Vegetation Studies

Vegetation studies were designed to address two fundamental objectives:

• to elucidate the effects of level and pattern of overstory retention on key elements of forest structure and composition (and to suggest possible mechanisms for these effects), and
• to quantify changes in vegetation to aid in interpreting the responses of associated organisms and processes.

An overview of our goals and approaches can be found in: Halpern et al. 1999. Response of forest vegetation to varying levels and patterns of green-tree retention: An overview of a long-term experiment. Northwest Science 73 (Special Issue):27-44.

Our research encompasses a diversity of interests: patterns and amounts of ground disturbance; overstory stem damage, growth, and mortality; dynamics of snags and coarse woody debris; growth, mortality, and recruitment of understory trees (including planted and natural regeneration); and changes in the abundance and diversity of vascular plants and ground-layer bryophytes. Initial responses to harvest treatments are summarized in the reports below. Data collected during 2003 and 2004 will be used to assess longer-term (6- and 7-yr) changes.

Pre-Harvest Studies	Post-Harvest Studies