Monitored by: Evan Griffith and Alex Hamilton

TESC Forest Plot C-9

The ProjectIn coordination with the Evergreen Ecological Observation Network (EEON), our program adopted forest plots to monitor as a group

As a community service project we adopted an additional plot to monitor on our own time

We performed the same measurements as in our group plots

Understory Species Sword Fern- Polystichum munitum

Bracken Fern- Pteridium auilinum

Salal- Gaultheria Shallon

Evergreen Huckleberry- Vaccinium ovatum

Red Huckleberry- Vaccinium parvifolium

Trailing Blackberry- Rubus ursinus

Beaked Hazelnut- Corylus cornuta

Black Rasberry- Rubus leucodermis

Dull Oregon Grape- Mahonia nervosa

Cleavers- Galium aparine

English Holly- Ilex aquifolium

Tree Species

Douglas Fir- Pseudotsuga menziesii

Western Red Cedar- Thuja plicata

Red Alder- Alnus rubra

Western Hemlock- Tsuga heterophylla

Litterfall

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

A7 E10 B8 C7 B7 E9 C9 D11 C8 E8

Plot

Lit

terf

all (

g/m

2 -

oct

-dec

)-Litter was collected every other week from a collection bin at the center of the plot

-The litter was dried, separated by species, and weighed

-Our plot produced approximately 200 grams of litter per square meter over the six week period

-The litter consisted almost exclusively Douglas Fir needles

Rainfall

TESC Rainfall by Location

0100200300400500600700

Location

Oct-

Dec R

ain

fall (

mm

)-Rainfall was collected weekly unless heavy precipitation required more frequent data collection

-Our plot received approximately 514 millimeters over the six week monitoring period

Results-The stand of trees in plot C-9 is approximately 70 years old

-Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) is the dominant tree species

-The largest trees are in excess of 100 feet tall

-The understory is dominated by Salal (Gaultheria shallon), Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum), and Evergreen Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum)

Results Cont.-We observed a clear division in forest types within our forest plot

-The eastern side of the plot exhibits characteristics of mesarch succession

Douglas Fir

-The western side of the plot exhibits characteristics of hydrarch succession

Western Red Cedar

Red Alder

40 years ago

Present State of Plot

40 years from now40 Years From Now

Image courtesy of www.jlcrew.com/

THE END