 

provide formal and informal education at 

the university and community school levels 

as well as professional training relating to 

coastal rain forest ecosystems.

This year, the station received $13.4 

million under the American Recovery and 

Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This stimulus 

money is being used to fund nine projects, 

including the installation of energy-efficient 

windows at the Olympia Forestry Sciences 

Laboratory and new stream gauging equipment at the South Umpqua Experimental 

forest in Oregon. Another project will 

restore community ecosystems while promoting green jobs in the Puget Sound area. 

Other projects will yield valuable information about fish and aquatic habitat, fire and 

fuels, and how the forests of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington 

are adapting to and mitigating the effects 

of climate changes. All these projects were 

selected based on their ability to create jobs 

and promote economic recovery, especially 

in those areas most impacted by the recession. These projects also will help the Forest 

Service achieve management practices 

that promote and provide clean air, clean 

water, wildlife habitat, and recreational 

opportunities.

In 2009, the station completed a realignment process that began with an evaluation 

of the station’s ability to implement the 

strategic business plan, which, among other 

things, outlines our future research priorities and areas of emphasis. The net effect 

is six new research programs that optimize 

the station’s capacity to produce relevant, 

quality science and attract stakeholder 

support. With this new groundwork in 

place, I’m confident in our ability to do 

timely research with long-term value. 

Bov B. Eav

Station Director

Tim LeBarge
Frank Vanni

Celebrating the First 100 Years of 

Experimental Forests

100 YEARS OF 

EXPERIMENTAL FORESTS

Canopy crane at Wind River Experimental Forest, Washington, by Frank Vanni 

Research has been occurring on the Forest Service’s experimental forests 

and ranges for 100 years. This national network consists of 81 sites for 

long-term science and management studies across the country. Nearly 

every forest and ecosystem type in the United States and Puerto Rico is 

represented in the network. 

Dubbed “lands for learning,” 

experimental forests and 

ranges are set aside specifically 

for short- and long-term 

research. Researchers can 

establish experiments on 

these lands that may require 

decades or even centuries to 

run their course. These living 

laboratories become prime sites 

for collaboration, facilitating 

research-management 

A 1932 stand density study at Wind River Experimental Forest.

Visitors learn about past and current research 

at Wind River Experimental Forest.
100 Years of Experimental Forests 9

partnerships among the national and state 

forests that host them, state agencies, 

universities, and other research institutions. 

These partners are central to the success of 

experimental forests and ranges, contributing 

staff and funding for studies and research 

facilities and sponsoring many important 

Rick Edwards

Héen Latinee Experimental Forest.

Two New Experimental Forests Join Network

The station also marked the centennial 

by bringing two new experimental forests 

into the national network. 

Olympic Experimental State Forest.

Pete Bisson

types. The site provides opportunities 

for research on how coastal temperate 

rain forests function, particularly amid a 

changing climate. 

The name “Héen Latinee” is a Tlingit 

phrase meaning “River Watcher.” It was 

given to the experimental forest by a group 

of Tlingit elders whose traditional territory 

encompassed the area. The name honors and 

acknowledges the Tlingit as the traditional 

custodians of the land and also reflects the 

purpose of this experimental forest—a place 

for watching natural processes unfold and for 

learning through experiments. 

Partnerships with the University of Alaska 

Southeast, the University of Alaska at 

Fairbanks, local schools, native tribes, other 

federal agencies, and the City of Juneau will 

lead to a variety of learning opportunities.

Olympic Experimental State Forest 

A memorandum of understanding between 

the station and Washington Department 

of Natural Resources added a second new 

experimental forest to the Forest Service’s 

national network. About 20 people attended 

outreach activities, like field tours and 

workshops. 

The Pacific Northwest Research Station 

celebrated the centennial with a day-long 

event at Wind River Experimental Forest, 

the station’s oldest experimental forest. It 

was home to the region’s first tree nursery, 

established in 1909, and site of the first 

permanent tree growth plots west of the 

Mississippi River. Today, Wind River is 

known as the “cradle of forestry research in 

the Pacific Northwest.” Wind River’s scientists pioneered many silvicultural practices 

still used today. 

the signing, including landowners, tribal 

and local government representatives, and 

congressional staff. The Olympic Experimental State Forest comprises 260,000 acres 

on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. It is 

now the largest site in the national network 

and the only representative of the Olympic 

Peninsula temperate rain forest ecosystem 

type, which is known for its extreme rainfall 

and growth rates. The state trust land will 

continue to be managed by the Washington 

Department of Natural Resources as a working forest, and the station will coordinate the 

research opportunities. 

Héen Latinee Experimental Forest

Héen Latinee Experimental Forest, 25,000 

acres within the Tongass National Forest in 

southeast Alaska, spans glacial to marine 

environments over a short distance, allowing 

for studies crossing many different landscape 
We are highly sought for our scientific leadership and impartial knowledge. 

Our mission is to generate and communicate scientific knowledge that helps people understand 

and make informed choices about people, natural resources, and the environment.

GOAL 1: Develop a fundamental 

understanding of ecological, social, and 

economic systems and their interactions

Middle Fork John Day River, Oregon; © Miles Hemstrom

G O A L A C C O M P L I S H M E N T S
• Properly placed shade trees reduce electricity use and thus reduce 

carbon emissions from electricity generation. 

• Changes in forest conversion rates and land transfers between forestry 

and agriculture substantially impact forest carbon sequestration. 

• Improved methods for estimating down woody biomass yield more 

accurate estimates of carbon stocks and fuel levels in forests. 

• Climate is a principal environmental control on wildfire.

• Invasive plants may be less competitive than native plants in 

more severely burned sites where organic matter, plant nutrients, 

and soil microbes are lost to intense heat.

• Relying on streams in old-growth forests to provide the best 

habitat for fish may not produce expected conservation benefits. 

• Hydrologic connection to hillslope explains seasonal patterns of 

runoff and streamflow. 

• Scientists develop site- to landscape-scale criteria for linking headwater habitat across ridgelines to help retain habitat connectivity for 

amphibians, arthropods, and other biota in Pacific Northwest forests. 

• Cross-site analysis of long-term data from experimental forests 

reveals similarities and differences in stream chemistry responses 

to harvest and other disturbances. 

• An analysis of historical data on old-growth Douglas-fir trees 

suggests structural differences in young and old trees of similar 

large diameter. This is valuable information when designing 

management strategies that attempt to accelerate development 

of conditions associated with older forest. 

• New method for genome sequencing provides a detailed, accurate 

picture of population and evolutionary history. This information 

can be used in conservation efforts. 

• Enormous variability exists within Forest Service and among 

federal land management agencies regarding processes associated 

with the National Environmental Policy Act. 

Key Findings © Miles Hemstrom

 Follow the for more information about these key findings. 
A well-placed shade tree can reduce home 

energy use.

 Sacramento Tree Foundation

no effect. Thus, while directly sequestering 

carbon through photosynthesis, shade trees 

also help reduce a home’s carbon footprint 

by reducing emissions from electricity 

generation. The London plane tree, the 

most common tree in Sacramento, illustrates these carbon benefits: over 100 years, 

the tree reduces net carbon dioxide emissions from summer electricity use by 31 

percent, provided that it is on the west side 

of the house. 

This study has given city planners and 

local environmental groups a scientific 

basis for articulating the benefits of urban 

trees. As a result, this study has generated a 

large and positive response. The Salt River 

Project in Arizona consulted with the lead 

scientist on the possibility of setting up a 

shade tree program in Phoenix, and the vice 

president of U.S. Geothermal Inc. consulted 

with the lead scientist about applying these 

findings in Idaho. This information has 

been used by the Sacramento Municipal Utility 

District, the Sacramento 

Tree Foundation, the 

City of Portland’s Urban 

Forestry Program, Portland Friends of Trees, and 

ECONorthwest. 

Contact: Geoffrey Donovan, 

gdonovan@fs.fed.us, Goods, 

Services, and Values Program

Partners: National Institute 

of Standards and Technology, 

Sacramento Municipal Utility 

District Land use competition among forestry, agriculture, and development 

influences the amount of terrestrial carbon storage.

Ralph Alig

12 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Properly placed shade trees 

reduce electricity use and thus 

carbon emissions

Researchers examined the effects 

of shade trees on summer electricity 

use in 460 homes in Sacramento, California. This is the first study to analyze 

electricity bills to determine the actual impact 

shade trees have on energy 

use. Researchers found that 

a tree’s location influences 

the magnitude of the effect 

of shade trees on summertime electricity 

use. Trees on the west and south side of a 

dwelling reduced electricity use in the 

summer, whereas trees on the east side had 

Use: 

Sacramento 

Municipal Utility 

District uses findings 

to help homeowners 

reduce energy use.

Land use policies affect levels of 

carbon sequestration

Researchers used the Forest and 

Agriculture Sector Optimization 

Model—Greenhouse Gases Model to 

analyze alternative policy scenarios and 

compare their potential 

influence on land use 

and related effects on 

carbon sequestration 

and other environmental 

and economic benefits. 

The “business as usual” 

scenario suggests that the 

amount of forest land converted to more 

developed uses will be substantial, causing 

significant net release of greenhouse gases 

currently stored in those forests. Scenarios 

involving carbon-related payments to U.S. 

private forest-land owners led to increase 

in carbon sequestration. Modeling results 

do suggest that carbon-related payments to 

Use: 

EPA, USDA, and 

Congress use 

findings on carbon 

sequestration to 

analyze proposed 

energy and land 

use policies. 
landowners engaged in forestry or agriculture can substantially affect future land 

use patterns, levels of terrestrial carbon 

sequestration, forest resource conditions, 

agricultural production trends, and bioenergy production. 

The Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA), USDA’s Global Change Program 

Office, and U.S. Congressional staff have 

used the models and findings from this 

work to analyze legislative proposals that 

address climate change and new policies 

that impact land use, such as the 2007 

Energy Independence and Security Act and 

the Conservation Reserve provisions of the 

2008 farm bill. The research is also being 

used to inform decisionmaking under the 

Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program, 

and it has attracted international recognition. Australia consulted with the scientists 

for advice on addressing climate change, 

and spinoff modeling systems have been 

developed in Europe and elsewhere.

Contact: Ralph Alig, ralig@fs.fed.us, 

Goods, Services, and Values Program

Partners: Oregon State University, Duke 

University, Texas A&M University

Improved methods yield better 

estimates of forest carbon stocks 

Interest in woody debris—the 

downed logs and other smaller wood 

on the forest floor—used to center around 

wildlife habitat. It now focuses on carbon 

stocks and fuel levels. In Oregon, for 

example, it is estimated that the 

volume of down logs is about 

45 percent of the volume of 

live forest trees. Scientifically 

defensible estimates of these 

quantities are essential for 

estimating stocks of biomass and 

stored carbon. This information 

is also important to those 

describing forest structure and 

wildlife habitat and to the fire 

community because fire behavior 

is largely determined by the 

amount and type of fuel present.

Current sampling protocols 

and statistical methods for 

estimating the volume of woody 

debris involve several assumptions. Given the increasing 

interest nationwide for accurate 

estimates of forest biomass, 

researchers evaluated and 

quantified the bias that results 

from two of the key assumptions. 

Based on their findings, they 

suggested changes in protocol 

and other improvements that 

may result in more accurate 

estimates of volume, biomass, 

and carbon stocks. 

Contact: Vicente Monleon, 

vjmonleon@fs.fed.us, Resource 

Monitoring and Assessment Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service 

Northern and Rocky Mountain 

Research Stations 

Down wood and other woody debris stores carbon but also can fuel a wildfire.

GOAL 1: Develop a fundamental understanding of ecological, social, and economic systems and their interactions 13 © Miles Hemstrom
New method quantifies 

potential effects of fuel 

treatments on carbon stocks 

Do fuel reduction treatments result in a 

net gain or loss of carbon stored in forests? 

If fuel treatments reduce future fire severity, 

then less carbon dioxide is released to the 

atmosphere, and the treatments could result 

in carbon gains. When considered individually, however, thinning and underburning 

treatments result in a net loss of carbon, 

but what is their effect on carbon storage 

outside the treatment units? 

To begin answering these questions, 

scientists developed a risk-based approach 

to determine expected offsets from 

landscape-scale fuel management activities. The approach is being tested on the 

198,000-acre Drews Watershed of the 

Fremont-Winema National Forest. Preliminary results suggest that in this particular 

forest ecosystem, there were extensive 

carbon benefits outside the treatment area 

in terms of reduced likelihood of wildfire, 

but the carbon loss specifically from treatment activities resulted in an overall loss of 

carbon on the entire landscape. Over time, 

Tool: Carbon offset analysis with ArcFuels

Description: ArcFuels is a library of command 

functions (macros) within ArcMap® GIS software 

developed to streamline fire behavior modeling 

and spatial analyses for fuel treatment planning. 

ArcFuels now includes new analytical functions 

that allow users to analyze expected carbon offsets 

from fuel treatments and other management 

activities.

Uses: Land managers can examine detailed 

carbon budgets for stands and landscapes and 

examine the effects of proposed management on 

carbon stocks.

How to get it: http://www.fs.fed.us/wwetac/

arcfuels/

Contact: Alan Ager, aager@fs.fed.us, Western 

Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment 

Center

Tom Iraci

14

Tool: Carbon Offset Analysis

 with ArcFuels

Description: 

ArcFuels is a library of command functions 

(macros) within ArcMap® GIS software developed 

to streamline fire behavior modeling and spatial 

analyses for fuel treatment planning. ArcFuels 

now includes new analytical functions that allow 

users to analyze expected carbon offsets from fuel 

treatments and other management activities.

Use: 

Land managers can examine detailed carbon 

budgets for stands and landscapes and examine 

the effects of proposed management on carbon 

stocks.

How to get it: 

http://www.fs.fed.us/wwetac/arcfuels/

Contact: 

Alan Ager, aager@fs.fed.us, Western Wildland 

Environmental Threat Assessment Center

A new risk-based approach may help managers determine expected carbon offsets from landscape-scale 

fuel management activities.
depending on decomposition rates in the 

dead trees and rates of regeneration, the 

carbon loss within the treated area could 

be reversed. These methods will help forest 

managers balance demands for reduced 

fire risk and increasing carbon storage as a 

climate change mitigation strategy. 

Contact: Alan Ager, aager@fs.fed.us, Western 

Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center

Partners: Oregon Department of Forestry; USDA 

Forest Service Fremont-Winema National Forest, 

Rocky Mountain Research Station, and Forest 

Health Enterprise Technology Team; West Coast 

Regional Sequestration Partnership (WESTCARB)

New system yields climatechange simulations at 

100-meter resolution 

Increasing requirements for climatechange simulations at ultra-fine resolution has created the need for methods to 

downscale existing gridded climate data sets 

with resolution of about 

1 kilometer to about 100 

meters. This ultra-fine 

scale is needed to simulate the effects of climate 

change on ecosystems in 

regions with complex topography where the 

slope of the terrain and direction it faces 

creates microclimates based on differences 

in exposure to sunlight. 

To meet this need, station scientists 

and collaborators developed a GIS-based 

system for downscaling commonly available gridded climate data. The system was 

tested on existing grids of climate data for 

the Olympic Peninsula and other regions 

within the Western United States with 

complex terrain. The complete downscaling 

system was delivered to Forest Service users 

and training was provided.

Contact: Ron Neilson, rneilson@fs.fed.us, 

Ecological Process and Function Program

Partner: Oregon State University 

Soils in Douglas-fir plantations in 

the Oregon Coast Range have 

high rates of methane uptake 

Methane is a particularly potent greenhouse gas. Since the 1750s, the increase in 

methane in the atmosphere has contributed 

to about 20 percent of the enhanced greenhouse effect. Forest soils are both a source 

and a sink for the gas. Methane is a byproduct of chemical reactions occurring in 

very wet, anaerobic soil, but it is absorbed 

during different chemical reactions occurring in drier soils. Despite its potential to 

affect the Earth’s climate, limited sampling 

has been done to determine the rates of 

exchange for soil uptake and production for 

several major ecosystems. 

Station scientists conducted the first 

study to report methane uptake rates by 

forest soil in the Pacific Northwest. Methane uptake was measured five times over a 

13-month period from three Douglas-fir 

stands in the Coast Range of Oregon. 

Uptake was similar across the sites, and was 

high compared with most other coniferous 

forests globally. This is most likely due to 

the well-drained, highly porous, volcanic 

soils at the sites. The overall high rates 

suggest these forests offset methane emissions more than coniferous forests outside 

the region. This information on rates of 

methane uptake can be used in greenhouse 

gas accounting efforts. 

Contact: Heather Erickson, heerickson@fs.fed.us, 

Focused Science Delivery Program

Partner: U.S. Geological Survey

Climate mapping at ultra-fine resolutions better captures the microclimates found in 

mountainous areas. Here, climate data from the Olympic Mountains were downscaled 

from 800 meters (left) to 80 meters (right).

GOAL 1: Develop a fundamental understanding of ecological, social, and economic systems and their interactions 15

Use: 

Olympic National 

Forest simulates 

effects of climate 

change across 

complex terrain. 
Climate is a principal 

environmental control 

on wildfire

Station scientists, working with 

university collaborators, demonstrated 

that the area of wildfire burned in the 

American West was significantly controlled 

by climate (combinations of precipitation, 

temperature, and drought) during most of 

the 20th century (1916–2003). Climate-fire 

relationships differed by vegetation type, 

represented by 16 ecoprovinces (broad 

geographic regions with similar ecological 

properties) across the West. Fire in most 

mountainous ecoprovinces, except in the 

arid Southwest, is driven by low precipitation, dry conditions, and high temperatures 

in the summer fire season. Fire in arid 

ecoprovinces, or those dominated by grasses 

or shrubs, is strongly associated with 

precipitation or drought in the previous 

year, which affects the amount of fuel for 

the current year. Despite the influences of 

fire exclusion, other land use changes, or 

both, the amount of burned area is still 

substantially controlled by climate. In the 

future, this will likely depend on ecosystem-specific seasonal variation in climate 

16

Tool: Framework for Predicting Postfire Forest Change 

in Interior Alaska 

Description: 

This set of tools provides 

forest managers with a 

rule-based framework 

for predicting what type 

of forest will regenerate 

after fire in interior 

Alaska. The forests 

of interior Alaska are 

currently dominated by 

black spruce, and standreplacing wildfires are the 

main form of disturbance. 

The fire regime in the 

region is changing, 

however, and further 

changes are expected 

with climate warming. These changes may 

lead to more deciduous tree cover in areas 

previously dominated by black spruce. These 

forest types differ dramatically in their potential 

fire behavior and provision of wildlife habitat 

and other forest resources. Postfire successional 

trajectories in black spruce forests of interior 

Alaska can be predicted based on prefire 

species composition, fire severity, and site 

moisture. 

The framework includes four tools: (1) a 

key to classifying potential site moisture, 

(2) a summary of conditions that favor 

black spruce self-replacement, (3) a key 

to predicting postfire forest recovery in 

recently burned stands, and (4) a set of 

photos that serve as a visual reference tool. 

Use: 

Managers from the Alaska Fire Service, Alaska 

Division of Forestry, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

and National Park Service are using these tools 

to help design fire management actions and to 

predict the effects of recent and future fires on 

postfire forest cover. 

Contact: 

Teresa Hollingsworth, thollingsworth@fs.fed.us, 

Ecological Process and Function Program

Partners: 

University of Alaska Fairbanks; University of 

Saskatchewan Saskatoon

For more information: 

Johnstone, J.F.; Hollingsworth, T.N.; Chapin, F.S., 

III. 2008. A key for predicting postfire successional trajectories in black spruce stands of 

interior Alaska. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-767. 

Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 

37 p.

The fire regime in interior Alaska is changing and may lead to different forest 

types. Above is a stand, 1 year after fire, that was previously dominated by 

black spruce.

J. Johnstone
Rick Woodsmith

A newly installed weather station on the Entiat Experimental Forest provides data for ongoing studies. 

and its effects on fuel conditions in northern mountainous ecosystems and fuel 

availability in arid ecosystems. 

Understanding fire-climate relationships, 

which differ for different ecosystems, will 

help land managers anticipate changing 

fire regimes in response to global warming 

and predict fire patterns associated with 

multiannual and interdecadal climatic variability. Despite the overarching influence 

of climate, it will be important to link this 

understanding of climate drivers to land 

use changes and broad-scale management 

strategies.

Contact: Don McKenzie, donaldmckenzie

@fs.fed.us, Threat Characterization and 

Management Program 

Partners: University of Washington; 

University of California, Merced

Effects of severe wildfire on 

watershed processes may last 

for decades 

Rare, high-quality historical data are 

being used for model formulation, calibration, and testing to evaluate effects of a 

severe 1970 wildfire on flow regime and 

maintenance of water quantity and quality 

from streams draining forested headwaters. 

Following more than 25 years of inactivity 

at the Entiat Experimental Forest in eastern 

Washington, study watersheds were reinstrumented in 2004 with stream gauging, 

water quality, and meteorological stations 

to assess rate of recovery toward prefire 

conditions. 

Preliminary results indicate that the 

wildfire resulted in initial peak flow 

increases in runoff of 100 percent or 

more from the burned area, and that 

these increases resulted from decreased 

evapotranspiration—the process through 

which plants draw up water—increased 

snow accumulation, and more rapid 

snowmelt. The effects of wildfire on 

watershed processes may be long lived and 

depend, in part, on rehabilitation actions.

This ongoing research is providing 

predictive capability regarding effects of 

severe wildfire and hydrologic recovery 

processes after a major disturbance. These 

findings are informing management 

decisions regarding the need and strategies 

for postfire rehabilitation. They lay 

the foundation for future investigation 

of hydrologic effects of fuel-reduction 

treatments.

Contact: Richard D. Woodsmith, 

rwoodsmith@fs.fed.us, Threat Characterization 

and Management Program

Partners: Oregon State University; Stockholm 

University, Sweden; USDA Forest Service 

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

GOAL 1: Develop a fundamental understanding of ecological, social, and economic systems and their interactions 17
Miles Hemstrom

The varied topography in eastern Washington historically helped 

contain wildfire. Climate change may override this control.

18 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Topography controlled 

historical fire patterns in 

eastern Washington 

Station scientists and collaborators 

have analyzed historical data for fires that 

burned between 1700 and 1900 in eastern 

Washington. These fires predate the fire 

suppression efforts of the 20th century 

and, therefore, provide valuable information about the historical fire regime in 

this mountainous region that experienced 

frequent, low-severity fires. By using these 

data, scientists developed computer simulation models that replicate complicated 

patterns of historical fire over space and 

time by tuning a few key parameters. They 

discovered mathematical relationships that 

reveal (1) the topographic complexity of 

fire-prone landscapes and (2) the relative 

influences of climate, topography, and fuels 

across multiple spatial and temporal scales. 

This analysis yielded two pieces of 

information that are unprecedented in firehistory research: (1) statistical properties 

of topographic controls (such as ridges or 

canyons) on fire spread and (2) estimates of 

historical fire-size distributions. The 200-

year data set, precise information on fire 

locations, spatial statistics, and 

these simulations are enabling 

researchers to glean more 

information about historical fire 

regimes than would be possible 

from reconstructing individual 

fires. 

This work makes it possible 

to identify landscapes where 

small changes in environmental 

drivers, such as climate, might 

lead to significant changes in fire 

regimes by overriding the topographic controls on fire spread. 

Contact: Don McKenzie, 

donaldmckenzie@fs.fed.us, 

Threat Characterization and 

Management Program 

Partner: University of Washington

Invasive plants appear less 

competitive than native plants 

in more severely burned sites

Reestablishing native vegetation 

after severe fire is an ongoing 

challenge for land managers. Postfire 

landscapes have been shown to facilitate 

establishment of invasive, nonnative 

plants, yet the role of fire severity on their 

establishment and growth is unclear. 

Exposure of soil to intense fire that 

completely burns large pieces of decaying 

wood during wildfire greatly reduces 

soil microbes and nutrients, potentially 

facilitating invasion by nonnative plant 

species. Such severely burned soils show a 

distinctive color change where the top layer 

of mineral soil changes to various shades of 

red owing to oxidation of soil nutrients. 

Scientists found that nonnative plants 

grew more rapidly than native plants in 

both the severely burned red and less 

severely burned black soil. Despite this 

rapid growth, nonnative plant biomass 

was significantly lower in red soil, whereas 

native plant biomass did not differ between 

red and black soils. These findings suggest 

that some native species may outperform 

invasive species in severely burned areas. 

Knowledge of the impact of severe surface 

burning on soil nutrients, soil microbial 

communities, and postfire plant recolonization is critical to forest recovery projects. 

These findings provide a scientific basis 

for developing rehabilitation plans, particularly to support the use of native plants 
Researchers measure soil respiration as part of postfire study on the Deschutes National Forest.

Doni McKay

GOAL 1: Develop a fundamental understanding of ecological, social, and economic systems and their interactions 19

and to take advantage of postfire conditions 

where native plants may out-compete nonnative species.

Contact: Jane E. Smith, jsmith01@fs.fed.us, 

Land and Watershed Management Program

Partners: Oregon State University, USDA 

Forest Service Deschutes National Forest 

Plant-microbe associations 

release key nutrients from rocks 

It has long been observed that chemical 

elements in soil such as potassium, calcium, 

and nitrogen, essential to plant growth, are 

lost at different rates after disturbance, and 

similarly, build back in the soil at different rates. Some of the drivers behind the 

reacquisition processes, however, are not 

well known.

Through a series of laboratory and field 

experiments, researchers determined that 

pioneer plant-microbe associations play 

a key role in acquiring nutrients directly 

from rock particles rather than simply 

through free-moving soil water. Interactions 

between photosynthesizing green plants 

and fungi and bacteria associated with plant 

roots produce organic acids that dissolve the 

rock surface, making the minerals trapped 

inside accessible. The so-called “biofilms” 

and other structures create spaces where 

microbes and plant roots are in intimate 

contact with mineral surfaces, and released 

elements are not lost through the soil water. 

This process likely increases plant productivity and carbon sequestration in plants 

and soils.

Researchers found that fungi and bacteria 

alone also can chemically weather rocks, but 

experiments using pine seedlings suggest 

that plants and microbes work together to 

speed the weathering process. Managing a 

disturbed landscape to assure the presence 

of important plant-microbe associations 

may lead to a more rapid recovery of critical 

ecosystem processes, soil productivity, and 

enhanced carbon sequestration.

Contact: Bernard Bormann, bbormann@fs.fed.us, 

Land and Watershed Management Program

Partner: Washington State University

Managing for single condition 

may not be best fit for 

dynamic aquatic ecosystems

High-quality fish habitat and 

strong, diverse populations of wild 

salmon and trout are often considered 

synonymous with old-growth forests 

(forests dominated by trees more than 200 

years old) in the Pacific Northwest. The 

attributes of streams that run through these 

forests are used as standards to assess the 

impact of management actions and for 
Researchers hike to study sites in the Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest in Montana.

Steve Wondzell

20

setting restoration goals, such as those of 

the Northwest Forest Plan. Streams in oldgrowth forests, however, represent a limited 

set of conditions. A synthesis of studies 

done since 1995 questions the efficacy of 

this approach. 

The scientists conclude that efforts to 

restore aquatic ecosystems to old-growth 

conditions will not produce the complexity 

of habitats needed to maintain strong populations of salmon and other resident fish. A 

landscape containing a mixture of successional stages may be a more appropriate 

setting for robust salmon populations. The 

shift in perspective may require managers, 

regulators, and policymakers to consider 

Tool: NetMap 

Description: 

NetMap is a community-based watershed science 

system comprising a digital watershed database 

for the Pacific Northwest, analysis tools, and user 

forums. This state-of-the-art, desktop GIS analysis 

tool contains about 50 functions and 60 parameters that address watershed attributes and 

processes such as fluvial geomorphology, fish 

habitat, erosion, watershed disturbance, road 

networks, wildfire, hydrology, and large woody 

debris, among other issues. NetMap is designed 

to integrate with ESRI ArcMap® 9.2.

Use: 

NetMap allows watershed analyses to be done 

at a fraction of the cost of current methods. The 

Willamette National Forest is using NetMap to 

prioritize road restoration and removal projects, 

and the Oregon Department of Forestry is using 

it to plan timber management. 

How to get it: 

http://www.netmaptools.org/

Contact: 

Gordon Reeves, greeves@fs.fed.us, Land and 

Watershed Management Program

tradeoffs between old-growth-dependent 

species, such as the northern spotted owl, 

and those that require a mixture of successional types. 

Contact: Gordon Reeves, greeves@fs.fed.us, 

Land and Watershed Management Program

Topography determines 

streamflow sources and 

seasonal runoff 

Where does the water in a stream 

come from? The answers to this fundamental question are critical for society’s 

well-being. Understanding the connections 

between streamflow and the surrounding 
Linked buffers, as diagrammed here, provide 

dispersal corridors for salamanders and other 

species.

Kathryn Ronnenberg

GOAL 1: Develop a fundamental understanding of ecological, social, and economic systems and their interactions 21

station scientists developed criteria for linking headwater habitat to provide overland 

connectivity for headwater amphibians and 

other biota that benefit from intact forest 

habitat conditions that allow terrestrial 

dispersal among watersheds. 

consideration in forest management planning at the stand to landscape scale.

Contact: Deanna H. Olson, dedeolson@fs.fed.us, 

Land and Watershed Management Program

Partner: USDI Bureau of Land Management

Local conditions influence 

salmon demographics 

Climate, geology, and regional species 

pools define ecoregions. In the Wenatchee 

subbasin of the Columbia River, association 

with a relatively dry ecoregion led to 

higher abundance of salmon and trout 

compared to a relatively wet ecoregion of 

the subbasin. Demographic parameters 

such as growth and emigration also were 

locally influenced. Population density of 

fish in headwaters was correlated with fish 

density in corresponding main tributaries 

of individual watersheds. By contrast, 

temporal variation of density in headwaters 

and main tributaries did not correspond 

beyond the timescale of a single season. 

Thus, large-scale influence (ecoregions, 

watersheds) was limited to overall density 

differences, whereas population dynamics 

are under local control with limited input 

from ecoregions. The observed difference 

in emigration rates between ecoregions 

could be due to different physical habitat 

characteristics or behavioral differences 

between the dominant salmonid species in 

each ecoregion.

Salmon are critical to the ecology of the 

Pacific Northwest and have high economic 

landscape is necessary for forecasting flood 

behavior and for understanding how land 

use affects water quality and quantity. Most 

research on streamflow generation and 

routing focuses on storms and peak flow 

responses. This study, however, focused 

on connections between hillslopes and 

streams across the full range of hydrological conditions. Researchers found that in 

most locations, hillslopes are only hydrologically connected to the stream during 

major storms or during spring snowmelt. 

In the few locations where hillslope drainage converges from large hillslope hollows, 

hillslopes remain hydrologically connected 

to the stream over most of the year. These 

patterns of connectivity explain the seasonal 

patterns of runoff observed across watersheds of different shapes and sizes. 

Contact: Steve Wondzell, swondzell@fs.fed.us, 

Land and Watershed Management Program 

Partners: Montana State University, Pennsylvania 

State University, U.S. Geological Survey

Providing habitat links across 

ridgelines lets headwater species 

traverse watersheds

Fragmented habitat prevents 

species from moving across the 

landscape. In managed forest landscapes, 

riparian buffers provide key habitat for 

aquatic and terrestrial species. These buffers are generally limited to the streamside 

and thus do not meet the habitat needs of 

amphibians and other species that tend to 

also use the upland forest. To remedy this, 

Habitat links can take into account target 

species locations, existing protections, 

land ownership patterns, climate change 

predictions (e.g., retaining habitats along 

north-south or altitudinal gradients), and 

the natural disturbance regime such as 

landslide-prone areas. Creating habitat links 

may be especially critical among watersheds 

with no aquatic connections. At the stand 

scale, forest management activities that 

extend and connect stream buffers can create habitat links.

This design creates a web of connectivity 

across a forest landscape, reducing forest 

fragmentation and providing dispersal 

corridors for a host of species. It is a tool for 
Tom Iraci

Jack Creek, Deschutes 

National Forest, Oregon.

22 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

and cultural values. These findings support efforts to enhance fish habitat and 

production. Strategies to manage for salmon 

production may benefit from an ecoregional 

context because local conditions appear to 

control salmon population dynamics, and 

ecoregions appear to define the range of 

variation in metrics related to population 

dynamics.

Contact: Karl M. Polivka, kpolivka@fs.fed.us, 

Land and Watershed Management Program

Partners: Bonneville Power Administration, 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

Wetlands are sources of 

downstream productivity 

Dissolved organic matter, including 

carbon and associated nutrients, is a critical 

component in stream ecosystems. As a 

food source for stream micro-organisms, 

it supports the productivity of the entire 

food web. In southeast Alaska, the downstream transfer of dissolved organic matter 

from wetlands to estuaries and the Gulf of 

Alaska stimulates food webs that support 

important sport and commercial fisheries. 

In ongoing research on the biogeochemistry of wetlands and streams, 

researchers found that soil type and 

hydrologic pathways control the amount 

and biodegradability of dissolved organic 

matter exported by rain-forest streams. 

They also found that the quantity and 

quality of the organic matter transferred 

downstream to estuaries was greatest during 

storms, and that the amount and form 

of carbon in the organic matter changes 

seasonally. 

Understanding the controls on organic 

matter transfers to marine ecosystems is 

a first step in predicting the impact of 

climate-induced changes in stream hydrology and soil processes.

Contact: Rick Edwards, rtedwards@fs.fed.us, 

Land and Watershed Management Program

Partners: University of Alaska Southeast; U.S. 

Cooperative State Research, Education, and 

Extension Service Program

Nationwide study finds 

similarities, differences in 

stream chemistry responses to 

harvest and other disturbances

Forests provide high-quality water 

for downstream and instream uses. 

Stream chemistry is a major water quality 

parameter and responds to forest harvest 

and other disturbances to forest cover. 

Forest managers need to be able to predict 

how forest harvest and other disturbances 
GOAL 1: Develop a fundamental understanding of ecological, social, and economic systems and their interactions 23

Through collaborations with researchers 

at 10 other experimental forests across the 

country, the scientists are comparing the 

magnitude of responses among forest type 

and with differing nutrient limitations to 

harvest as well as to natural disturbances, 

including fire, hurricane, and insect infestations. Understanding the effects of disturbance, including forest management, on 

critical ecosystem processes facilitates the 

design of management options that minimize disruption of normal nutrient cycling. 

It also provides a foundation to predict 

Sherri Johnson

Researchers process water samples as part of a nationwide study on the effects of disturbance on 

ecosystem processes such as nutrient cycling. 

will affect water quality to meet federal and 

state Clean Water Act guidelines. To help 

provide this information, station scientists 

are reexamining long-term stream biogeochemistry data collected before and after 

forest harvest and thinning from gauged 

basins at the H.J. Andrews Experimental 

Forest to quantify relationships between 

amount and type of harvest and instream 

responses. Thus far, they have observed 

short-term increases of instream nitrate 

concentrations and export after clearcutting 

but little change with thinning. 

responses in water quality and recovery time 

in forested watersheds following disturbances such as fire and insect infestation.

Contact: Sherri L. Johnson, sherrijohnson

@fs.fed.us, Ecological Process and Function 

Program

Partners: National Council for Air and Stream 

Improvement; Oregon State University; University 

of Alaska-Fairbanks; University of New Hampshire; 

USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, 

Pacific Southwest Research Station, Rocky 

Mountain Research Station, and Southern 

Research Station

New hypothesis for yellowcedar decline links calcium 

accumulation to nitrogen 

cycles and rooting depth 

Yellow-cedar and western redcedar 

are two valuable tree species of Pacific 

Northwest forests. They grow well in wet 

soils with limited nitrogen—areas where 

many other species don’t. Station scientists 

formulated a new hypothesis that explains 

how cedar trees survive in marginal conditions, yet have roots that are susceptible to 

freezing injury—an occurrence that has 

killed more than 500,000 acres of yellowcedar in southeast Alaska. The hypothesis 

proposes a mechanism whereby cedar trees 

assimilate nitrogen as nitrate, but must 

accumulate a counter-ion to nitrate, such 

as calcium, to control their internal cell pH 

and provide electrochemical balance. The 

simultaneous acquisition of calcium and 

nitrate requires the trees to maintain shallow roots to acquire nitrate, as nitrification 

does not occur in the deeper, acidic soils. 
24 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

This may lead to a greater predominance of 

superficial fine roots of yellow-cedar relative to redcedar, which makes yellow-cedar 

more susceptible to freezing injury.

The cedar-nitrate hypothesis provides a 

means to design focused experiments to test 

this hypothesis and understand the possible successional pathways of cedars related 

to soil nutrient cycles. The interaction of 

cedars with soil nutrient cycles expands the 

potential interactions that must be considered in understanding yellow-cedar decline, 

as well as the ecology of cedars in general. 

Contact: David D’Amore ddamore@fs.fed.us, 

Land and Watershed Management Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Forest Health 

Protection, Northern Research Station, and State 

and Private Forestry; University of Vermont

New analysis of historical data 

on old-growth Douglas-fir yields 

valuable insights

In the 1960s, as part of a wood 

quality study, thousands of Douglasfir trees were harvested from old-growth 

forests in the Pacific Northwest. A station 

scientist recently analyzed some of these 

original measurements. Because destructive 

sampling of old trees is no longer tenable, 

these data offer a unique opportunity to 

understand relationships between tree size, 

branch and crown dimensions, and forest 

density. Results suggest that the branch 

structure of large-diameter, young Douglasfir trees is not the same as that of older ones 

with comparable girth. This is valuable 

information for forest managers designing management strategies that attempt to 

accelerate the growth of younger forests to 

create habitat for organisms associated with 

old forests. The variability in tree crowns 

documented in the historical data set also 

underscores the importance of avoiding 

small samples from a few locations when 

attempting to draw inferences about the 

crown architecture of Douglas-fir trees. 

The new analysis offers evidence that 

investment in research can pay dividends 

over decades, and that old studies can shed 

light on contemporary questions. 

Contact: Susan Hummel, shummel@fs.fed.us, 

Goods, Services, and Values Program

Branch architecture and wood 

density determine leaf functional 

traits in tropical trees 

Rates of photosynthesis, transpiration, and efficiency of water movement 

through leaves differ by tree species. These 

functional traits provide valuable information about how a species might respond to 

different environmental conditions, and 

when examined collectively, how the entire 

ecosystem may respond. In tropical forests, 

however, the sheer number of different tree 

species presents daunting challenges for 

interpreting and predicting the functional 

traits of the forest canopy based on a small 

subset of species. 

Data collected in the 1960s have lasting value. 

U.S. Forest Service
GOAL 1: Develop a fundamental understanding of ecological, social, and economic systems and their interactions 25

Therefore, researchers looked for common denominators that would be relatively 

easy to measure, yet would still provide the 

needed information. Working along a rainfall gradient across the Isthmus of Panama, 

researchers found that wood density and 

simple architectural features such as leaf 

area to sapwood area ratio accounted for a 

large fraction of the variation in leaf and 

stem functional traits among tree species. 

This information will help tree physiologists, plant ecologists, and vegetation 

modelers who are interested in developing common rules to better describe the 

behavior of trees and complex, multispecies 

ecosystems under a variety of environmental 

conditions. 

Contact: Rick Meinzer, fmeinzer@fs.fed.us, 

Ecological Process and Function Program

Partners: North Carolina State University; 

Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; 

University of Miami

Trees rely on two principal 

mechanisms for avoiding 

hydraulic failure 

As water is pulled from the roots to the 

leaves under negative pressure, or tension, 

air bubbles known as emboli may enter and 

block the water-conducting xylem tissue. 

Previous studies on the ways in which 

plants avoid embolism have focused primarily on the role of xylem structure in avoiding catastrophic hydraulic failure. A new 

analysis of more than 100 woody species 

suggests that there is actually a continuum 

of relative reliance on two main mechanisms that confer hydraulic safety. Species 

with low water storage capacity and denser 

wood experience greater daily maximum 

xylem tension and appear to rely primarily 

on xylem structural features to avoid embolism. Species with high water storage capacity and low wood density appear to avoid 

embolism by relying on transient release 

of stored water to constrain transpirationinduced fluctuations in xylem tension.

The findings are fundamental to understanding how trees maintain safety margins 

in the face of environmental stress. Findings will result in more realistic modeling 

of tree species distribution and performance 

under different climate regimes. 

Contact: Rick Meinzer, fmeinzer@fs.fed.us, 

Ecological Process and Function Program

Partner: Oregon State University

Leaves are the first line of 

hydraulic defense in conifers 

and other woody species 

The hydraulic efficiency of leaves 

decreases as drought stress increases, 

eventually resulting in reduced photosynthesis. By using various techniques, 

including detection of ultrasonic acoustic 

emissions and imaging of dehydrated leaves 

flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen, researchers 

determined that water-stress-induced loss 

of leaf hydraulic efficiency in two pine 

species and two shrubs was directly related 

to emboli—or air bubbles—in the leaf 

xylem. They also found that emboli formed 

daily in field-grown plants and that the 

process was reversed in the afternoon and 

overnight. Rapidly reversible embolism in 

leaves may constitute part of an essential 

hydraulic signal that triggers stomatal 

closure, ensuring the integrity of water 

transport in the stems upstream from 

the leaves. 

Microscopy of a fully hydrated Douglas-fir needle 

flash frozen in nitrogen. The xylem tissue is 

stained red and the phloem tissue is stained blue. Daniel Johnson

David Woodruff

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute 

canopy crane in a seasonally dry forest in 

Panama is being used to gather data on tree 

functional traits.
26 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The findings provide insights into the 

mechanisms by which plants respond to 

and cope with environmental stresses such 

as drought. 

Contact: Daniel Johnson, danieljohnson

@fs.fed.us, or Rick Meinzer, fmeinzer@fs.fed.us, 

Ecological Process and Function Program

Partner: Oregon State University

Genetics regulate concentrations 

of potential defense compounds 

in ponderosa pine 

Research clearly demonstrated that 

genetics regulate the concentrations of foliar 

piperidine alkaloids in ponderosa pine. 

These alkaloids are potential tree defense 

compounds against insects or pathogens. 

The highest quantities were found in seedlings originating along the western margin 

of ponderosa pine’s range in California, 

Oregon, and Washington. The lowest 

quantities were observed in seedlings from 

regions either in, or east of, the Cascades 

and Sierra Nevada mountains. No latitudinal gradient was detected among regions. 

The contribution of various seedling 

growth parameters and climatic conditions 

at the sites of parental seed sources were 

evaluated for their influence on the variability of alkaloid levels but were found to 

be only marginally important.

Measurements of alkaloid concentrations 

have the potential to function as an independent physiological indicator of tree or 

stand vigor and overall health for ponderosa 

pine. Future research will examine if trees 

with higher alkaloid levels are more resistant to attack from insects or pathogens. 

Contact: Rick Kelsey, rkelsey@fs.fed.us, 

Threat Characterization and Management 

Program or Brad St. Clair, bstclair@fs.fed.us, 

Land and Watershed Management Program

New genome sequencing 

method reveals a species’ 

evolutionary history

Organelle genomes from plants, 

animals, and fungi are used as genetic 

markers to track maternal diversity, historical migration, and maternally inherited 

fitness traits in wild populations. These genomes, 

which range in size from 

15,000 to 1,000,000 

base pairs, can now be 

efficiently sequenced in 

large numbers using “multiplexed massively 

parallel sequencing” (MMPS), a technique 

developed at the PNW Research Station. 

Analyses of complete organelle genomes 

from conifers (pine chloroplast genomes) 

and carnivores (fisher mitochondrial 

genomes) obtained using MMPS show that 

genetic parameters estimated from complete 

genomes are not accurately predicted by 

single organelle genes (a common sampling 

unit in conservation genetics). This finding 

highlights the importance of using whole 

organelle genome sequences when conservation decisions are based on molecular 

information. A genetics study on ponderosa pine reveals differences among seed sources. 

Brad St. Clair

Use: 

New genome 

sequencing 

method aids fisher 

and wolverine 

conservation efforts. 
GOAL 1: Develop a fundamental understanding of ecological, social, and economic systems and their interactions 27

The new method for genome sequencing 

is being used by geneticists at the Pacific 

Northwest and Rocky Mountain Research 

Stations to re-address estimates of population distinctiveness for fisher and wolverine 

in the Pacific Northwest. Results will help 

guide proposed reintroduction efforts by the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Contact: Richard Cronn, rcronn@fs.fed.us, 

Land and Watershed Management Program

Partners: Linfield College, Oregon State University, 

Rocky Mountain Research Station, Santa Clara 

University

Montane red foxes 

are ecologically and 

evolutionarily distinct 

Based on analyses of ecological, 

historical, archeological, fossil, and 

other data, scientists hypothesized that 

populations of red fox that occupy highelevation boreal forests in the Cascade 

Range, Sierra Nevada, and Rocky 

Mountains were derived from populations 

that were isolated south of the ice margin 

during the last glaciation, and that they are 

ecologically and evolutionarily distinct from 

red foxes living elsewhere. The scientists 

used genetic analyses to test this hypothesis. 

They found that the montane red foxes 

were derived from populations that had 

colonized North America from Asia during 

the penultimate glaciation and became 

isolated in ice-free refugia in the contiguous 

United States during the last glaciation. 

These results indicate that the montane 

red foxes are specialized to subalpine and 

alpine habitat conditions and do not cross 

intervening habitat areas. 

Given their long-term isolation and the 

extreme climatic conditions they occupy, 

montane red foxes may possess physiological 

adaptations that other populations lack. 

These findings support treating the 

montane red foxes as evolutionarily distinct. 

In California, the Sierra Nevada red fox 

is a state-listed threatened species, and 

their decline in the Sierra Nevada has been 

documented over several decades. The 

status of montane red fox populations in 

the Cascade Range and Rocky Mountains 

is unknown, but given the likely impacts 

of climate change on suitable habitat, this 

study may provide information for their 

future conservation.

Contact: Keith B. Aubry, kaubry@fs.fed.us, 

Ecological Process and Function Program

Partners: California Polytechnic State University, 

Kansas State University, University of California 

at Davis 

Rocky Mountain fox.

Dan and Cindy Hartman

John Rohrer

Wolverine. 
A researcher removes bark from an infested 

Douglas-fir tree to collect Douglas-fir beetles 

north of La Grande, Oregon. 

Elk herd. 

28 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Scientists identify genetic 

differences between populations 

of Douglas-fir beetle

The Douglas-fir bark beetle occurs in 

Douglas-fir forests in northern Mexico, 

western United States, and southwestern 

Canada. The beetle is a significant source of 

mortality for Douglas-fir. It is a particular 

problem in Mexico where Douglas-fir is 

considered a threatened species. 

Scientists identified a new subspecies 

of Douglas-fir beetles from a population 

in northern Mexico, based primarily on 

differences in physical characteristics. 

Variation within bark beetle species is 

important because it can mean different 

control tactics could be effective against 

different populations. Scientists tested 

multiple populations throughout the 

distribution of this beetle for genetic 

differences and found that Douglas-fir 

beetle has high intra- and inter-population 

genetic variation compared with several 

other bark beetles. These analyses also 

suggest that the genetic structure of this 

bark beetle species is strongly influenced by 

isolation resulting from geographic distance 

between populations. The observed genetic 

differences between northern (CanadaUnited States) and southern (Mexico) 

populations confirm that these two sets 

of populations correspond to previously 

assigned subspecies. Because of these 

differences between subspecies, beetle 

management tools that have been used 

successfully in Canada and the United 

States may need to be modified to be 

effective against populations in Mexico.

Contact: Jane Hayes, jlhayes@fs.fed.us, Threat 

Characterization and Management Program

Partners: Eastern Oregon University, Instituto 

Politecnico Nacional de Mexico 

Population density of North 

American elk significantly 

influences vegetation diversity 

Large herbivores, such as elk and 

deer, are common across western North 

America. Their impacts generally have 

been ignored in most management documents because their effects vary across 

landscapes. However, what herbivores eat 

and the resulting changes this brings to 

the diversity in understory plant species 

Gene Paul
Line officers on the Deschutes National Forest shared insights to their 

decisionmaking processes under the National Environmental Policy Act. 

GOAL 1: Develop a fundamental understanding of ecological, social, and economic systems and their interactions 29

Researchers conducted two NEPArelated studies. One 

examined the different 

approaches district 

rangers adopt when 

managing environmental assessment and 

disclosure processes 

under NEPA requirements. They found 

that district rangers 

differed greatly in 

their decisionmaking 

processes and how they 

adapt their management style to particular 

circumstances. Some 

view NEPA activities as risk factors in the 

management of other unit processes. They 

tend to avoid initiating projects where 

environmental assessments will be needed, 

or conversely, will commit significant 

resources to it. Others view NEPA activities as a negotiation process that creates an 

opportunity to meet the needs and values of 

a variety of stakeholders. Results from this 

study are being used to update training for 

Forest Service line officers. 

The second study compared the 

approaches used by the Army Corps of 

Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, 

Forest Service, and National Park Service. 

Researchers found little consensus 

regarding best practices for navigating 

NEPA processes. Some of the most 

positively viewed practices included using 

a dedicated staff writer to orchestrate the 

completion of NEPA documents, more 

direct inclusion of U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

staff on interdisciplinary teams, and early 

and informal public involvement. The 

breadth of conflicting ideas about NEPA 

revealed within this small sample of agency 

personnel suggests that an even wider 

range of interpretations of the act and its 

processes exists. This study highlights 

pathways of inquiry that could be highly 

relevant in charting a course for future 

implementations of NEPA requirements. 

Contact: David Seesholtz, dseesholtz@fs.fed.us, 

Focused Science Delivery Program

Partners: MacGregor-Bates Consultants, Virginia 

Polytechnic Institute and State University

and plant productivity may have cascading 

effects on other organisms, overall biodiversity, and on forest productivity. 

In a study conducted on the Starkey 

Experimental Forest in eastern Oregon, 

scientists observed significant indirect relationships between the number of herbivores 

in an area and plant productivity and plant 

diversity. Those subtle effects of herbivory 

may have strong effects on ecosystem 

functioning, even in plant communities 

that are relatively resilient to herbivory. 

This information may help land managers 

develop sustainable management practices 

for forest and range land including stocking 

levels of herbivores. 

Contact: Brian Dick, bldick@fs.fed.us, 

Ecological Process and Function Program

Partners: Idaho State University, 

University of Nevada, Reno

Agency approaches to 

NEPA differ widely 

The National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA) influences all 

aspects of federal land management. It 

requires federal agencies to consider the 

environmental impacts of 

proposed actions and to 

offer reasonable alternatives 

to those actions. Planning 

related to NEPA can be 

expensive. It is the Forest 

Service’s second largest area of expenditure 

after firefighting. 

Use: 

Forest Service 

uses findings to 

update NEPA 

training course 

for line officers. 

Rolando Mendez
30 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Study reveals trends in 

NEPA assessments regarding 

recreation planning

Researchers surveyed 106 interdisciplinary team leaders involved in 

recreation-related environmental assessment 

required by the National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA) to find out how they 

conceive of success in those processes. 

The online survey also explored common 

trends in these processes with regard to 

team makeup, project goals, analytical 

techniques, and process outcomes. Few 

team leaders felt that limiting recreation 

use was an important goal, nor were they 

in favor of maximizing recreation use. This 

suggests team leaders sought a balance 

between meeting recreation use and 

resource protection goals. The study also 

found that social science and recreation 

specialists were underrepresented on travel 

management interdisciplinary teams. 

Interdisciplinary team leaders were much 

more likely to have academic training 

in forestry or biological sciences than in 

recreation or social science disciplines.

Contact: Dale Blahna, dblahna@fs.fed.us, 

Goods, Services, and Values Program

Partner: Virginia Polytechnic and State University

Hoh River Trail, Olympic National Park, Washington.

Keith Routman
31

Tool: Current and future 

habitat suitability maps for 

invasive tamarisk species 

Description: 

Tamarisk species are shrubs or small trees considered by some to be among the most aggressively 

invasive and potentially detrimental exotic plants 

in the United States. Climate change has the 

potential to significantly affect the species habitat 

and distribution. These maps illustrate where 

tamarisk currently grows in Idaho, Oregon, and 

Washington, and where future habitat conditions 

may facilitate its spread. 

Use: 

Public land managers and private landowners will 

find these maps useful. Understanding invasive 

species distribution and habitat is critical for 

early detection and to coordinate management 

responses and eradicate species before they 

become widely established. 

How to get it: 

Kerns, B.K.; Naylor, B.J.; Buonopane, M.; Parks, C.G.; 

Rogers, B. 2009. Modeling tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) 

habitat and climate change effects in the Northwestern United States. Invasive Plant Science and 

Management. 2: 200–215.

Contact: 

Becky K. Kerns, bkerns@fs.fed.us, Western Wildland 

Environmental Threat Assessment Center

Communities in north-central 

Colorado and eastern Oregon 

are concerned about invasive 

plants

In Colorado, natural and human-caused 

disturbances, such as bark beetle outbreaks, 

housing development, and recreation exacerbate plant invasions. This study assessed 

public awareness and concern about invasive plants in a forested region. About 88 

percent of those surveyed reported having 

heard about invasive plants. However, 

respondents were unlikely to have heard 

about specific, locally problematic plants 

targeted for control. Most respondents had 

Pulling knapweed, an invasive species in eastern Oregon.

Tom Iraci

checked plants for invasive potential before 

purchase or planting, and a small minority 

had attempted to remove or reduce established invasive plant species. Another study 

in eastern Oregon found that family forest 

owners in the ponderosa pine ecosystem 

are most concerned about Canada thistle, 

leafy spurge, and knapweed, but are not 

very concerned about exotic weeds as a fire 

hazard. Building awareness about invasive 

plants is key to encouraging helpful public 

behaviors. 

Contact: Susan Charnley, scharnley@fs.fed.us, 

Goods, Services, and Values Program

Partners: University of Illinois 
GOAL 2: Assess the status and trends 

of ecosystems and natural resources 

and their uses

Near Black Butte, Oregon © Miles Hemstrom

G O A L A C C O M P L I S H M E N T S
• Deep groundwater mediates streamflow 

response to climate warming and will 

provide a major source of summer 

streamflow for the Western United 

States in the future.

• Projected changes in temperature and 

moisture over the next 80 years could 

dramatically increase the release of 

carbon currently stored in soil to streams. 

Station scientists developed new methods 

for quantifying fluxes of carbon from 

terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in 

southeast Alaska. 

• Statistical analyses that combine forest 

inventory data with remotely sensed data 

provide better estimates of forest conditions 

in Oregon and Washington than methods 

using only forest inventory data.

• New maps detail changes in Pacific 

Northwest forest lands from 1984 

through 2007.

• Southern rural areas are projected to 

experience the greatest increases in 

U.S. development through 2030.

Forest Inventory and Analysis summer 

management team meeting near 

Black Butte, Oregon. © Miles Hemstrom

Key Findings
Blue River outside H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest. 

34 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Groundwater will be major 

source of summer streamflow 

in Western U.S.

Prior efforts to model streamflow 

trends, and hence the availability of 

water, under future climate scenarios in the 

Western United States focused on snowpack dynamics. But snowpack is only one source of 

water. Station scientists found 

that groundwater dynamics 

exert a comparable, or even 

larger, control on future 

streamflow regimes than does snowpack. 

Different landscapes will have widely 

different responses to the same climate 

warming. Regions of the West with primarily groundwater sources will continue to 

have streamflow under climate warming, 

in contrast to areas served exclusively by 

snowpack, such as the southern Sierras in 

California. However, these same groundwater regions display maximum sensitivity 

to warming climate and will lose a significant proportion of their flow volumes, 

perhaps leading to unanticipated consequences for water quantity and aquatic 

habitat. 

Public water and energy utilities, such 

as the Eugene Water and Electric Board, 

are incorporating these findings with 

long-range management plans and strategies being developed by public water and 

energy utilities. 

Contact: Gordon E. Grant, ggrant@fs.fed.us, 

Ecological Process and Function Program

Partner: University of California at Santa Barbara

Use: 

Eugene Water 

and Electric 

Board uses 

findings to plan 

for the future.

New methods quantify fluxes 

of carbon from terrestrial and 

aquatic ecosystems in southeast 

Alaska

Mitigating increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide by increasing 

forest sequestration of carbon is a high 

priority for forest managers. Assessing 

management impacts on carbon in aboveground vegetation is straightforward, but 

accounting for fluxes from belowground 

storage pools is challenging. Projected 

Sherri Johnson

changes in temperature and moisture 

over the next 80 years could dramatically 

increase the release of carbon currently 

stored in soil. In a rain forest like the 

Tongass National Forest where terrestrial 

and aquatic systems are closely linked, 

increases in the amount of carbon and 

associated nutrients exported to coastal 

estuaries could have far-reaching impacts 

on estuarine productivity and fish habitat. 

Changes in freshwater fish habitat quality 

stemming from increased mobilization of 

dissolved organic matter, increased water 
Marbled murrelet on Puget Sound.

GOAL 2: Assess the status and trends of ecosystems and natural resources and their uses 35

temperature, and higher stream respiration 

could affect survival of salmon during egg 

development and early juvenile stages.

Scientists in southeast Alaska have 

established methods for quantifying 

fluxes of carbon from terrestrial and 

aquatic ecosystems across a gradient of 

forest structures. This research, coupled 

with adaptive management, will provide 

information on the magnitude of the carbon 

sink or source on the Tongass National 

Forest. It provides a powerful approach to 

understanding short- and long-term aspects 

of carbon sequestration on the forest, which 

can then be applied to regional and national 

carbon sequestration goals.

Contact: Rick Edwards, rtedwards@fs.fed.us, 

Land and Watershed Management Program

Partners: University of Alaska Southeast; 

USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, 

and Extension Service Program

Marbled murrelet populations 

are declining in the Northwest 

Forest Plan area 

The marbled murrelet, a seabird, is a 

threatened species under the Endangered 

Species Act. The 1996 Northwest Forest 

Plan is the guiding plan for managing the 

bird’s terrestrial habitat 

that runs along the coast 

of Washington, Oregon, 

and northern California. 

To determine if the plan 

is working, researchers 

have monitored murrelet 

population since 2000. By using at-sea 

transects in coastal waters adjacent to the 

plan area, scientists have estimated the size 

of the murrelet population, and it appears 

that from 2000 to 2009, murrelets have 

declined by 2 to 4 percent per year, depending on how the data are analyzed. Habitat 

losses have been minimal on federally 

managed lands; however, losses on private 

lands, and nest predation associated with 

urban encroachment have increased and 

may be responsible for some of the decline 

in population. 

Use: 

U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service uses 

findings to inform 

decision to keep 

murrelet listed as a 

threatened species. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service used 

this information in their status assessment 

of the marbled murrelet. Based in part on 

these results, the service determined that 

the species should continue to be listed as 

threatened. Resource managers are using 

these findings to evaluate the role of forest 

conditions in contributing to the observed 

decline.

Contact: Martin G. Raphael, mraphael@fs.fed.us, 

Ecological Process and Function Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service, National Forest 

System, USDI Bureau of Land Management and 

Fish and Wildlife Service; Washington Department 

of Fish and Wildlife

Marty Raphael
A researcher installs a video camera near a red tree vole’s nest.

Field crew measures tree diameter. 

36 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Nightlife of red tree voles 

caught on camera 

Red tree voles live high in the tops of 

coniferous trees in western Oregon and 

northwestern California. They are an 

important food for the threatened northern 

spotted owl, and there is concern that they 

may be declining as old forests are removed 

and replaced by intensively managed young 

forests. This has led to extensive attempts 

to survey them by searching for nests from 

the ground and then climbing trees to 

confirm that the nests were built by tree 

voles. But because the voles are nocturnal 

and so far from the ground, not much was 

known about their basic habits. To learn 

more, researchers used radio transmitters 

and video cameras to 

document the movements and behavior 

of red tree voles, from 

2002 to 2007. These 

studies are the first to 

describe the movements and foraging 

behavior of tree voles 

at night, when they 

are active in the forest 

canopy. 

Researchers found 

that 62 percent of 

the observed voles 

occupied home ranges 

that included multiple 

nests in different 

trees, and that voles 

sometimes came to the ground to move 

between nests if there were no interconnecting limb pathways between trees. 

Researchers also found that many 

tree vole nests could not be detected 

by ground-based visual surveys, 

especially in old forests, where nests 

were often located inside cavities in 

the broken tops of large trees. These 

findings will help land managers 

and ecologists design management 

plans for red tree voles and improve 

survey methods for tree voles. 

Contact: Eric Forsman, eforsman

@fs.fed.us, Ecological Process and 

Function Program

Partners: Oregon State University, 

USDI Bureau of Land Management

New methods yield improved 

estimates of current forest 

conditions

The Forest Service’s Forest 

Inventory and Analysis Program 

has been collecting and analyzing data on 

our Nation’s forests since the 1930s. This 

information is used by decisionmakers to 

decide policy, law, and regulation of forests 

at the state and federal level; by forest 

managers to understand the status and 

changes in the forest; and by the general 

public and researchers to understand how 

forests are affected by broad socioeconomic 

and ecological change.

In the Western United States, established 

forest plots are remeasured every 10 years. 

Forest managers, state and federal agencies, 

and other groups that need information 

about the current status of forests would 

James Swingle

Rhonda Mazza
Mount Hood, Oregon.

GOAL 2: Assess the status and trends of ecosystems and natural resources and their uses 37

prefer more current information. To help 

meet this need, station and university scientists explored using current remote-sensing 

data and previous measurements from 

national forests in Oregon and Washington 

to update plot information. By comparing 

the modeled outcomes with known conditions, they were able to identify a more 

accurate statistical method for updating plot 

information. They also identified ways to 

improve commonly used “nearest neighbor” 

methods for updating or filling in missing data. These findings could be used to 

support the Resource Planning Act, which 

requires the Forest Service to assess the 

Nation’s forest lands every 10 years. 

Contact: Tara Barrett, tbarrett@fs.fed.us, Threat 

Characterization and Management Program

Partner: Oregon State University

Maps illustrate 23 years of 

change on Northwest forests

By using historical remote-sensing 

data, researchers developed maps of 

annual forest change between 1984 and 

2007. These maps, with a resolution of 

98 feet (30 meters), of 

western Oregon, western Washington, and 

northern California show 

changes from timber 

harvests (thinnings to 

clearcuts), fires (low to 

high severity), insects and pathogens, and 

forest increase associated with recovery 

after disturbance. As a series, the maps 

contain an unprecedented level of spatial 

and temporal detail. The ability to illustrate 

forest change over time was made possible 

by publicly available satellite data and new 

algorithms developed by the station and its 

partners.

Land managers and regulatory agencies are using these maps to assess current 

land management, the status and trends of 

populations of threatened and endangered 

species, and develop innovative approaches. 

For example, the Northwest Forest Plan 

Effectiveness Monitoring Program is using 

them to assess the effects of forest management and natural disturbance on wildlife 

habitat for the spotted owl, marbled murrelet, and other old-growth-related species; 

watershed condition; and socioeconomic 

factors of forest-product-dependent communities. The National Marine Fisheries 

Service is using these data to assess effects 

of forest change on the threatened and 

endangered runs of the coho salmon in 

Oregon.

Contact: Warren B. Cohen, wcohen@fs.fed.us, 

Resource Monitoring and Assessment Program

Partners: Oregon State University, USDA Forest 

Service Pacific Northwest Region 

Use: 

Regulatory agencies 

use maps to assess 

land management 

and status of 

threatened and 

endangered species. 

Keith Routman
Map resolution can affect interpretation of stream length, which then leads to discrepancies in estimates 

of quality and quantity of riparian and aquatic habitat. Above: a creek on the Siuslaw National Forest.

38 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Map resolution 

influences analysis 

Digital maps of rivers and lakes are often 

used in research, planning, and monitoring for freshwater conservation across large 

areas. Such maps are publicly available, for 

example from the U.S. Geological Survey, 

or can be produced at different spatial accuracies and resolutions. Before this study, the 

influence of differences in map accuracy 

and resolution on broad-scale assessments 

of the quality and quantity of freshwater 

resources had not been well quantified. 

Researchers compared maps from the 

Oregon Coast Range and determined that 

differences in accuracy among examined 

maps were not large enough to appreciably 

affect landscape characterizations, such as 

the amount of old-growth forest estimated 

in streamside buffers. However, differences in resolution among maps caused the 

length of represented streams to differ by as 

much as 1,250 percent, yielding substantial 

discrepancies in the estimated quality and 

quantity of riparian and salmon habitats. 

These differences affected interpretation 

about small, intermittently flowing headwater streams and larger, perennially 

flowing streams.

These findings are helping researchers 

and managers understand the advantages 

and disadvantages of different stream maps 

in specific applications. This knowledge 

also facilitates comparison among studies 

and better communication. 

Contact: Kelly M. Burnett, kmburnett@fs.fed.us, 

Land and Watershed Management Program

Partners: Oregon State University, USDA Forest 

Service Natural Resources Inventory System

Scientist quantifies incidence 

and effects of insects and 

diseases in Oregon forests

The native insects, diseases, parasites, 

and animals that damage and kill trees 

in Oregon’s forests are natural parts of 

their ecosystems. They are as responsible 

for creating current forests as they are for 

destroying them. By weakening and killing 

trees, these damaging agents promote the 

natural succession that allows new trees and 

forests to establish and grow. When forest 

conditions are outside their normal range of 

variation, however, the behavior of damaging agents may also depart from normal 

ranges. 

To provide a baseline that can be used 

to assess future changes, a station scientist quantified the incidence and effects 

of insects, diseases, and other damaging 

agents in Oregon forests between the mid1980s and the late 1990s. He found that 36 

percent of live trees had some damage, with 

more trees damaged on the east side of the 

Cascades than on the west side. The most 

Tom Iraci
Atlanta, Georgia, suburb.

GOAL 2: Assess the status and trends of ecosystems and natural resources and their uses 39

common damages were physical injuries or 

defects such as dead tops, basal scars, and 

forks. Average annual mortality was just 

under 1 percent. Of that, bark beetles were 

the most common cause of mortality, followed by root disease. Conifers were found 

to have higher mortality rates from bark 

beetles when root disease was present than 

when it was not. 

Contact: Sally Campbell, scampbell01@fs.fed.us, 

Resource Monitoring and Assessment Program 

Partner: USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest 

Region

For more information: Dunham, Paul A. 2008. 

Incidence of insects, diseases, and other damaging 

agents in Oregon forests. Resour. Bull. PNW-RB-257. 

Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 

89 p.

Southern rural areas projected 

to experience greatest increases 

in development 

Rapid development of rural land 

is projected to continue as the U.S. 

population grows. This may reduce the 

capacity of these lands to produce the 

goods, services, and functions critical to 

society. Combining population projections 

and trends in people per housing unit with 

development indices, researchers projected 

that developed area in the United States 

will increase by 54 million acres between 

2003 and 2030. The greatest absolute 

increases are projected to occur in the 

Southeast and South Central regions of 

the country. Continued declines in the 

number of people per housing unit also will 

contribute to the rate of rural development 

because more housing units will be needed 

to accommodate the population. As the area 

of rural land decreases, greater demands 

will be placed on remaining open space. 

More emphasis on open-space conservation 

through regulatory, incentive, or other 

programs may decrease the rates of rural 

land conversion in the coming decades. 

Contact: Ralph Alig, ralig@fs.fed.us, 

Goods, Services, and Values Program

Partner: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Mark Godfrey © 2004 The Nature Conservancy
GOAL 3: Develop science-based 

options for informed management

Cold Springs Fire, Mount Adams, Washington, 

by Rhonda Mazza

G O A L A C C O M P L I S H M E N T S
Researchers plant trees as part of a study on the Deschutes National Forest 

to learn about recolonization of ectomycorrhizal fungi on tree roots.

• Pacific salmon may be better served by freshwater habitat recovery 

strategies that focus on natural processes and variability rather 

than those that attempt to maintain or engineer a desired set of 

conditions through time.

• MAPSS Fire Forecasting System accurately calculates total area 

burned and total firefighting expenditures in the conterminous 

United States during the 2008 fire season. Scientists present 2009 

seasonal forecast to fire managers throughout the West.

• Decision-support system advances evaluation of wildland 

fire danger and prioritization of forest fuels treatments in 

the Pacific Northwest region.

• National study compares outcomes of commonly used fuel 

reduction treatments, providing needed information for land 

managers who must choose which treatments to use.

• Assessments of treatments to reduce fire hazard in part of 

Oregon and northern California indicate that removing only 

small trees is not an economical or effective way to reduce fire 

hazard; large, merchantable trees need to be removed as well. 

• First Approximation of Fire Hazard and Fire Risk establishes protocol 

for estimating hazard and risk of wildland fire on a national scale.

• New model projects number of potential jobs and cost of reducing 

fire hazard on national forests in the Western United States. 

• Wildfire risk assessments on the Deschutes National Forest 

highlight priority areas for fuel treatments to protect specific 

human and ecological values. 

• Spring budburst in Douglas-fir can be modeled using a range 

of temperature combinations that meet chilling and forcing 

requirements. This allows budburst to be predicted for a wide 

range of future climate scenarios. 

Doni McKay

• Landscape models indicate that maintaining working forests in 

central Oregon rather than converting them to residential use 

results in lower fuel levels, more winter range for mule deer, and 

sustainable production of timber and other forest products. 

• Scientists develop a method rural forest communities can use to 

assess their transition from a timber-based economy to one based 

on amenities that attract tourists, second homes, and retirees. The 

method can help communities identify their current transition 

phase and possible policies that may mitigate foreseeable conflicts. 

• Published airborne laser scanning (LIDAR) specifications make 

technology more useable.

• Combining aggregated and dispersed retention of live trees in 

harvest units provides substantial ecological and social benefits. 

Key Findings and Products
Salmon have different habitat needs during different phases of life. The Olympic Experimental State 

Forest (above) supports many salmon runs.

Pete Bisson

42 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Scientists propose new focus 

for salmon habitat recovery 

strategies

A common tactic for restoring 

freshwater habitat for Pacific salmon 

has been to maintain or engineer a desired 

set of habitat conditions through time. 

Station scientists proposed a new approach 

for habitat recovery that focuses on the 

importance of natural variability in habitat 

resilience. They identified three factors 

that support the productivity of salmon 

in freshwater ecosystems: (1) capacity of 

habitat to recover after disturbance, (2) 

diversity of habitats necessary to meet the 

salmon needs during different phases of 

life, and (3) ecological connectivity. 

They identified three steps to developing 

such management strategies: (1) Establish 

environmental targets that are compatible 

with natural disturbance and recovery processes. (2) Assess the current and potential 

threats to reestablishing complex natural 

habitats. (3) Determine if the planning area 

is sufficiently large to achieve the three 

criteria for habitat resilience and when and 

where it will be necessary to apply restoration techniques to help promote them.

Contact: Pete Bisson, pbisson@fs.fed.us, 

Land and Watershed Management Program 

Partner: U.S. Geological Survey Forest and 

Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Fire forecasting system 

accurately calculates area 

burned and costs for 2008

The station produces continuously 

updated 7-month forecasts of fire 

danger and drought for the conterminous 

United States using the MC1 Dynamic 

General Vegetation Model. 

In 2009, scientists worked 

to increase the spatial 

resolution of the fire forecasting system by more than two orders of 

magnitude, bringing the focus down from 

grid cells of 50 square kilometers (km) to 4 

square km. A “hindcast” of acreage burned 

in 2008 at the increased resolution was just 

2 percent below actual burned area reported 

by the National Interagency Fire Center. 

Scientists also began providing output from their fire forecasting system 

to researchers at the Rocky Mountain 

Research Station for use in predicting total 

annual firefighting expenditures. Preliminary results show these forecast-based 

regression models are significantly better at 

predicting total seasonal expenditures than 

the professional judgment approach currently used at the National Interagency Fire 

Center. Actual total firefighting expenditures for the 2008 fire season were about 

$1.25 billion. The predicted expenditure 

based on the 50-km hindcast for 2008 was 

about $1.21 billion, or just 3 percent below 

observed. 

Nearly 200 land managers from various 

resource agencies receive monthly alerts 

Use: 

Forecasts help fire 

managers plan for 

2009 fire season.
Prescribed burn on the 

Okanogan-Wenatchee 

National Forest. Tom Iraci

GOAL 3: Develop science-based options for informed management 43

about new fire forecasts posted on the 

Mapped Atmosphere-Plant-Soil System 

(MAPSS) Web site. In April, the 2009 

seasonal forecast was presented to fire 

managers throughout the West. 

Contact: James M. Lenihan; jlenihan@fs.fed.us, 

Ecological Process and Function Program

Partners: National Interagency Coordination 

Center, Oregon State University

For more information: http://www.fs.fed.us/

pnw/mdr/mapss/fireforecasts/index.shtml

New prototypes provide 

advanced evaluations of 

wildfire danger

Federal land-management agencies responsible for managing forest 

fuels have been strongly criticized in recent 

years by Congress and oversight agencies 

for lacking a rational process for allocating 

funds for fuel treatment. To remedy this, 

since 2006, scientists have been using the 

Ecosystem Management Decision Support 

system to develop national level decisionsupport applications for fuel analysis and 

fuel-treatment planning for the Forest Service and U.S. Department of the Interior. 

This year, the project undertook advanced 

and comprehensive fuel evaluations at fine 

spatial scales. Separate prototypes were 

developed for the Pacific Northwest and 

western Montana. Both prototypes provide 

advanced evaluations of wildfire danger at 

the subwatershed scale (roughly 25,000 to 

30,000 acres), drawing on data from the 

LANDFIRE Program, NASA, and other 

reliable agency sources.

The new prototypes provide “wall-towall” evaluations of fire danger for all subwatersheds in a geographic region. These 

units can be correlated with a wide range of 

administrative units such as ranger districts, 

national forests, Bureau of Land Management districts, and national parks. 

Contact: Keith M. Reynolds, kreynolds@fs.fed.us, 

Paul Hessburg, phessburg@fs.fed.us, Ecological 

Process and Function Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Fire and Aviation 

Management, Intermountain Research Station, 

Northern Region, and Pacific Northwest Region; 

USDI Bureau of Land Management, Oregon State 

Office 

Commonly used fuel-reduction 

treatments yield different 

outcomes

Scientists synthesized outcomes 

from the national Fire and Fire 

Surrogates project, evaluating the 

consequences of commonly used fuelreduction treatments. They 

found that the mechanical 

treatments to reduce fuel 

and prescribed fires produced different outcomes. 

In the short term, mechanical treatments were effective at reducing 

overstory tree density and basal area and at 

increasing tree diameter. Prescribed fire 

treatments were more effective at creating 

Use: 

Forest managers 

receive requested 

side-by-side 

comparison of 

fuel treatments.
Shawnita Nelson

Mechanical thinning followed by prescribed burning reduces crown fire potential. 

44

snags, killing seedlings, elevating the height 

to live crown ratio, and reducing surface 

woody fuels. Mechanical treatments 

followed by prescribed fire were the most 

effective treatment for reducing crown fire 

potential and predicted tree mortality. 

Findings indicated that if the management 

goal is to quickly shift stands toward 

conditions with fewer and larger diameter 

trees, less surface fuel mass, and more 

herbaceous species, the mechanical plus 

burn treatment is a reasonable alternative. 

Forest managers throughout the United 

States had asked for side-by-side comparisons of treatments to better understand the 

ecological and economic considerations 

for applying fuel-reduction and forest 

restoration treatments. Managers who are 

confronted with uncertainties in selecting 

from a set of fuel-reduction treatments in 

fire-prone ecosystems now have quantified 

and documented results upon which to base 

their decisions. 

Contact: Andrew Youngblood, 

ayoungblood@fs.fed.us, Land and 

 Watershed Management Program

Partners: Oregon State University; Texas Tech 

University; University of California-Berkeley; 

University of Montana; USDA Forest Service 

Northern Research Station, Pacific Southwest 

Research Station, Rocky Mountain Research 

Station, Southern Research Station, and 

Wallowa-Whitman National Forest; U.S. 

Geological Survey

Tool: New metric for measuring 

the fuel available for crown fires

Description:

 Crown bulk density (CBD), the metric commonly 

used to quantify canopy fuel available for combustion in the event of a crown fire, is difficult to 

consistently measure. It is a three-dimensional 

metric based on the mass of foliage, twigs, and 

an approximation of canopy volume of a stand of 

trees. Scientists developed an alternative, onedimensional metric that only uses the amount of 

foliar biomass per unit area in a stand. This metric 

is a novel solution because foliar biomass can be 

reliably estimated and is easily related to stand 

conditions including leaf area index, basal area, 

and transpiration. This new metric was found to 

be statistically equivalent to CBD when comparing 

the modeled minimum rate of spread necessary 

for active crown fire across a broad range of stand 

conditions. The new metric is the first potential 

alternative to the existing CBD metric since its 

introduction in 1977. 

Use: 

State and federal wildland fire and fuel treatment 

planners now have a more easily obtainable, consistent metric for assessing crown fire potential.

Contact:

James D. Dickinson, jddickinson@fs.fed.us, 

Ecological Process and Function Program 
Fuel treatments that included removal of trees 10 inches or larger 

in diameter more effectively reduced fire hazard and were more 

economical than treatments focused on smaller trees.

Jeremy Fried

GOAL 3: Develop science-based options for informed management 45

Model simulations quantify 

differences among fuel-reduction 

treatments 

Scientists evaluated the effects of 

simulated thinning and surface fuel treatments on 45,000 stands in low- to midelevation dry forests in the Western United 

States using the Fire and Fuels Extension 

to the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FFEFVS). They found that thinning treatments 

that left 50 or 100 trees per acre were more 

effective at reducing crown fire hazard than 

thinning treatments that left 200 or 300 

trees per acre. Prescribed fire was the most 

effective surface fuel treatment. 

This is the first study to statistically test 

treatment effects with FFE-FVS. These 

results support inferences from recent 

empirical studies about stand density and 

fuel structures on crown fire hazard. The 

concurrence of results from modeling and 

empirical studies provides quantitative support for “fire-safe” principles of forest fuel 

reduction. 

This study quantified what would constitute significant differences among a variety 

of thinning treatments. These findings will 

help forest and fire managers develop effective treatment options for reducing potential 

fire behavior in dry forests of the Western 

United States. 

Contact: Morris C. Johnson, mcjohnson@fs.fed.us, 

Threat Characterization and Management Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Forest Management 

Service Center and Forest Vegetation Simulator 

Group 

Focusing only on small 

trees is not an economical or effective way to 

reduce fire hazard

Increasingly large and 

severe wildfires threaten 

millions of forested acres 

throughout the West. Under 

certain conditions, mechanical thinning can address these 

hazardous conditions while 

providing opportunities to both 

obtain wood products and create renewable energy from the 

removed biomass. 

Station scientists created an 

analysis framework called FIA BioSum that 

uses the nationwide Forest Inventory and 

Analysis (FIA) database and allows forest 

managers to simultaneously assess the effectiveness of fuel treatments, the location and 

capacity of processing facilities, and project 

returns on investments. Using FIA BioSum 

to analyze the Klamath region in southern 

Oregon, scientists determined that under 

current harvest systems, product prices, and 

harvest and haul costs, only a tiny fraction 

of the region could be treated via operations that generate positive net revenue 

under prescriptions that focus on removing 

trees smaller than 10 inches in diameter. 

To expand the economically treatable area, 

logging or hauling costs would need to be 

substantially subsidized, or more merchantable timber (larger trees) would need to be 

removed. 

Another analysis simulated the outcomes 

of implementing three alternative policies 

with different overarching objectives in 

northern California, southwestern Oregon, 

and the east slopes of the Cascade Range 

in Oregon. This analysis suggests that a 

considerable number of commercial-size 

trees need to be removed to accomplish 

fire-hazard-reduction goals when objectives 

center on either maximizing net revenue 

or maximizing treatment effectiveness. 

Most of the softwood biomass that would 

be chipped and used to generate electricity came from the tops and limbs of the 

larger trees. Trees smaller than 7 inches in 

diameter were a relatively minor component 

of the chipped material. 

Contact: Jeremy Fried, jsfried@fs.fed.us, 

Resource Monitoring and Assessment Program
Tom Iraci

Hand thinning 

project, Siuslaw 

National Forest, 

Oregon. 

46 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Scientists develop national-scale 

protocol for estimating fire 

hazard and risk 

At the request of the national 

Wildland Fire Leadership Council, 

station scientists and partners developed a 

risk assessment protocol: First Approximation of Fire Hazard and Fire Risk. This 

formal risk framework uses spatially defined 

estimates of the annual likelihood of fire, 

the expected intensity, and the fire effects—

positive and negative—on values such as 

wildlife habitat, energy infrastructure, 

recreation, and human population density. 

This protocol will be used to establish a 

baseline from which national trends in 

wildland fire hazard can be monitored. 

Results from the project will also be used 

to strategically plan fuel-reduction treatments over time to mitigate ecological 

and human loss from wildfire. 

Contact: Alan Ager, aager@fs.fed.us, Western 

Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center

Partner: USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain 

Research Station

Station leads effort to evaluate 

thinning treatment to reduce 

fire hazard

Millions of acres of public forest 

in the United States have accumulated 

excess biomass after a century of fire 

exclusion, making them susceptible to 

uncharacteristically 

severe wildfire. Research 

by station scientists was 

used by the Southern 

Research Station to 

develop the Economics 

of Biomass Removal 3 

(EBR-3) Model. This model answers 

questions about the costs and benefits of 

fuel-reduction treatments. The PNW 

Research Station also coordinated an effort 

to use this model to evaluate thinning 

treatments on nonreserved forest land in the 

Western United States. Researchers found 

that five Forest Service jobs and six 

additional jobs would result from every 

5,000 acres treated. They also determined 

it would cost $1.9 billion per year to reduce 

the number of national forest timberland 

acres with high fire hazard by 20 percent. 

A portion of this cost, however, could be 

recovered through the sale of wood products removed. Over 10 years, these 

fuel-reduction treatments on western 

national forests would remove up to 0.15 

billion cubic feet of biomass suitable for 

bioenergy use. The station also contributed 

to an effort led by the Forest Products 

Laboratory to develop county-level 

estimates of biomass removal.

The Forest Service is using these findings 

to contribute to ongoing discussions about 

the agency’s role in addressing climate 

change, promoting renewable energy 

sources, and combating increases in 

wildfire suppression expenditures. 

Contact: Jamie Barbour, jbarbour01@fs.fed.us, 

Focused Science Delivery Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Southern Research 

Station and Forest Products Laboratory

Risk assessment helps prioritize 

fuel treatments 

Where will fuel-reduction treatments be most effective? This is a key 

question for land managers challenged by a 

finite budget and public expectations to 

protect specific highly 

valued resources while 

meeting goals to restore 

fire resilience to large 

forested landscapes. 

Focusing treatments in 

Use: 

Findings inform 

national discussion 

on climate change, 

renewable energy, 

and wildfire 

suppression costs.

Use: 

Deschutes National 

Forest uses risk assessment to develop a 

management plan for 

northern spotted owls.
Tom Iraci

Firefighters note ways that homeowners in the wildland-urban interface could reduce fire hazards. 

47

and around the wildland-urban interface to 

protect human property, for example, is less 

efficient and perhaps not compatible with 

landscape restoration goals to change the 

behavior of large fires. 

Work by station scientists and managers 

on the Deschutes National Forest demonstrated how risk assessment tools can be 

used to measure the relative wildfire risk 

to the wide array of human and ecological values found on federal lands. These 

analyses can guide management activities to 

protect specific resources including habitat 

conservation efforts for threatened and 

endangered species, such as the northern 

spotted owl, in fire-prone areas. Scientists 

also analyzed fuel-reduction strategies on 

a wildland-urban area, typical of eastern 

Oregon, abutting the Wallowa-Whitman 

National Forest. Both studies revealed 

spatial variation in burn probability and 

intensity that is useful for prioritizing fuelreduction treatments. 

Contact: Alan Ager, aager@fs.fed.us, Western 

Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center

Partners: USDA Forest Service Deschutes National 

Forest and Rocky Mountain Research Station

Web Page: Daily updates on 

new fire weather indicator

Description:

A new Web page was developed to assist the 

Northwest Coordination Center (NWCC) evaluate 

fire danger from ongoing wildland fires. The NWCC 

coordinates logistics support, aviation support, 

and predictive services for all state and federal 

agencies involved in wildland fire management 

and suppression in Oregon and Washington. 

The Web page provides daily updates on the 

“downdraft convective available potential energy” 

in the region, a quantitative meteorological 

measure that appears to track severe fire weather. 

This information helps fire managers plan for 

safety and resource deployment. 

Use: 

Predictive Service Meteorologists at the 

Northwest Coordination Center access the 

page almost daily. 

How to get it: 

http://airfire.org/firewx/dcape/

Contact: 

Brian Potter, bpotter@fs.fed.us, 

Threat Characterization and 

Management Program 
48

Postfire seeding does not reduce 

soil erosion following wildfire 

Slope stabilization treatments are 

applied after severe wildfires to increase 

soil cover, reduce soil erosion, protect water 

quality, and reduce risks to human life and 

property. The effectiveness of many common slope stabilization treatments, such as 

reseeding, remains in question, however. 

Station scientists assessed different 

reseeding treatments after several recent 

fires on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National 

Forest. They found that seeding winter 

wheat over portions of the burned area 

produced little or no additional soil cover 

following high-severity wildfires in the dry 

coniferous forest. They also tried seeding yarrow, a perennial native forb, and 

found this often increased cover of yarrow 

significantly, particularly when applied in 

combination with nitrogen fertilizer. In 

general they found the increased cover of 

seeded species was often offset by reduced 

cover of native, nonseeded vegetation. 

These findings suggest that seeded species 

compete with recovering native vegetation 

for limited soil resources after wildfire in 

dry coniferous forests, and that efforts to 

monitor the effectiveness of slope stabilization treatments by measuring seeded 

species cover alone are likely to overestimate 

treatment effects on soil cover, runoff, and 

erosion. 

Contact: Dave W. Peterson, davepeterson

@fs.fed.us, Threat Characterization and 

Management Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service OkanoganWenatchee National Forest, USDA-USDI Joint 

Fire Science Program 

Tool: Customized models based 

on BlueSky modeling framework 

Description: 

Users can now create custom consumption, emissions, and smoke dispersion model runs based 

on their specific model choices by using the new 

BlueSky Web-service functionality similar to that 

found in other online tools. This means users 

do not need to install any additional software. 

This new feature has led to the addition of new 

models, increasing the capabilities for the BlueSky 

framework, and to research studies aimed at using 

BlueSky’s functionality to understand model-tomodel variations, which can help focus model 

development.

Use: 

Through the National Fire Consortia for Advanced 

Modeling of Meteorology and Smoke partnership, air quality managers, land managers, and fire 

managers now have access to a national smoke 

prediction system that creates tailored smoke 

model predictions. Custom smoke model predictions are also helping managers at the Northwest 

Coordination Center understand model prediction 

uncertainties through an ensemble of daily customized smoke prediction runs that are produced. 

How to get it: 

To view current model predictions 

go to http://today.airfire.org; to learn 

about BlueSky’s capabilities go to 

http://blueskyframework.org. 

Contact: 

Narasimhan Larkin, larkin@fs.fed.us, 

Ecological Process and Function Program 

Reseeding studies on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest suggest that seeded species compete 

with recovering native vegetation for nutrients and water. 

Dave W. Peterson
GOAL 3: Develop science-based options for informed management 49

New method predicts spring 

budburst under different 

climate scenarios 

Most tree species have a chilling 

requirement (exposure to a certain 

amount of cold weather) and a forcing 

requirement (enough warm weather to 

trigger budburst) before the buds will burst 

in the spring. The chilling requirement 

is a protective mechanism that prevents 

budburst during warm spells midwinter. 

Results from a recent study indicate that 

the temperature range that will satisfy the 

chilling requirement for Douglas-fir is 

wider than previously appreciated. A new 

approach to modeling spring budburst 

calculates the temperature combinations 

that meet both chilling and forcing requirements and predicts the timing of spring 

budburst for historical and possible future 

climate scenarios. It predicts budburst will 

occur earlier in the spring with moderate 

winter warming; however, if substantial 

winter warming occurs, the model predicts 

budburst will be delayed because reduced 

winter chilling would increase the requirement for forcing temperatures. The modeling approach is consistent with reports from 

the literature for multiple species; thus, it 

may apply quite broadly. 

Partners: Oregon State University, Washington 

Department of Natural Resources, Webster Nursery

Contact: Constance Harrington, charrington

@fs.fed.us, Threat Characterization and 

Management Program

Study tests viability of 

assisted migration in 

response to climate change 

Successful reforestation and subsequent productivity of Douglas-fir forests 

require that trees are adapted to their planting site. Seed zones and breeding zones 

are used to ensure adapted planting stock 

by specifying relatively local seed sources. 

Local seed sources, however, may not be 

adapted to future climates given climate 

change projections. A possible solution is 

Brad St. Clair

Field crew planting a Douglas-fir seedling from a nonlocal seed source near Winlock, Washington, as 

part of a study on assisted migration. 

assisted migration, where seed sources are 

moved north or up in elevation in response 

to predicted climate warming. 

To test the viability of assisted migration, 

researchers planted seedlings from locations 

throughout western Oregon and Washington and northern California at nine 

sites in western Oregon and Washington. 

Responses of the different seed sources will 

be evaluated relative to test site environments and the environments of the seed 

sources.
A technician checks the weather station installed 25 miles east of Sweet Home, Oregon, as part of a 

study on assisted migration of Douglas-fir. 

50 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

These tests will contribute significantly 

to our understanding of the responses 

of different Douglas-fir seed sources to 

climate, and provide guidelines for choosing seed sources that will be adapted to 

current and future climates.

Contacts: Brad St. Clair, bstclair@fs.fed.us, 

Land and Watershed Management Program

Partners: Agenda 2020 Program; Cascade 

Timber Consulting; Giustina Land and Timber; 

Hancock Forest Resources; Lone Rock Timber 

Co.; Port Blakely Tree Farms; Puget Sound 

Tree Improvement Cooperative; Roseburg 

Resources; Starker Forests; USDA Forest Service, 

J. Herbert Stone Nursery; Washington Cascade 

Tree Improvement Cooperative; Washington 

Department of Natural Resources 

Landscape models connect 

natural resource impacts 

and potential development 

objectives 

In terms of housing construction, 

central Oregon has been the fastest 

growing region in the state for more than a 

decade. This change in land use has many 

implications including 

reduced wildlife habitat 

and increased fire risk 

to property. Scientists 

modeled potential 

scenarios for two tracts of private forests 

in Deschutes County depending on if 

they were developed for residential use 

or maintained as working forest. They 

compared the effects these two uses 

might have on mule deer wintering habitat, 

changes in vegetation composition, and 

wildfire conditions. 

They found that maintaining these lands 

as working forests would likely result in 

relatively low levels of landscape fuels, 

provide suitable winter range for mule deer, 

and generate forest products from sustainable forest management. Researchers also 

projected housing development in the upper 

Deschutes area out to 2050, showing the 

most pressure around existing developed 

areas such as Bend. The landscape analysis 

tools used in this study were developed 

as part of the Interagency Mapping and 

Assessment Project (IMAP).

Brad St. Clair

Use: 

Study informs 

decision by Oregon 

legislature to buy 

forest land.

A stand of ponderosa pine treated to reduce 

fuel levels and increase wildlife habitat.

Miles Hemstrom
Use: 

EPA uses research to 

explore ways markets 

might be used to help 

protect ecosystems. 

Managing for multiple forest uses may help 

rural communities adapt to socioeconomic 

changes.

GOAL 3: Develop science-based options for informed management 51

The Oregon legislature consulted the 

maps and analyses stemming from this 

project and authorized the sale of bonds to 

buy one of the tracts, which could make 

it a state forest. It also approved a plan to 

develop part of the other tract and offer the 

remainder for sale to the Deschutes Land 

Trust. The Deschutes Land Trust also 

referred to the study results when applying for funding under the Forest Legacy 

Program, a voluntary federal program in 

partnership with states that supports state 

efforts to protect working forests. 

Contact: Miles Hemstrom, mhemstrom@fs.fed.us, 

Focused Science Delivery Program

Partner: Oregon Department of Forestry

New techniques help rural forest 

communities plan for future 

Thousands of rural communities 

across the West have experienced 

significant changes in the last 30 years 

as management policies on neighboring 

national forests shifted from resource production to biodiversity conservation. Towns 

that once centered on timber or mining 

may now be hubs for recreation and tourism 

on the neighboring forest. Many have also 

become retirement destinations, a place for 

city dwellers to build a second home, or 

perhaps even telecommute while enjoying 

the natural amenities of the rural setting. 

The economic activity that follows these 

changes may benefit some communities 

and residents, but not all. 

Station scientists are studying the relation 

between public land management policy, 

amenity migration, and socioeconomic 

well-being in the Pacific Northwest. They 

show that managing for multiple forest 

uses may influence a community’s ability 

to adapt to these socioeconomic changes. 

They have developed a method for estimating a community’s socioeconomic resilience 

by evaluating the transition stages from an 

extractive, commodity-based economy to an 

amenity-based economy. This information 

can help a community identify its current 

transition stage, what to expect in the next 

Ecosystem services markets 

are not a cure-all to 

environmental woes 

“Ecosystem services markets” are 

among the latest buzzwords used 

by environmental policymakers and 

conservationists. But what is the real 

promise in ecosystem 

services markets and 

what can realistically 

be achieved by their 

implementation? To 

begin answering these questions, scientists 

published an article that outlines how 

environmental markets work in theory 

and discusses several issues that influence 

their effectiveness. They point out that 

the success of traditional approaches to 

ecosystem protection such as conservation 

easements and land trusts should not 

be overlooked amid enthusiasm for 

market approaches. Voluntary markets, 

in particular, are only one part of a 

larger solution at best and, at worst, are 

a serious distraction from addressing the 

difficult task of achieving an optimal 

level of ecosystem protection. Ultimately, 

ecosystem protection depends on public 

support. Educational campaigns that 

emphasize the societal value of functioning 

ecosystems may help garner the support 

necessary to enact and fund conservation 

efforts. 

State and Private Forestry staff are 

using these findings as an educational 

tool for partners and collaborators. The 

stage, and possible policy actions to mitigate foreseeable conflicts. Another study 

developed a method of manual indexing 

that allows a flexible and replicable way of 

assessing and ranking the amenity levels for 

communities at various geographic scales. 

Contact: Dale Blahna, dblahna@fs.fed.us, and 

Susan Charnley, scharnley@fs.fed.us, Goods, 

Services, and Values Program

Partners: Institute for Culture and Ecology, 

University of Illinois, Utah State University
A riparian recreation interface on the Cle Elum River, Wenatchee National Forest. What may appear to be a big ecological impact at the small scale may be insignificant at larger scales, especially when recreational benefits are considered. 

52 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Environmental Protection Agency also has 

consulted the lead scientist about ways to 

conceptually frame ecosystem services and 

how to measure them.

Contact: Jeffrey Kline, jkline@fs.fed.us, 

Goods, Services, and Values Program

Partner: M.J. Mazzota, Ltd.

For more information: Kline, J.D.; Mazzotta, 

M.J.; Patterson, T.M. 2009. Toward a rational 

exuberance for ecosystem services markets. 

Journal of Forestry. 107(4): 204–212.

Scale matters when integrating 

social and ecological systems

The scale of analysis used when examining social systems determines many 

of the processes that will be identified. 

This is true in ecological systems as well. 

Therefore, integrating social and ecological systems requires special attention to 

scale because system processes may change 

across scales. Researchers found that people 

interact with and value natural areas at 

multiple scales. For example, a person’s 

attachment to an individual campsite many 

differ compared to his or her attachment to 

an entire wilderness area. To identify potential conflicts between recreation and other 

resource uses and to ensure equal consideration of recreation requires a framework 

that considers management across multiple 

scales. Without multiscale and spatially 

explicit analysis of recreation along with 

other natural resources, important tradeoffs 

among different social and ecological uses 

and values could be neglected. By incorporating ecological criteria and scale concepts 

into recreation-planning frameworks, land 

managers can improve the foundation 

for decisionmaking by resolving issues of 

incongruent boundaries and mismatched 

scales.

Contact: Linda Kruger, lkruger@fs.fed.us, 

Goods, Services, and Values Program

Partner: University of Idaho

Habitat networks foster 

efficient broad-scale 

conservation planning 

One management challenge for 

wildlife species of conservation concern 

is determining how the requirements 

of multiple species can be reduced to a 

workable number and yet sufficiently 

represent the ecological needs of the 

comprehensive set of species. Habitat 

networks offer one promising approach. 

Linda Kruger
Cheatgrass, an exotic invasive grass, has invaded thousands of acres of native shrubland altering the fire 

regime and the ecosystem’s ability to support native fauna. Above: the Worland Basin in Montana. 

53 53

Scientists developed a habitat network for 

five groups of terrestrial vertebrates in the 

interior Columbia basin and a similar network for sagebrush-associated vertebrates 

in the Great Basin. This process revealed 

spatial patterns of habitat abundance, 

quality, and threats to habitat from invasive 

species. Watersheds in which all or most 

habitat had been lost were widely distributed across the ranges of old forest and 

sagebrush-associated species of the interior 

Columbia basin, indicating substantial 

declines in amount, quality, and resiliency 

of habitats. In the Great Basin, watersheds 

with abundant habitat at low risk were rare 

for key species groups. 

This study demonstrated that mapping 

habitat networks can foster efficient 

conservation planning at regional levels by 

identifying areas where efforts to protect 

or restore habitat will be most effective. 

This process can be augmented with spatial 

models that incorporate characteristics 

such as population connectivity and land 

protection status. 

Contact: Mary Rowland mrowland@fs.fed.us, 

Ecological Process and Function Program 

Partners: USDA Forest Service National 

Wildlife Ecology Program, USDI Bureau of 

Land Management, USGS Biological Resources 

Discipline 

Tool: Wildland Threat Mapper

Description: 

This virtual Earth viewer integrated with a search 

engine facilitates analysis of distribution and 

co-occurrence of various wildland threats and the 

values they affect. The search engine searches 

more than 30,000 global Internet map servers 

for spatial data sets. Query results connect to the 

map server, and map data are loaded directly into 

ArcGIS Explorer® where potential interactions can 

be identified. The search engine can also be used 

to locate a wide range of other natural resource 

data on a global scale.

Use: 

Geospatial analysts are using Wildland Threat 

Mapper to conduct a systematic assessment 

of Internet data relevant to wildland threat 

assessments. 

Partner: 

USDA Forest Service Remote Sensing 

Application Center 

Contact: 

Alan Ager, aager@fs.fed.us, Western Wildland 

Environmental Threat Assessment Center

Mary Rowland
54 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Published LIDAR specifications 

make technology more usable 

Airborne laser scanning (LIDAR) 

is a relatively new remote-sensing 

technology that has become widely used by 

federal, state, and local agencies for generating bare-earth surface 

models. It can also be 

used to measure forests, 

but agencies generally 

have lacked information on how to use it 

for this purpose. To fill this need, station 

scientists and the Remote Sensing Applications Center developed specifications 

for LIDAR missions where generation of 

high-resolution, bare-earth terrain models 

and forest structure measurement are the 

main project objectives. These sensor and 

flight specifications are based on a decade’s 

worth of knowledge from 15 LIDAR projects. They provide land managers with an 

up-to-date reference for planning LIDAR 

missions. The specifications ensure that 

resulting data will be of sufficient quality to 

produce high-resolution bare-earth surface 

models and forest canopy characteristics. 

The publication also includes specifications 

for typical LIDAR-derived products such as 

ground and canopy surface models, images, 

and data formats. 

The Colville, Coronado, and RogueSiskiyou National Forests, Washington 

Department of Natural Resources, and 

the U.S. Department of Energy are using 

the LIDAR mission specifications. The 

resulting LIDAR data are facilitating more 

accurate, timely, and cost-effective planning 

and design of forest management activities 

such as watershed analysis, fuel reduction 

and forest health treatments, and road 

system inventory.

Contact: Steve Reutebuch, sreutebuch@fs.fed.us, 

Resource Monitoring and Assessment Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Remote Sensing 

Applications Center and Coronado National Forest 

For more information: Laes, D.; Reutebuch, 

S.; McGaughey, B. [et al.]. 2008. Practical LIDAR 

acquisition considerations for forestry applications. 

RSAC-0111-BRIEF1. Salt Lake City, UT: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 

Remote Sensing Applications Center. 7 p.

Large-scale, operational 

experiments link scientists with 

managers to inform decisions 

In the past 15 years, the station 

has established numerous large-scale 

operational silviculture experiments on 

U.S. federal and state lands by using 

interdisciplinary approaches that address 

a broad range of ecological and social 

objectives. A number of findings have 

emerged from these studies. 

Use: 

National forests, state, 

and federal agencies 

use new specifications 

for collecting airborne 

laser scanning data.

Selective harvest and thinning treatments in this stand increased vegetative diversity.

Adrian Ares
Foresters examine the Blue 

Ridge study site in Washington’s 

Capitol State Forest as part of 

the Demonstration of Ecosystem 

Management Options study.

GOAL 3: Develop science-based options for informed management 55

•	 Silviculture operations such as selective

harvest and thinning can increase 

variation in stand structure, moving 

stands from uniform, even-age 

conditions toward the development 

of more complex structural 

characteristics associated with 

older, mixed-age stands.

•	 Retaining 15 percent or more of live

trees in a stand may be needed to 

protect residual trees, retain sensitive 

species, and gain public acceptance. 

•	 Retaining and recruiting down wood

in managed stands benefits grounddwelling organisms.

•	 Buffers on headwater streams provide

amphibian habitat, mitigate upslope 

harvest effects on microclimate, 

and provide connectivity across the 

landscape. 

•	 New technology for characterizing

and mapping forest structure and the 

underlying terrain has been validated.

Contact: Paul Anderson, pdanderson@fs.fed.us, 

Land and Watershed Management Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest 

Region, and Gifford Pinchot, Umpqua, Olympia, 

Siuslaw, and Willamette National Forests; USDI 

Bureau of Land Management; Washington 

Department of Natural Resources

Harvest pattern influences 

survival of forest-dependent 

species

The Demonstration of Ecosystem 

Management Options (DEMO) 

study was established in 1994 to evaluate 

the benefits of leaving some live trees 

standing as part of 

harvest treatments. 

The percentage 

of trees retained 

ranged from 15 

to 100, and the 

retention pattern also differed among 

study sites in mature Douglas-fir forests. 

Short-term results suggest that both 

dispersed and aggregated retention are 

needed to retain sensitive plants and 

animals, ameliorate harsh microclimatic 

conditions, and gain public acceptance of 

retention harvests. Although retention level 

had a greater influence on most ecological 

responses than did its pattern, retaining 

trees in aggregates of 2.5 acres provided 

several benefits over dispersed retention. 

Aggregates greatly reduced damage to and 

mortality of residual trees (particularly at 

lower retention levels) and provided shortterm refugia for forest species sensitive to 

disturbance or environmental stress. 

Use: 

Land managers in 

Pacific Northwest, British 

Columbia, and Tasmania 

apply DEMO findings to 

forest management. 

Tom Iraci
Black-tailed deer.

56

Based on these findings, a combination 

of aggregates larger than 2.5 acres and 

dispersed retention at levels considerably 

greater than current minimum standard of 

15 percent appears a general strategy for 

ensuring the short-term persistence (and, 

presumably, the long-term recovery) of most 

forest-dependent species. It also appears to 

be an effective treatment for gaining public 

acceptance of green-tree retention that sustains the ecological and commodity values 

of managed forests. These studies have 

garnered international interest—both in the 

findings and in the safety and operational 

aspects of green-tree-retention harvests. 

Contact: Charley Peterson, cepeterson@fs.fed.us, 

Resource Monitoring and Assessment Program

Partners: Oregon State University, University of 

Oregon, University of Washington, USDA Forest 

Service Umpqua and Gifford Pinchot National 

Forests, Washington State Department of Natural 

Resources 

Understory plants 

respond dramatically to 

thinning treatments in 

Tongass young growth 

Dense young stands of naturally 

regenerated trees have filled in 

the clearcuts of the 1970s and 

1980s on the Tongass National 

Forest. Lacking light, little 

understory vegetation is present in these stands, leading to 

concerns about the quantity 

and quality of forage for deer. 

To improve the management 

of young-growth stands for multiple 

values, including deer, the station and 

Tongass National Forest established four 

operational-scale, widely 

replicated, adaptive management experiments known as 

the Tongass-Wide YoungGrowth Studies (TWYGS). 

The fifth-year measurements 

of two of the experiments have yielded 

valuable information about responses to 

thinning in 15- to 25-year-old stands and 

to pruning combined with thinning in 

25- to 35-year-old stands. Researchers 

found dramatic improvements in abundance 

and diversity of understory vegetation in 

the treated stands when compared with 

untreated controls. Further analysis indicated a demonstrable increase in deer forage 

owing to active management. 

The TWYGS experiments are the 

primary means for monitoring the effects 

Tool: New deer model for the 

Tongass National Forest

Description: 

The values for this new model are derived from 

field data analyzed with the station’s Forage 

Resource Evaluation System for Habitat–Deer 

(FRESH-Deer), which is entirely transparent in its 

theory and calculations and is based on strong 

biological science. The model replaces a controversial expert-opinion model that led to legal 

challenges because of its hidden assumptions and 

relative lack of data-based analysis. 

The new Tongass model also includes a process for 

immediately incorporating new results from the 

young-growth silviculture adaptive management 

program Tongass-Wide Young-Growth Studies 

(TWYGS). The TWYGS results are original field data, 

statistically strong, and updated annually. The 

combination of FRESH-Deer and TWYGS provides 

the Tongass National Forest with an always current 

tool for quantitatively evaluating habitat and 

potential forest management alternatives. 

Use: 

The Tongass National Forest is using this model in 

routine land management planning and analysis. 

It is expected to greatly reduce contention around 

deer habitat analysis and related legal appeals to 

Tongass National Forest management decisions. 

How to get it: 

The FRESH-Deer habitat evaluation system is 

available at http://cervid.uaa.alaska.edu/deer/. 

The new Tongass National Forest deer model is 

available through Jim Brainard (jbrainard@fs.fed.

us) or Patricia O’Connor (poconnor@fs.fed.us) of 

the Tongass National Forest. 

Contact: 

Thomas A. Hanley, thanley@fs.fed.us, 

Ecological Process and Function Program

Use: 

Tongass National 

Forest uses 

vegetation data 

in new deer 

habitat model.
Olympic National Forest, Washington.

GOAL 3: Develop science-based options for informed management 57

of young-growth management under the 

Tongass land and resource management 

plan. The vegetation response data and outputs from the FRESH-Deer forage model 

are being used by the Tongass National 

Forest to develop a new deer habitat model 

for southeast Alaska. This new model will 

be used for project- and landscape-level 

planning.

Contact: Michael McClellan, mmcclellan@fs.fed.us, 

Focused Science Delivery Program

Partner: USDA Forest Service Tongass National 

Forest

10-foot spacing is optimal for 

longer term management of 

Douglas-fir 

Growth and mortality responses of 

Douglas-fir spaced 3 to 20 feet apart 

were compared among three sites of 

contrasting quality in Washington and 

British Columbia. During 25 years of stand 

development, stands planted at a 10-foot 

spacing maintained a high level of tree vigor 

and stability. They also experienced little 

or no competition-induced mortality. The 

relationship between stem diameter and 

stand volumes suggests that the 10-foot 

spacing enabled growth to be allocated 

equitably to development of tree size and 

stand yield. Each of these results provides 

supporting evidence that, independent of 

site quality, planting stands at a 10-foot 

spacing results in a desirable starting point 

for subsequent management of Douglas-fir 

plantations.

The research provides a biological basis 

for selecting appropriate planting spacings 

for Douglas-fir. Foresters will be able 

to compare effects of initial spacing on 

tree vigor, stability, and mortality and on 

stand growth and yield for sites that differ 

substantially in quality. 

Contact: Timothy B. Harrington, tharrington

@fs.fed.us, Threat Characterization and 

Management Program

Partner: USDA Forest Service Gifford Pinchot 

National Forest

Level of hardwood control leads 

to distinct stand structures in 

Douglas-fir plantations 

A vegetation management study initiated 

in 1983 continues to yield important results 

about longer term management of Douglasfir. At age 1 to 2 years, sprouts of tanoak 

and other evergreen hardwoods were treated 

with herbicides to reduce their abundance in 

two Douglas-fir plantations. The conifers 

were thinned at age 16 to 17 years to leave 

Keith Routman
Different treatments as part of a vegetation management study in southwest Oregon led to distinct 

stand structures.

58 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

densities of 120 to 190 dominant trees 

per acre. Depending on initial density of 

hardwoods, three distinct stand structures 

emerged 8 years later. (1) Highly productive, pure stands of Douglas-fir (39 to 52 

feet tall) occurred where hardwoods were 

completely removed. (2) Where 25 percent of the original hardwood density was 

retained, moderately productive stands of 

conifers (39 feet tall) overtopped the hardwoods (23 feet tall). (3) Where the original 

hardwood density was retained, conifers 

and hardwoods occupied the same canopy 

layer in a mixed stand of low productivity 

(26 to 30 feet tall). 

In southwestern Oregon, initial hardwood density in Douglas-fir plantations 

affects how the stands will respond to a 

subsequent precommercial thinning. The 

three stand structures that developed by 

age 24 to 25 years represent different 

opportunities for managing stands to 

produce habitat for wildlife and wood 

products for future harvest.

Contact: Timothy B. Harrington, tharrington

@fs.fed.us, Threat Characterization and 

Management Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Siskiyou National 

Forest, USDI Bureau of Land Management, 

Medford District

Bear-damaged logs often can 

still be used as lumber 

Washington’s Capitol State Forest is an 

important timber-producing area. The 

forest is also home to black bear, which 

use the trees as a food source in the spring 

and early summer, stripping away bark to 

consume sapwood that is rich in sugars. 

A high incidence of bear-damaged trees 

led forest managers to ask how the value 

and volume of lumber attainable from 

these trees was affected. Common practice 

when harvesting bear-damaged trees has 

been to cut the butt section of the bottom 

log (as bear damage is generally limited 

to this lower section) and leave it in the 

woods. Researchers compared harvested 

logs and found that the difference in log 

volume recovery between undamaged and 

bear-damaged logs was about 6 percent. 

They found that the butt 16-foot logs from 

bear-damaged trees were worth about 

5 percent less than the butt logs from 

undamaged trees. This suggests that an 

optimal harvesting policy would be to haul 

the entire butt log to the mill rather than 

cutting off the damaged portion and leaving 

it in the woods. Although the value of 

the damaged portion is lower, most of the 

lumber recovered from that section can be 

used, with only a modest reduction in grade 

and value. 

Contact: Eini Lowell, elowell@fs.fed.us, 

Goods, Services, and Values Program

Partner: USDI Bureau of Land Management 

Oregon State Office

Tim Harriington
GOAL 3: Develop science-based options for informed management 59

Freshly harvested Sitka spruce 

logs lose most moisture in first 

8 months of air drying 

The moisture content of freshly harvested logs affects many aspects of log home 

construction, including log processing, the 

durability of the resulting house, and transportation costs to the construction site–logs 

with high moisture content are heavier and 

thus cost more to transport. In southeast 

Alaska, large acreages of second-growth 

timber are now reaching commercial size, 

and log home construction is one potentially important use of the logs from these 

stands. Interest in adding value to Alaska 

wood products led station scientists to 

evaluate the feasibility of air-drying younggrowth Sitka spruce and western hemlock 

in southeast Alaska. 

They discovered that the fastest drying 

rates for both species occurred for peeled 

logs that were stored inside. Sitka spruce 

lost considerable moisture during the 

first 8 months. In most cases, western 

hemlock needed additional drying beyond Logs are air dried at the Ketchikan Wood Technology Center as part of a value-added study. 

David Nicholls

the 12-month study period to produce 

satisfactory house logs. Nonetheless, 

peeling logs, then air-drying them indoors 

for 8 to 12 months should allow sufficient 

reductions in shipping weight, and thus 

reduce shipping costs. These findings will 

help entrepreneurs determine appropriate 

levels of capital investment in the region’s 

wood processing infrastructure. 

Contact: David Nicholls, dlnicholls@fs.fed.us, 

Goods, Services, and Values Program

Partner: Ketchikan Wood Technology Center
GOAL 4: Communicate science findings 

and enhance their application

H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, 

Oregon, by John Laurence

G O A L A C C O M P L I S H M E N T S
Key 

 Communications

Key 

Annual open house 

at H.J. Andrews 

Experimental 

Forest, Oregon. John Laurence

• Scientists shared findings from 29 years 

of research at Mount St. Helens with 

researchers in other volcanic areas, 

including Alaska and Chile. They also 

hosted photographers, writers, and 

filmmakers who communicate insights 

about ecosystem response to volcanic 

eruption to diverse audiences.

• The Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center is 

established in Juneau to foster temperate 

rain-forest education and research.

• Scientists contributed expertise to a 

pilot project involving payment to rural 

residents in Vietnam for the provision 

of ecosystem services.

• New book contends progress on oldgrowth forest conservation can only 

be made by understanding how it fits 

in a dynamic social and ecological world 

defined by complexities, ambiguities, 

and the certainty of change.

• Field trips connect Portland children 

with the natural world in town and 

in national forest.
62 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Lessons from Mount St. Helens 

applied to other volcanic regions 

Mount St. Helens, a rich natural 

outdoor laboratory for 29 years, has 

yielded numerous lessons and insights that 

can be carried and applied to other volcanic 

landscapes throughout the world. Station 

scientists are sharing these insights with 

foreign governments and scientists to help 

develop studies in Chile and Alaska—

sites of intense volcanic disturbance in 

2008 and 2009. They are also facilitating 

related learning opportunities for graduate 

students. In preparation for the 30th

anniversary of the May 18, 1980, eruption, 

station scientists hosted photographers, 

writers, and filmmakers from numerous 

media outlets, including the National 

Geographic Society, New York Times, and 

NOVA. These articles and film will share 

findings about ecosystem response 

after volcanic eruption with the 

general public.

Contacts: Charlie Crisafulli, ccrisafulli

@fs.fed.us, Land and Watershed 

Management Program; Fred Swanson, 

fswanson@fs.fed.us, Ecological Process 

and Function Program

Partners: Parque Pumalin; University 

of Alaska (Anchorage and Fairbanks); 

University Austral de Chile; University of 

Nevada-Las Vegas; U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service; U.S. Geological Survey (Cascades 

and Alaska Volcano Observatories) 

Station lends expertise to 

payment for ecosystem 

services project in Vietnam

A station hydrologist and an 

economist traveled to Vietnam 

to assist with a pilot program involving 

payment to rural residents for protecting 

the forest-based ecosystem services. The 

project is part of the USAID Asia Regional 

Biodiversity Conservation Program. The 

program centers around the water quality of 

Da Nhim reservoir in Lam Dong Province 

in southern Vietnam, in the Dong Nai 

River basin. The hydroelectric powerplant 

in this central highlands region is paying 

upstream residents to not cut trees and to 

patrol the forest to prevent others from 

cutting them. Maintaining the upstream 

forest reduces erosion, which prevents 

sediments from filling in the reservoir, and 

thus maintains the powerplant’s capacity 

to generate electricity. About $3.5 million 

has been paid to residents since the project’s 

initiation in 2007. 

A hydroelectric company in Lam Dong Province, Vietnam, is 

paying residents to maintain and protect the forest.

Michael Furniss

Tom Iraci

Mount St. Helens, Washington.
Students participating in Forests Inside Out! at Oregon’s Sandy River Delta learn how to use GPS devices.

GOAL 4: Communicate science findings and enhance their application 63

The economist analyzed the payment 

system and contributed to a planning effort 

for tourism and development where the 

objective was to increase the percentage of 

benefits retained in the local economy. The 

hydrologist helped establish a monitoring system for water quality and provided 

training on mitigating the environmental 

effects of a road that traverses the watershed. This project is being closely watched 

by the Asian Development Bank, the 

United Nations, and other southeast Asian 

countries who have expressed interest in 

replicating it. 

Contact: Michael Furniss, mfurniss@fs.fed.us, 

Communications and Applications Group, Trista 

Patterson, tmpatterson@fs.fed.us, Goods, Services, 

and Values Program

Partners: Colorado State University, USAID, 

Winrock International, World Conservation 

Union (IUCN) 

Old growth in a new world

Old-growth forests have been 

an icon of the Pacific Northwest 

for more than 100 years. Despite their 

prominence in ecological science and policy 

debates, few studies 

have examined them 

in terms of a linked 

social-ecological 

system. The book 

Old Growth in a 

New World: A Pacific 

Northwest Icon 

Reexamined, published in 2009 by 

Island Press, examines the old-growth issue 

from the perspective of ecologists, social 

scientists, and stakeholders. The history of 

old growth in the Pacific Northwest is a 

history of social change. The science of old 

growth is maturing to incorporate ecosystem dynamics and complexity and the 

recognition that conservation of old growth 

sometimes means undertaking active 

management to achieve ecological goals. 

The collection of essays, and the conference from which they arose, have 

elevated the discussion of old-growth 

forests, leading to a productive discourse 

among a wide range of people and the 

groups they represent. 

Contact: Thomas A. Spies, tspies@fs.fed.us, 

Ecological Process and Function Program

Partners: National Commission on Science for 

Sustainable Forestry, Oregon State University, 

University of Washington 

Field trips connect Portland 

children with natural world

The station was a major sponsor of 

Forests Inside Out!, a series of 2-day 

indoor and outdoor experiences for 300 

children ages 6 to 10 and family members 

from diverse and underserved communities 

in the greater Portland metropolitan area. 

The World Forestry Center in Portland 

launched this program to promote active, 

healthy outdoor lifestyles for young children 

and their families, and creates positive 

and direct associations with urban forests, 

natural areas, and national forests. 

Forests Inside Out! centered around two 

day trips through the heart of the city’s 

urban forest to the wild waterfalls of the 

Columbia River gorge. On the first day, 

students experienced outdoor activities 

close to the city. Participants had unique 

access to interactive exhibits, live animals, 

Keith Routman
64 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

a world-class arboretum collection, and 

child-friendly educational resources at 

the World Forestry Center, Oregon Zoo, 

and City of Portland’s Hoyt Arboretum. 

The second day began with stewardship 

activities at the Sandy River Delta and 

ended with a hike from Horsetail Falls 

to Ponytail Falls in the Columbia River 

Gorge. Throughout the session, children 

were engaged in age-appropriate, hands-on 

learning activities from the award-winning 

Project Learning Tree program. 

Mentors and guides for the youngsters 

included older children who are graduates 

of the Inner City Youth Institute, another 

outdoor program made possible through 

a partnership among the Forest Service, 

Bureau of Land Management, Oregon State 

University, and Portland Public Schools.

Contact: Becky Bittner, bbittner@fs.fed.us, 

Communications and Applications Group

Partners: Americorp; Boys and Girls Clubs of 

Portland; Inner City Youth Institute; National 

Forest Foundation; Oregon Zoo; Portland Public 

Schools; USDA Forest Service, More Kids in the 

Woods and Pacific Northwest Region; World 

Forestry Center; YMCA

Learning opportunities abound 

at H.J. Andrews

Every year, the H.J. Andrews 

Experimental Forest in Oregon hosts 

numerous events for people of all ages—

from elementary school children to 

visiting scientists. In 2009, more than 

1,300 people attended tours, workshops, 

and symposia at H.J. Andrews, with 

more than 60 of these attendees hailing 

from China, Japan, Israel, Tasmania, 

and Vietnam. Over 400 visitors were 

affiliates of colleges and universities, 

and more than 200 represented primary 

and secondary schools. In addition to 

attracting 273 scientists, 65 managers, and 

52 teachers, events at H.J. Andrews also 

attracted 41 writers and 80 members 

of the general public. 

Contact: John Laurence, jalaurence@fs.fed.us, 

Ecological Process and Function

Learning about forest processes 

deepens cultural knowledge

At a 4-day culture camp organized by the 

Tlingit and Haida Central Council, Alaska 

youth and elders connected through cultural 

activities that provided the youth with an 

opportunity to learn about the traditional 

way of life and gain a deeper understanding 

Forests Inside Out! students at Horsetail Falls.

Keith Routman

Paul Hennon

Students learn about wetland plants at the Tlingit and Haida Central Council Culture Camp in 

southeast Alaska.
65

Web Site: Pacific Northwest 

Global Change Research

Description:

Station scientists are studying a variety of climatechange issues from many different disciplinary 

angles. From this expanded Web site, viewers can 

read summaries of these studies, download related 

briefing sheets and journal articles, and access 

other Web resources about global change research 

by Forest Service scientists. 

How to get it: 

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/research/ 

climate-change/index.shtml

Contact: 

Tiffany Dong, tdong@fs.fed.us, 

Communications and Applications Group

of how culture plays a role in daily life. The 

cultural learning piece focused on invasive species, plants, and the environment. 

Station scientists talked with participants 

about forest processes and climate change. 

The station also hosted a world-renowned 

New center for research and 

education in southeast Alaska

The Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center 

was established in August to stimulate and 

develop temperate rain-forest education and 

research. It will provide a framework for 

synthesizing ecological, geophysical, social, 

traditional, and economic knowledge. 

The center will improve the environment 

and economic health of southeast Alaska 

communities, and will enhance cooperative research at the newly established Héen 

Latinee Experimental Forest with the 

University of Alaska Fairbanks and University of Alaska Southeast faculty, graduate 

students, and visiting scholars. 

The center will provide education 

opportunities and conduct research about 

temperate rain forests as well as facilitate 

public policy dialogue and foster a greater 

understanding of the interactions among 

rain-forest ecosystems, communities, and 

social and economic systems. It will make 

facts, methods, literature, and new findings 

about temperate rain forests available and 

will disseminate this information through 

suitable types of media (reports, bulletins, 

circulars, films, journal and magazine 

articles, and Internet).

Contact: Sue Willits, swillits@fs.fed.us, 

Station Director’s Office

Partners: City and Borough of Juneau; 

University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and 

Southeast; USDA Forest Service Alaska 

Region; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Richard Cartensen

ethnobotanist who taught participants 

how different cultures use plants as foods, 

medicines, textiles, and in rituals. 

Contact: Paul Hennon, phennon@fs.fed.us, Threat 

Characterization and Management Program

Partners: Administration for American Indians, 

Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes 

of Alaska, Environmental Protection Agency

Culture camp students learned how to make 

a basket from a thimbleberry leaf and identify 

edible, native berries.
66 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Climate Change Strategy Group 

promotes sustainable operations 

The Climate Change Strategy Group, a 

partnership between the Pacific Northwest 

Region and research station, continues 

working to implement the Forest Service 

Climate Change framework. 

This year the group undertook several 

projects. It worked to make hydrologic 

information available for the region’s 

national forests, surveyed regional employees on climate change awareness and 

information needs, enhanced the group’s 

intranet site, and participated in national 

climate change task groups. The group also 

partnered with the Alaska Region to plan 

the fiscal year 2010 Sustainable Operations 

Summit, which is a national meeting that 

publications, and information. Only about 

5 percent of Twitter users have more than 

100 followers. Reporters from major news 

outlets, fire professionals, and outdoor 

groups make up the majority of the followers. Metrics show that Twitter is increasingly becoming a source of traffic to the 

station’s Web pages. To view the station’s 

Twitter profile, visit http://www.twitter.

com/ysands_pnwrs. 

Contact: Yasmeen Sands, ysands@fs.fed.us, 

Communications and Applications Group

Media highlights, 2008–2009 

The invasion of Mount Rainier’s highelevation meadows by conifers prompted 

several news stories in Washington State’s 

regional and local newspapers. Research 

biologist David L. Peterson was interviewed 

for the story about the influence a changing 

climate likely has on the incursion. He was 

quoted in stories run by the Seattle PostIntelligencer, the News Tribune (Tacoma), 

the Olympian, and the Wenatchee World. 

In early 2009, research forester Geoffrey 

Donovan was quoted in stories describing 

the results of one of his studies, which 

quantified the summertime energy savings 

homeowners receive from their shade trees. 

His research was featured by Discovery 

News, United Press International, Science 

Daily, and the Sacramento Bee. 

A PNW Station-supported study that 

found tree death rates had doubled in some 

old-growth forests, particularly in the 

Pacific Northwest, generated a great deal 

Regional warming may be a dominant contributor to increases in tree mortality in many undisturbed 

stands more than 200 years old in the Western United States and southwestern British Columbia.

Tom Iraci

is focused on sharing information relating 

to reducing our environmental footprint 

and promoting sustainable practices. This 

session, hosted in Portland with up to 100 

attendees, was also deployed virtually to 

field units across the Nation using video 

teleconferencing and the Internet.

Contact: Becky Gravenmier, bgravenmier

@fs.fed.us, Station Director’s Office

Partners: USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest 

Region and Alaska Region

Reporters, fire professionals, 

and others follow station’s 

Twitter account 

The station now has more than 100 

people following its “tweets”—instant, 

electronic alerts to press releases, new 
67

of media interest. Stories were run by CNN, 

MSNBC, the Christian Science Monitor, 

U.S. News & World Report, USA Today, the 

Washington Post, the Seattle Times, and the 

Oregonian. 

Also generating a tremendous response 

from the media were bioclimatologist Ron 

Neilson’s summer fire danger forecasts for 

the Western United States. His work—

which projected that California’s fire danger 

would be increased in 2009, while the 

Pacific Northwest’s would be decreased—

was featured in numerous outlets, including 

the New York Times, the Oregonian, the 

Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Reno GazetteJournal, Press-Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.), 

and the San Francisco Chronicle. A few 

weeks later, Neilson was again interviewed, 

this time by NBC Nightly News, which 

sought his expertise to help explain the 

then-raging Station Fire, the largest ever 

on California’s Angeles National Forest. 

Research ecologist Deanna Olson garnered national attention for her amphibian 

research. She was consulted as an expert 

source for stories run by National Geographic

and PBS’ “Nature” on the threats facing 

frog species around the world, particularly 

the devastating and deadly chytrid fungus. 

In late summer, ecologist Charlie 

Crisafulli was interviewed by the New 

York Times about the ecological lessons 

learned from decades of research at Mount 

St. Helens in a story that discussed the 

future of the volcanic monument. The 

article appeared on the front page of the 

newspaper’s “Science Times” section. 

Contact: Sherri Richardson-Dodge, 

srichardsondodge@fs.fed.us, 

Communications and Applications Group

Tool: Improving passage 

for aquatic organisms at 

road-stream crossings 

Description: 

This guide helps users design stream crossings that 

present no greater challenge to the movement of 

stream and riparian organisms than the natural 

stream. It establishes an important new paradigm 

for crossing design called “stream simulation.” The 

objective is to maintain the width, gradient, and 

substrate of the stream despite the installation of a 

bridge, culvert, or other stream crossing.

Users: 

Engineers, fish biologists, and hydrologists 

worldwide. 

Contact: 

Michael Furniss, mfurniss@fs.fed.us, 

Communications and Applications Group

For more information: 

Forest Service Stream-Simulation Working Group. 

2008. Stream simulation: an ecological approach 

to providing passage for aquatic organisms at 

road-stream crossings. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, San Dimas Technology 

and Development Center.

The new culvert on the left was designed to improve passage for aquatic organisms. The old culvert is on 

the right.

Tom Iraci
LEARNING EVENTS

“HJA Days” at H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, Oregon, by John Laurence
Symposia, Workshops, and Tours 69

• 604 people participated in symposia and workshops

• 838 people went on field trips

• 1,813 people participated in conservation education activities

Symposia, Workshops, and Tours

The PNW Research Station sponsors 

scientific and technical events each year, 

many with the help of partners, including 

nongovernmental organizations, state and 

federal agencies, and universities. Below is 

a description of some of these events.

Applications of Mount St. Helens Science:

At the request of the University Austral 

de Chile, two station scientists traveled to 

Valdivia, Chile, to present their research 

on the ecological responses to Mount St. 

Helens’ 1980 eruption to 45 participants. 

The university sought the expertise of the 

scientists, who have been studying volcanic 

disturbance at Mount St. Helens for the 

past 30 years, to help with initial assessments of the ecological impacts at Chaiten 

volcano, which erupted in Chile in 2008. 

Sixty people were involved in the ecological 

assessment. Several months later, the U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. 

Geological Survey’s Alaska Science Center 

hosted a presentation in which one of the 

station scientists discussed aspects of Mount 

St. Helens’ 1980 eruption that were relevant 

to the August 2008 eruption of Alaska’s 

Kasatochi volcano. Twenty people attended 

the session. 

ArcFuels and Risk Analysis Workshops: 

At these workshops, station scientists taught 

land managers how to use ArcFuels, a new 

tool for modeling fuel-reduction treatments, 

and discussed how formal risk analyses can 

benefit planning. About 15 managers from 

the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests 

attended a workshop in Bend, Oregon, and 

35 from the Northern Region attended a 

workshop in Missoula, Montana.

Climate Change Risk Workshop: More 

than 80 resource managers, academics, and 

scientists from across the Pacific Northwest 

attended a workshop on the management 

of climate change risk in forests. The 

event explored silvicultural and genetic 

approaches to developing forests adapted 

to climate changes. 

Constructing Low-Impact Roads: A 

station hydrologist led this 1-day course 

on constructing roads to minimize their 

impact on the environment. The course was 

held in the town of Dalat in Lam Dong 

Province of Vietnam. About 20 people 

attended, representing various Vietnamese 

government agencies, nongovernmental 

organizations, and universities. 

Dead Yellow-Cedar Utilization Demonstration: Station scientists held a 2-day 

workshop in Thorne Bay, Alaska, that 

discussed utilization options for dead 

yellow-cedar. As part of the workshop, 

the group of 30 participants traveled to a 

demonstration site to examine dead trees, 

evaluate their wood quality, and estimate 

recoverable wood volume. 

Fire Tool Virtual Training Session: A 

station scientist held a virtual training session on the use of a key tool for predicting 

postfire successional trajectories in interior 

Alaska’s black spruce stands. The session 

was offered to about 40 fire ecologists and 

managers in Fairbanks and Anchorage 

using video conferencing technology and 

was held in conjunction with the Alaska 

Interagency Fire Effects Task Group’s fall 

and spring reviews. 

Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) 

Client Meeting: FIA shared the status of 

its activities for the last year as well as the 

results of its research efforts with 60 of 

its Washington, Oregon, and California 

clients. The program also invited its clients 

to present results from their research based 

on FIA’s inventory data. 

International Workshop on Ungulate, 

Forest, and Landscape Management: 

Thirteen people from the United States, 

United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, and 

Estonia attended a week-long workshop 

that focused on the joint management of 

ungulates, forests, and landscapes. During 
Scientists lead a field trip to examine the effects of forest fires 

on soils.

70 LEARNING EVENTS

the event, attendees worked on research 

synthesis papers and a prospectus for future 

research collaboration.

LIDAR for Forest Planning: Station scientists conducted a 1-day workshop on the 

use of LIDAR data from the Sherman Pass 

Scenic Byway pilot LIDAR project. The 25 

participants who attended learned about the 

available data and how to use it in planning 

forestry activities. 

Mapping Vegetation Structure in the 

Pinaleño Mountains Using LIDAR: A 

station scientist collaborated with the Forest 

Service’s Remote Sensing Applications 

Center to conduct a 3-day workshop on the 

use of LIDAR data collected in Arizona’s 

Pinaleño Mountains for planning forestry 

activities. The workshop was attended by 

40 participants, including specialists from 

the National Forest System, state agencies, 

and universities. 

Mount St. Helens Interpretation Training: The station’s lead 

scientist at the Mount St. Helens 

National Volcanic Monument 

presented key science from his 

studies at the volcano to 30 

interpreters and visitor center 

staff members at a day-long 

training workshop. 

Participatory Action Research 

Workshop: During this 2-day 

workshop, 12 participants 

learned about participatory 

action research (PAR)—a collaborative 

nonsurvey approach to gathering information and creating conversation with people 

in a place-based community. Attendees also 

worked to identify and develop resources to 

support PAR practitioners.

Silvicultural Research at Capitol Forest:

A station scientist led a day-long field tour 

for 14 employees of the Bureau of Land 

Management at Capitol Forest outside of 

Olympia, Washington. Participants visited 

study sites and discussed recent findings. 

Sixth International Integrated Pest Management Symposium: During a 3-day 

symposium, 12 attendees learned about the 

challenges of developing and implementing 

an integrated pest management program for 

bark beetles in the Western United States. 

The event featured six invited speakers from 

the United States, Canada, and Mexico. 

Soil Recovery Workshop and Tour:

Seventy participants—including federal 

and industry resource managers, university 

faculty, and nongovernmental organization members—participated in a B&B 

Fire workshop and field tour in the spring. 

The event explored soil responses to and 

recovery after wildfire and postfire forest 

management. 

Variable-Density Thinning Study: 

Thirty-two members of land management and natural resource organizations 

toured installations of the Olympic Habitat 

Development Study. During the day-long 

tour, participants viewed sites and discussed 

variable-density thinning and the creation 

of artificial log structures. 

Variable-Retention Silviculture Tour: A 

station scientist led 27 district foresters, 

regional managers, and regional timber sale 

administrators from the Washington State 

Department of Natural Resources in a field 

tour of Capitol Forest outside of Olympia. 

The tour was designed to improve reforestation planning and further understanding 

of the growth and yield trends of different 

treatments and society’s perceptions of these 

treatments. 

Western Pine Beetle Workshop: About 12 

people attended a workshop on the Upper 

Imnaha Western Pine Beetle Management 

Project. The 1-day event took stock of what 

has been learned about pine beetle management and how it might be applied by 

participants. 

Tara Jennings
Students learn about the forest canopy at H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest.

Conservation Education 71

Conservation Education

The 11 experimental areas within the 

Pacific Northwest Research Station provide 

a wide range of learning opportunities for 

everyone from the scientist emeritus to the 

kindergartner. A few of the field trips and 

learning events held at these unique areas 

for long-term research are highlighted 

below.

•	 H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in 

Blue River, Oregon, hosted “Canopy 

Connections.” About 110 high school 

and middle school students from primarily underserved schools in EugeneSpringfield learned about old-growth 

canopy, nutrient cycling, microclimates, 

and wilderness survival. The experimental forest also hosted the 2009 McKenzie 

Outdoor School for 20 local fifth graders 

who climbed into the forest canopy. 

They also learned about the salmon life 

cycle, local Native American culture, and 

stream ecology. On their last night, they 

presented a program about what they had 

learned to their families.

•	 The Starkey Experimental Forest and 

Range in eastern Oregon hosted four 

field tours throughout the summer 

reaching a total of 79 people. The tours 

were designed to teach people about 

ongoing ecological research projects 

based at the site. Starkey also hosted a 

field day where 43 livestock permitees 

learned about sustainable livestock grazing practices on national forest lands. 

•	 The Wind River Experimental Forest, 

located in south-central Washington, 

hosted 10 staff members of the Washington and Oregon congressional delegations and 15 members of the Western 

Coordinating Committee for Extension 

Foresters. These visitors were briefed 

on research activities occurring at the 

forest and given an interpretive lift in 

the gondola of the Wind River Canopy 

Crane, one of only 10 such structures in 

the world. 

Amphibians of Clark County, Washington: About 65 high school students learned 

about amphibians native to Clark County, 

Washington, as part of their science class. 

Camp Tadmor Outdoor School: Several 

station employees teamed up with the 

Siuslaw National Forest to host Camp 

Tadmor, an outdoor school for more than 

Kathy Keable
Rangeland scientist and visitors at the Starkey Experimental Forest and Range.

72 LEARNING EVENTS

a half dozen Oregon school districts. The 

scientists taught 250 sixth graders about the 

importance and functionally diverse roles of 

fungi in forest ecosystems. 

Cascade Range Field Class: Station scientists accompanied 25 University of Washington students to the Cascade Mountains 

outside of Wenatchee, Washington, where 

they participated in a 2-day forest ecology 

field class. 

Dry Ice—Discovering the Properties 

of CO2: Third graders from Liberty 

Elementary School District in Albany, 

Oregon, experienced science first-hand 

while witnessing CO2 change from a solid 

to a gas. The 61 students also learned 

about the role of CO2 in respiration and 

photosynthesis.

Endangered Species Panel: Sixty students 

at Jane Goodall Middle School in Salem, 

Oregon, watched a presentation and panel 

discussion on endangered species in which a 

station scientist participated as an amphibian expert. 

Entomology Course: A station scientist was 

invited to teach a quarter-long entomology 

course to six students at Eastern Oregon 

University. 

Forest Camp—Project Learning Tree: 

Station scientists taught more than 100 students attending “Forest Camp,” an outdoor 

learning event for fifth and sixth graders, 

about the “web of life” concept. Their full 

day of instruction illustrated the interactive linkages between living and nonliving 

elements of forest ecosystems. 

Green Team Outreach: Members of the 

station’s Green Team visited Estacada 

Junior High School in Estacada, Oregon, 

to challenge the seventh- and eighth-grade 

graphic arts students to create posters with 

sustainability themes for use in station 

offices. Students learned about green teams 

and discussed ways to reduce their environmental footprint. These posters are being 

used in a 2010 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle 

Planner for the station. 

Inner City Youth Institute: The station 

continued to support the Inner City Youth 

Institute (ICYI). The ICYI encourages 

underrepresented youths to pursue higher 

education and careers in the natural 

resource and environmental fields. This 

year, ICYI sponsored an ecology program 

in a Portland inner city high school and 

a summer camp program for high school 

students from Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. This summer’s camp 

was held at H.J. Andrews Experimental 

Forest. Participants spent a week at the 

experimental forest, learning from scientists about forest ecosystems. The ICYI is 

a partnership between the Forest Service, 

Oregon State University, Bureau of Land 

Mary Rowland
Conservation Education 73

Management, Portland Public Schools, and 

the Urban League of Portland. About 200 

students participated in ICYI programs. 

Invasive Aquatic Species Class: Thirty 

people learned about invasive aquatic species, including the devastating amphibian 

chytrid fungus, at Oregon State University’s 

Central Oregon campus in Bend. 

Invasive Species Workshop: The station 

partnered with Oregon State University’s 

Natural Resources Education Program to 

host a workshop for 15 high school teachers 

that offered classroom exercises for students 

on identifying and tracking invasive species. 

Northwest Science Expo: The station sponsored “Outstanding Forest Science” awards 

that are given to a high school and middle 

school student at the Northwest Science 

Expo. This science fair for young scientists, 

engineers, and mathematicians was held at 

Portland State University in March. Two 

station employees volunteered as judges. 

Olympia Lab Interpretive Trail: A station 

scientist worked with 15 junior and senior 

high school students from the Tumwater, 

Washington, New Market Skills Center to 

develop an interpretive nature trail at the 

Olympia Forestry Sciences Laboratory. The 

scientist also was “shadowed” for 2 days by 

a science teacher interested in learning more 

about plant surveys and tree growth. 

Petri Dish Experiment: Sixty-one third 

graders from Albany, Oregon, learned 

scientific methods and how to use a microscope while attempting to grow fungi and 

bacteria from samples taken from their 

hands. The students rubbed both dirty 

and washed hands on agar Petri dishes and 

counted the different-colored fungi and 

bacteria that grew on each. 

Plant Ecology Lecture and Tour: A station 

scientist gave a lecture on plant ecology and 

led a field tour for eight students at Grays 

Harbor College in Aberdeen, Washington. 

Poster distribution: The station distributed 

about 200 posters related to Mount St. Helens, invasive species, fish, oak communities, 

old-growth forests, and sequoias. Most of 

these posters are requested by teachers in 

the Pacific Northwest, but many posters 

have been sent to teachers throughout the 

United States and overseas. 

Salmon Watch: Fifty middle school 

students in Alsea, Oregon, participated in 

field and classroom sessions on the ecology 

of riparian zones. 

Society and Natural Resources Class: 

A station scientist was invited to give a 

lecture and host a question-and-answer 

section on landscape patterns and forest 

transition. Ten students from Wenatchee 

Valley Community College took part. 

Washington State Science and Engineering Fair: The station sponsored an “Outstanding Forest Science Project Award” 

to a 10th-grade high school student at the 

Washington State Science and Engineering Fair at Olympic College, Bremerton, 

Washington, in April.

What Lives in a Forest? Before visiting 

the World Forestry Center in Portland, 65 

fifth-grade students from Albany, Oregon, 

learned about the interconnections among 

animals, mushrooms, and fire as well as 

career opportunities in forest science. 

Wolftree: Station employees participated 

in ecology programs that reached about 

100 students from Portland, Oregon, and 

Vancouver, Washington, middle and high 

schools. The station also contributed funds 

for supplies and equipment. 
HONORS AND AWARDS

Columbia Gorge , Oregon © Miles Hemstrom
Honors and Awards 75

Experimental Forests and Ranges 

Centennial Award 

Fred Swanson, a research geologist with the Ecological Process 

and Function Program was recognized by the station for his 

outstanding leadership in facilitating research within experimental 

forests and ranges. 

Invitation to Provide Expertise

Pete Bisson, a research fisheries biologist, and Nate Mantua, 

a research climate scientist with the Land and Watershed 

Management Program, were among eight scientists invited 

to Washington, DC, to provide a scientific assessment of the 

Federal Columbia River Power System Biological Opinion—a 

management strategy litigated since 2000 that guides a salmon 

restoration program for the Columbia River. The closed 

workshop included the administrator of National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), head of the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers, and high-level managers from the Bonneville 

Power Administration, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau 

of Reclamation, and Department of Justice. The contributions 

of Bisson and Mantua were personally acknowledged by Dr. 

Jane Lubchenco, NOAA Administrator, and Dr. Usha Varanasi, 

director of Northwest Fisheries Science Laboratory.

Outstanding Technical Assistance Volunteer

Rebecca Flitcroft, an ecologist with the Land and Watershed 

Management Program, was honored by the Long Tom Watershed 

Council of Eugene, Oregon, for her work developing sampling 

protocols for a fish barrier assessment.

Service to America Medal finalist 

Bruce Marcot, a research wildlife ecologist with the Ecological 

Process and Function Program was a finalist in the environmental 

category for Service to America Medal. He was recognized for 

making significant contributions to the Nation for his work on the 

U.S. Geological Survey International Polar Bear Science Team. He 

also received a letter of congratulations from Kim Elton, Senior 

Advisor to the Secretary for Alaska Affairs, U.S. Department of 

the Interior, Office of the Secretary.

Wings Across the Americas 

Martin Raphael, a research wildlife biologist, Beth Galleher, a 

program analyst, and Thomas Bloxton, a wildlife biologist, all 

with the Ecological Process and Function Program, received the 

Wings Across the Americas Research and Partnership award. 

Raphael and Bloxton, along with other partners, were cited for 

leading a research and management partnership across agencies 

to help make fundamental contributions to understanding the 

ecology and behavior of the marbled murrelet. 

Eric Forsman, Brian Bissell, and Janice Reid, all wildlife biologists with the Ecological Process and Function Program, also 

received a Wings Across the Americas Research and Partnership 

award, along with partners, for their work fostering a research 

and management partnership that produced a substantial 

understanding of the northern spotted owl and its ecology.
Publications

• 430 total publications. (Includes station series publications, 

journal articles, proceedings, books or book chapters, theses 

and dissertations, and other publications.)

• 127,408 hardcopies of station series publications distributed.

• 1,836 station publications available online via the station’s 

Web site and Treesearch (http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us).

• 10 issues of PNW Science Findings, about 9,800 copies of 

each issue distributed.

PUBLICATIONS

15 theses and

dissertations (3%)

27 proceedings

(6%)

38 books or 

chapters 

(9%)

62 station 

series

(14%)

40

other

(9%)

248

journal

articles

(58%)

550

500

450

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

Number of publications

Year

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Deschutes River, Oregon © Miles Hemstrom

Number and Type of Publication
FINANCES AND WORKFORCE

xxx, by Rhonda Mazza

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

Base research appropriations

Dollars in millions

Year

Support from clients

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Distribution of funds*

• Permanent employee costs: ($28.3 million)—53.1%

• Support and operations: ($13.0 million)—24.5%

• Distributed to cooperators: ($11.9 million)—22.4%

• Of $11.9 million to cooperators, 84.1% went to 

 educational institutions

Photo by Rhonda Mazza

Finances and Workforce

Two sources of funding support the work of the Pacific Northwest Research Station (PNW): federal appropriations, which 

contribute the greatest percentage of funds; and direct client 

support, which comes from organizations in need of scientific 

information. 

2009 PNW Research Station finances and workforce, 

by the numbers:

• Fiscal year 2009: October 1, 2008, to September 30, 2009

Incoming funding*

• Base research appropriations: $40.8 million

• Client support: $12.4 million

• Total funding: $53.2 million

FINANCES AND WORKFORCE * Does not include funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment 

Act. See page 78 for details on these funds.
78

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

Total employees

Number 

Year

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Permanent positions Temporary positions

250

200

150

100

50

0

Permanent employees by type

Support

Number of employees

Year

Scientists

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Workforce statistics:

• Permanent workforce: 299 employees

• Of the permanent workforce, 29 percent,

 or 88 employees, are scientists

• Temporary workforce: 117 employees

• Total station workforce: 416 employees

FINANCES AND WORKFORCE

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

The Pacific Northwest Research Station 

received $13,396,000 from Congress 

through the American Recovery and 

Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The 

nine projects that received funding are listed 

below. All ARRA projects were selected 

based on their ability to create jobs and 

promote economic recovery, especially in 

those areas most impacted by the recession. 

These projects will help the Forest Service 

achieve management practices that promote 

and provide clean air, clean water, wildlife 

habitat, and recreational opportunities. 

The Olympia Forestry Sciences Laboratory was the first facility in the station to 

receive ARRA funding. With that money, 150 single-pane, low-thermal-rated windows 

were replaced with new energy-efficient windows. The new windows provide better 

insulation than the old ones, which were installed in the 1960s. This is expected to 

lower the heating and cooling cost of the building while conserving energy. Contractors 

from Longview, Washington, completed the work.

The station is working with partners to complete the other eight projects and create 

jobs as quickly as possible.

Contractor installs energy-efficient windows at 

Olympia Lab.

Station projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Project Funding

Prioritize fuel-reduction treatments by estimating restoration potential and 

understanding their effects on forest conditions

$5,940,000

Research on restoring critical habitat for listed Pacific salmon in Alaska, Oregon, 

Washington

$2,240,000

Research how western forests are adapting to and mitigating climate change $1,795,000

Restore community ecosystems while promoting green jobs in the Puget 

Sound area, Washington

$1,346,000

Improve health and safety of communities and firefighters by forecasting and 

managing smoke from fires 

$735,000

Assess the socioeconomic impact of ARRA investments through the Forest 

Service in communities around the country

$530,000

Reconstruct Coyote Creek gauging stations on the South Umpqua Experimental 

Forest, Oregon

$350,000

Install energy-efficient windows at the Olympia Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 

Washington

$260,000

Road maintenance at PNW Research Station facilities and experimental forests 

in Oregon and Washington

$200,000

Yasmeen Sands
Funding Partners for 2009 79

Educational Institutions

Auburn University

Colorado State University

Humboldt State University

Loyola University

Michigan State University

Montana State University

Ohio State University

Oregon State University

San Jose State University

Southern Illinois University

University of Alaska

University of Arizona

University of California

University of Idaho

University of Maine

University of Montana

University of Notre Dame

University of Oregon

University of Puget Sound

University of Redlands

Educational Institutions

University of Oregon

University of California

Other Federal Agencies

Department of Agriculture, 

 Agricultural Research Service

Department of Commerce, 

 National Oceanic and 

 Atmospheric Administration, 

 Fisheries Science Center

Department of Commerce, 

 National Oceanic and 

 Atmospheric Administration, 

 National Marine Fisheries 

 Service

Funding Partners for 2009

Cooperators Who Received Funding for Studies From the PNW Research Station

Clients Who Provided Funding for Studies to the PNW Research Station

University of Rhode Island

University of Washington

University of Wisconsin

University of Wyoming

Utah State University

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and 

 State University

Washington State University

Other Federal Agencies

Department of Agriculture, 

 Agricultural Research Service

Department of Agriculture, 

 Foreign Agriculture Service 

Department of Agriculture, 

 Cooperative State Research 

 Education and Extension Service

Department of Commerce,

 National Oceanic and Atmo- 

 spheric Administration, National

 Marine Fisheries Service

Department of Commerce, 

 National Institute of Standards 

 and Technology

Department of the Interior, 

 Bureau of Land Management

Department of the Interior, 

 Fish and Wildlife Service

Department of the Interior, 

 Geological Survey

State Agencies

Alaska Department of Fish 

 and Game

Oregon Cultural Heritage 

 Commission

Oregon Department of Forestry

Oregon Economic and Community 

 Development Department

Oregon Watershed Enhancement 

 Board

Texas Agricultural Experiment 

 Station

Washington Department of 

 Agriculture

Washington Department of 

 Natural Resources

Nongovernmental Organizations

Desert Research Institute

Earth Systems Institute

Essa Technologies Ltd

Institute for Culture and Ecology

MacGregor-Bates, Inc.

National Council for Air and 

 Stream Improvement

Sustainable Northwest

Western Forestry and 

 Conservation Association

World Forestry Center

Foreign Institutes

Canadian Wood Fibre Centre, 

 Natural Resources Canada

Department of Defense, 

 U.S. Army, Fort Lewis

Department of Energy, Bonneville 

 Power Administration

Department of the Interior, 

 Bureau of Land Management

Department of the Interior, 

 Fish and Wildlife Service

Department of the Interior, 

 Geological Survey

Environmental Protection Agency

National Aeronautics and Space 

 Administration, Goddard Space 

 Flight Center

State Agencies

Alaska Department of Fish 

 and Game

Oregon Department of Forestry

Oregon Economic and Community 

 Development Department

Oregon Watershed 

 Enhancement Board

Washington Department of 

 Natural Resources

Municipal Agencies

Seattle City Light

79

Nongovernmental Organizations

Ecotrust

Northwest Power and 

 Conservation Council

Trout Unlimited

Miles Hemstrom
Station Director

Bov B. Eav

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2100

E-mail: beav@fs.fed.us

Deputy Station Director

Cynthia D. West

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2104

E-mail: cdwest@fs.fed.us 

Assistant Director for 

Administration

Rolando Ortegon

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2102

E-mail: rortegon@fs.fed.us 

Assistant Director for 

Communications and 

Applications

Cynthia L. Miner

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2135

E-mail: clminer@fs.fed.us

Assistant Director for 

Research

Susan A. Willits

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2115

E-mail: swillits@fs.fed.us 

Program Managers

Ecological Process and Function

John A. Laurence (Acting)

Forestry Sciences Laboratory

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2191

E-mail: jalaurence@fs.fed.us 

Goods, Services, and Values

R. James Barbour (Acting)

Forestry Sciences Laboratory

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR, 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2542

E-mail: jbarbour01@fs.fed.us

Focused Science Delivery

R. James Barbour 

Forestry Sciences Laboratory

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR, 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2542

E-mail: jbarbour01@fs.fed.us

Land and Watershed Management 

John A. Laurence (Acting)

Forestry Sciences Laboratory

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR, 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2191

E-mail: jalaurence@fs.fed.us

Resource Monitoring and Assessment

Charles E. Peterson

Forestry Sciences Laboratory

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR, 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2026

E-mail: cepeterson@fs.fed.us

Threat Characterization and 

Management

Edward J. DePuit

Forestry Sciences Laboratory

1133 N. Western Ave.

Wenatchee, WA 98801

Phone: 509-664-1715

E-mail: ejdepuit@fs.fed.us

PNW RESEARCH STATION 

ORGANIZATION

Sprague River, Fremont-Winema National Forest, Oregon, by Tom Iraci
The attached CD-ROM contains the following:

•	 2009 Science Accomplishments

•	 PNW Research Program Reports

•	 2009 PNW Research Station Publications

Credits

Assistant Director for Communications 

 and Applications—Cynthia L. Miner

Managing editor—Rhonda Mazza

Writers—Rhonda Mazza and Yasmeen Sands

Art direction and production management—

Frank Vanni

Graphic design—Keith Routman and

 Rhonda Mazza

Front and back cover photos—Field crew on the

Siuslaw National Forest, Oregon, by Tom Iraci

All uncredited photos—U.S. Forest Service staff

The Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is 

dedicated to the principle of multiple use management of the 

Nation’s forest resources for sustained yields of wood, water, 

forage, wildlife, and recreation. Through forestry research, 

cooperation with the States and private forest owners, and 

management of the national forests and national grasslands, 

it strives—as directed by Congress—to provide increasingly 

greater service to a growing Nation.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, 

national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, 

marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual 

orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or 

because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any 

public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to 

all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative 

means for communication of program information (Braille, 

large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET 

Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint 

of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 

or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA 

is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

United States 

Department of 

Agriculture

Forest 

Service

Pacific Northwest 

Research Station
January 2010

Pacific Northwest Research Station

333 SW First Avenue

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/