Timber Wars

First phase of logging in Pacific NW

This period saw the start of the lumber industry in the Pacific Northwest, with the first mill established at Fort Vancouver by the Hudson Bay Company.

Second phase of logging in Pacific NW

Started with the California Gold Rush. Many investors from the San Francisco area built mills along the Puget Sound, establishing logging as the dominant industry in the Pacific Northwest.

Third phase of logging in Pacific NW

The logging industry really exploded with massive capital investments and technological developments, allowing for high quantities of timber to be reached and processed. Also during this period came lots of influence from the government on industry and from labor unions.

Fourth phase of logging in Pacific NW

The timber industry's importance to the state economy steadily drop even when timber harvesting did not, and also saw the rise of the environmental movement

Plant typical in Canopy Layer of the forest

Oak/Maple/Tulip Trees

Plant typical in Understory Layer of the forest

Eastern Redbud/Dogwood/Musclewood

Plant typical in Shrub Layer of the forest

Burning bush, Linden arrowwood

Plant typical in Herb Layer of the forest

Goldenrod, mugwort, aster, white snakeroot

Plant typical in Forest Floor of the forest

Beechdrop

Abiotic factors

non-living factors like water and sunlight

biotic factors

All the living organisms that inhabit an environment

Cambium definition

A layer of cells in a plant that produces new phloem and xylem cells.

Cambium picture

Heartwood definition

in a woody stem, the older xylem near the center of the stem that no longer conducts water

Heartwood picture

Center wood in this picture

Sapwood definition

Light-colored, water-conducting secondary xylem in a tree

Sapwood picture

The lightcolored wood in this picture

Why we need a dense shrub and herb layer

Adds spatial heterogeneity -- places for birds to nest and other animals to hide.

What is the MOST IMPORTANT reason why vernal pools are such a great nursery for so many organisms?

Important fish free nursery area for many amphibians which are the bottom of the food chain for many.

Old growth forest

complex forest that has developed over a long period of time and is relatively untouched by human activity

How trees talk to each other

Through the mycorrhiza or fungi

North West Forest Plan

plan mandated an ecology-based forest management framework, limiting old-growth logging and putting in place environmental and habitat protections for endangered fish and wildlife like the northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet, Chinook salmon, and steelhead

Why are fires important

they act as a natural part of the ecosystem, helping to regenerate new growth by clearing out dead vegetation, releasing nutrients back into the soil, and creating openings in the canopy that allow sunlight to reach the forest floor, thus stimulating the growth of new plants and providing diverse habitats for wildlife

Why are disturbances in forest good?

they are a natural part of the forest ecosystem cycle, promoting renewal by creating space for new growth, increasing biodiversity by allowing different species to thrive in disturbed areas, and sometimes even improving soil quality by releasing nutrients trapped in old vegetation; essentially, they help maintain a healthy and dynamic forest ecosystem over time. Examples are fires, farmland going back to forest, floods, etc.

Primary Sucession

ecological sucession begins in a lifeless area with no soil

secondary succession

type of succession that occurs in an area that was only partially destroyed by disturbances

Number one reason for species extinction.

Habitat loss

Number 2 reason for species extinction

Invasive species

The animal the started the problem between loggers and environmentalists

Western Spotted Owl

Easter Massacre

a highly publicized incident where logging companies cut down a large stand of old-growth trees in Oregon's Willamette National Forest on Easter Sunday, 1989, despite protests from environmental activists who had chained themselves to the trees, effectively marking a major escalation in the fight to protect old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest; this event gained significant media attention and helped galvanize the environmental movement against large-scale logging practices.

Animals dependent on Vernal Pools

Wood frog, spotted salamander, marbled salamander

Vernal Pool definition

a shallow, temporary wetland that fills with water in the later winter/early spring and dries up in the summer

spotted salamander eggs

Wood frog eggs

spotted salamander picture

wood frog picture

Dragonfly larvae

midge larvae

Aquatic Earthworms

Caddisfly larvae

water tiger

Mosquito larvae

Legacy Tree

A tree, usually mature or old-growth, that is retained on a site after harvesting or natural disturbance to provide a biological remnant of the previous rotation.

Witness Tree

A living tree that was present during a significant historical event, like a Civil War battle or early land survey, serving as a silent, natural marker of the past, often with physical evidence like embedded bullets or surveyor's marks, connecting us to history and offering ecological insights

lone wolf tree

an old, large tree that grew in an open field before the surrounding forest grew in, giving it a distinctive wide, spreading crown with low branches, unlike taller, straight timber trees

Barred Owl

The owl that is replacing the spotted owl in the NW

The only constant thing about the forest ecosystem

is that it is constantly changing.

A Snag (def)

a standing dead or dying tree, often missing its top and branches, that acts as a vital "wildlife hotel" in forest ecosystems

A Snap (pic)

A burl (def)

a rounded, woody outgrowth on a tree trunk, branch, or roots, filled with small knots from dormant buds, often caused by stress such as injury, virus, or fungus

A Burl (pic)

Julia Butterfly Hill

Girl who lived in a tree for 2 years

Luna

Name of tree Julia lived in