Vegetation

New insights into old forests:  Forest ecology and conservation in the area of the Northwest Forest Plan.  Dr. Tom Spies

January 24, 2018 4PM, LINC 302

About the Seminar: The 1994 Northwest Forest Plan for federal forests was designed to conserve populations of species associated with complex old-growth forests within the range of the northern spotted owl.  Over the last 24 years we have learned that the ecology of old growth forests in the region is more diverse than we appreciated when the plan was developed.  Improved knowledge of historical fire regimes can inform old-growth forest conservation based on ecosystem perspectives, but it can also be a challenge to existing conservation approaches based on individual species associated with one type of old growth.  In addition, recent research indicates that forest conservation is more than just protecting existing areas of old-growth from disturbance: disturbance processes and other successional stages must also be considered.
 
About Dr. Spies: Thomas Spies is a Senior Scientist at the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station in Corvallis, Oregon.  He is also a courtesy professor in the College of Forestry at Oregon State University. He received his Ph.D. in forest ecology 1983 from the University of Michigan.  His research interests include, old-growth forest ecology and conservation, remote sensing, landscape ecology, fire ecology, and coupled human and natural systems.  He is editor of the 2009 book “Old-growth in a New World:  A Pacific Northwest Icon Reexamined”, which explores the social, ecology and policy dimensions of old-growth forests.  He is currently leading a USFS effort to synthesize science and monitoring results to inform revision of national forest plans in the area of the Northwest Forest Plan. http://fpf.forestry.oregonstate.edu/faculty/thomas-spies
 
WebEx Address: https://oregonstate.webex.com/oregonstate/j.php?MTID=me0bf783a44637fd96c48f76817298f6c

Forestry Sciences Lab, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Room 20

“Repeat aerial lidar at the H. J. Andrews: New opportunities for examining landscape change.”  David Bell, Research Forester, USFS Pacific Northwest Research Station, Resource Monitoring and Assessment Program, Vegetation Monitoring and Remote Sensing Team.

“Modeling tree interaction using point clouds." Bogdan Strimbu, Assistant professor, FERM,  and Rong Fang, PhD student, FERM.

General meeting will include updates on proposals, graduate students, Willamette National Forest partnership, site use proposals.

Monthly meetings are used to share science, news, and opportunities related to the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest and Long-Term Ecological Research program. We start with a science hour and then move into program news and announcements. Anyone is welcome to attend.  Monthly meetings are on the first Friday of the month during the academic year in Room 20 of the Forestry Sciences Lab, 3200 SW Jefferson Way.

Projections of Forest and Nutrient Dynamics with Future Climate Change in Watershed 2 of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest.  Zheng Dong, Syracuse University.

Tuesday, October 10, 10-11 AM, Richardson Hall 107.

Abstract: Statistically downscaled climate change scenarios from four General Circulation Models for two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) were applied as inputs to the ecosystem model, PnET-BGC, to examine future dynamics of water, carbon, and nitrogen in an old-growth Douglas-fir forest.

Projections show large increases in stomatal conductance throughout the year from 1986-2010 to 2076-2100 and increases in leaf carbon assimilation between October and June over the same period. The CO2 effects on vegetation are projected to 1) amplify decreases in transpiration and increases in soil moisture; and 2) alleviate decreases in photosynthesis, plant biomass, and soil organic matter; while 3) having negligible effects on the dynamics of nitrogen. Future dynamics of water and carbon under the RCP scenarios are largely affected by a 37% to 72% reduction in leaf area index (LAI) resulting from severe air temperature and humidity stress to the forest in summer. Important implications of future decreases in LAI include 1) decreases in transpiration and increases in summer and fall soil moisture; 2) decreases in photosynthesis, plant biomass, and soil organic matter; and 3) accumulation of nitrogen in plant tissue and altered foliar and soil stoichiometry of carbon to nitrogen.

These model projections suggest that future decrease in transpiration and moderate water holding capacity may mitigate soil moisture stress to the old-growth Douglas-fir forest. Future increases in nitrogen concentration in soil organic matter result in a large increase in net nitrogen mineralization. Our findings highlight the important roles of foliar production and LAI on future dynamics of water, carbon, and nitrogen in Douglas-fir forests under climate change. Models suggest that projected air temperature and humidity stress without considering acclimation of optimal temperature for photosynthesis can be more detrimental to foliar production than soil moisture stress related to the lack of downward feedback in severity through reduced transpiration.

Zheng will be available in the afternoon of Oct 10 and morning of Oct 11 for one on one or small group followup discussions - Contact Sherri Johnson to schedule