Skip to Main Content
U.S. Forest Service
Caring for the land and serving people

United States Department of Agriculture

Home > Search > Publication Information

  1. Thinning and riparian buffer configuration effects on down wood abundance in headwater streams in coniferous forests

    Share via EmailShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare on Twitter
    Dislike this pubLike this pub
    Author(s): Adrian Ares; Deanna H. Olson; Klaus J. Puettmann
    Date: 2013
    Source: In: Anderson, P.D.; Ronnenberg, K.L., eds. Density management in the 21st century: west side story. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-880. Portland, OR: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station: 210-210.
    Publication Series: General Technical Report (GTR)
    Station: Pacific Northwest Research Station
    PDF: View PDF  (74.57 KB)
    Note: This article is part of a larger document. View the larger document

    Description

    Down wood is associated with the function, structure, and diversity of riparian systems. Considerable knowledge has been generated regarding down wood stocks and dynamics in temperate forests, but there are few studies on effects of silvicultural practices and riparian buffer design on down wood, particularly in headwater streams. We analyzed interactive eff ects of upland thinning and riparian buffer configuration on down wood volumes and decay classes at fi ve managed forest sites in western Oregon. We tested the eff ects of two thinning treatments—an unthinned control and a moderate-density thinning with 200 trees ha-1—and three riparian buff er widths: combined one and two site-potential tree heights (to 480 ft [146 m]); variable-width (50 ft [15.2 m] minimum); and streamside retention (~20 ft [6 m]), in coniferous stands dominated by Pseudotsuga menziesii and Tsuga heterophylla. Pre-harvest down wood volumes (59 to 128 m3∙100 m-1 reach length) in 29 stream reaches (193 to 792 m long) did not diff er among thinning treatments and stream buff er confi gurations. One year after thinning, down wood volumes were 5–42 percent greater than pre-harvest levels, although thinning and stream buffer effects remained non-significant. Large increases in down wood volumes with time in our headwater streams may be the consequence of severe storms or other events not directly related to silvicultural practices.

    Publication Notes

    • You may send email to pnw_pnwpubs@fs.fed.us to request a hard copy of this publication.
    • (Please specify exactly which publication you are requesting and your mailing address.)
    • We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
    • This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.

    Citation

    Ares, Adrian; Olson, Deanna H.; Puettmann, Klaus J. 2013. Thinning and riparian buffer configuration effects on down wood abundance in headwater streams in coniferous forests. In: Anderson, P.D.; Ronnenberg, K.L., eds. Density management in the 21st century: west side story. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-880. Portland, OR: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station: 210-210.

    Keywords

    down wood, stream habitat, timber harvest, decay class, riparian reserves.

    Related Search

    XML: View XML
Show More
Show Fewer
Jump to Top of Page
https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/45541