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Field Trips (03-24-10)
Contents
Introduction: The arrival of spring in the Cascades is very different than the midwest or the southeast or much of the Middle Atlantic states. Gradients in spring phenology are found from the Sound to the crest of the mountains and then to the Columbia River and from the base to the top of the mountains (and from one side to another side of the same hill or mountain). Our field trips try to capture these gradients (distance from a major body of water, elevation, and aspect). Illustrations below in the Chelan Mountains capture this (from Prince Creek at 1300 feet to the top of Star Mountain at 8900 feet, early April 2001).
Requirement: Please sign the attached field trip form and bring with you (Fieldtripwaiverform.pdf)
Field Trip Goals
- Lake Tradition
- How topography affects soils, water and vegetation? Or: Can we use vegetation to tell us about soils, topography and water?
- Interaction between soils and vegetation
- Role of anthropogenic and natural disturbances (clearcutting, fire, disease, powerlines, roads, and wind) in forest processes
- Learn the major overstory and understory species
- Learn about tree growth and development
- Asahel Curtis/Alpental
- How elevation affects
- the amount and form of precipitation
- soils, water and vegetation?
- Interaction between soils and vegetation
- Role of a pass (Snoqualmie) on temperatures and wind.
- Role of aspect and slope, interaction with valley on microclimate
- Role of light and soil temperature on the response of a tree (let's contrast Douglas-fir with Pacific silver fir).
- Contrasts between young and old stands in terms of content and structure.
- Continue to examine phenology
- Continue to expand our ability to identify overstory and understory species (some old friends and some new)
- North Fork Teanaway
- Role of elevation, aspect and slope
- Role of parent material, particularly serpentine bedrock and soils
- Depth and distribution of snow - processes leading to and then affect of depth and distribution on vegetation
- Meadows - understand location and processes leading to ..
- Disturbances such as insects, pathogens, fire and avalanches. Identify evidence of at least one example of each.
- Mixture of westside and eastside species - who, what, where?
Overview (figure provided by ESRM 401 2004 students)
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