Reconstructed old-growth forest stand structure and composition of two stands on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington State
By: David H. Peter and Constance A. Harrington
Contributors: Harrington, Constance A.; Pacific Northwest Research Station (Portland, Or.)
Series: Research paper PNW -- RP-583; Research paper PNW -- 583.
Publisher: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Portland, OR
Language: eng
Number of pages: 22
Other titles: Reconstructured old growth forest stand structure and composition of two stands on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington State
Description: We reconstructed the stand structure and composition for two western Washington old-growth forest stands harvested around 1930 (named Fresca and Rail) from field and historical data. Both old-growth stands had a codominant or dominant 250-year-old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) overstory with a few scattered older Douglas-fir. Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) was codominant at Rail but was predominantly in the mid-story and understory at Fresca. The Fresca site is now dominated by Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.) and western hemlock, whereas Rail has a composition similar to the previous old-growth stand. Events taking place early in succession are probably responsible for the differences between the modern and historical stands. Accelerated restoration of old-growth structural diversity may be possible at both sites through repeated creation of artificial gaps, but Fresca will remain different from its historical composition.
Notes: Cover title.

"January 2010."

Includes bibliographical references (p. 18-22).

Also available via Internet.