focus « College of Forestry

Five acres of Peavy Arboretum are filled with utility poles. But why?

“It’s our pole farm,” answers Senior Faculty Research Assistant Jed Cappellazzi. “We are growing them!”

He’s only joking, of course. Cappellazzi and fellow Senior Faculty Research Assistant Matthew Konkler co-facilitate the College of Forestry’s Utility Pole Research Cooperative, and the five acres of poles at Peavy Arboretum only make up a small piece of the cooperative’s unique, world-class research.

The co-op’s membership includes energy, chemical and timber companies from every region of the United States and some parts of Canada. Co-op members are happy to host researchers to study utility poles in use across the country, but there are many external factors affecting poles already in use.

“We don’t always know the history of these poles,” Cappellazzi says. “And they’re vulnerable to more external stimuli including things like car accidents. If something like that happened, we would lose all of our replication with the study we’re running.”

Konkler says that the five acres at Peavy Arboretum is different and well protected.

“That’s where we’re really free to experiment,” he says. “Our industry partners really appreciate the space because the weather at the Arboretum causes poles to deteriorate pretty quickly. So, even in the long-term studies we’re running, we’re able to get answers to their questions relatively quickly.”

The Arboretum has about 30 active studies. Studies began at that site when the first post installed on January 7, 1928. Some of the older poles still stand, although they are not being studied.

The utility pole co-op was founded in the 1980s and charged with developing fumigants to help preserve utility poles. Since then, its focus has changed and it now addresses a variety of wood related issues that improve the performance of wood, allowing poles to last longer and make utilities more competitive.

Assistant Professor Gerald Presley joined Oregon State in 2019 to oversee the co-op. He says its future is exciting.

“It’s great to be in a position to do applied research with wood-based products,” he says. “Wood utility poles are an essential part of our national infrastructure and have advantages over steel alternatives. Not least among these is that they are a renewable resource grown and manufactured right here in Oregon and throughout the Pacific Northwest.”

Chemical leaching and fire mitigation are a few of the next big issues in the industry that the co-op plans to tackle in Peavy Arboretum and beyond.

“When it comes down to it, we’re trying to protect the investment of wood poles,” Konkler says. “We do our best to look comprehensively at the forest and wood products industry to understand everything that goes into creating, establishing and maintaining these poles.” •

A version of this story appeared in the Spring 2020 issue of Focus on Forestry, the alumni magazine of the Oregon State University College of Forestry. Learn more about College of Forestry research facilities and collaborations.

Michael Paul Nelson, Ruth H. Spaniol Chair of Renewable Resources in the College of Forestry, says many may not realize how much research is conducted on the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest.

Researchers throughout Oregon State University, across the state, and around the world conduct research at the forest. Long-Term Ecological Research Program Coordinator Lina DiGregorio explains the research conducted on the Andrews Forest is broad.

“We aren’t a specific lab that studies a single area of the forest,” she says. “Our program involves faculty from across the college, the university, the Forest Service and all over the country and world.”

First established in 1948 as a U.S. Forest Service Experimental Forest, the Andrews Forest is an approximately 16,000-acre ecological research site in Oregon’s western Cascades Mountains. Supported by Oregon State University and the U.S. Forest Service, the research program is part of the Long-Term Ecological Research network, funded by the National Science Foundation. Nelson says the work is important and, at times, surprising.

He nicknamed the interesting research done at the Andrews Forest, ‘the ecology of surprise.’

“There are surprises about how complex our system is, but also how theory or observations elsewhere suggest one thing, and over time, we find quite another.”

For example, Professor Emeritus Mark Harmon initiated a study at the forest related to log decomposition of large trees. The long-term study started about 35 years ago and found that some trees could take around 200, and even up to 800 years, to fully decompose.

“That’s surprising because fewer than two percent of all ecological studies last even five years,” Nelson says. “The idea of a group of scientists conducting a study for 200 years is audacious.”

Nelson says it’s similarly surprising that the number of living cells and types of living organisms is greater on dead trees than on living trees.

Another study that led to surprising results was one led by Assistant Professor Catalina Segura and Associate Professor Dana Warren. The two researchers work in different departments within the College of Forestry, and Warren is duel-appointed to the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife in the College of Agricultural Sciences. Working at the Andrews Forest brought them together.

The pair discovered that a small creek known as Cold Creek produces over 15 times the amount of water equivalent to its topographic drainage area. It appears that this water is received at high elevation and “funneled” through porous lava flows.

“Before this study, we knew the water was cold, but we didn’t know why,” Nelson says. “The isotopic signature is unique from the other creeks and streams as well, and its flow is steady, even throughout the summer in dry conditions.”

Nelson’s hope is the research that surprises and delights scientists continues, and that the public understands what an important resource the Andrews Forest is to forests and communities.

“I want people to have a ‘wow response,’ when they think about the forest and our research,” Nelson says. “I want them to recognize how special and unique it is. I want people to know about and be proud of the work that’s happening in this place. The science that happens in the Andrews Forest will inform decisions for land managers world-wide.”

As hikers trek through Oak Creek, they might notice its beautiful, crystal clear water, or Douglas-firs that line the banks. But when Assistant Professor Catalina Segura looks at Oak Creek, she sees something iconic – something famous in her world of stream geomorphology.

“I knew about Oak Creek before I knew about Oregon State University or Corvallis,” she says. “It’s famous because of the work done there. A very impressive data set was collected there in the late 60s and early 70s. There’s not much else like it in the world.”

Segura now feels privileged to conduct her own research, related to primary production in streams, at this site.

Segura says primary production provides the fundamental source of energy for life on earth, and therefore understanding what controls primary production is key to understanding ecosystems. Most of the primary production in streams like Oak Creek come from algae that lives on rocks. That’s why it’s crucial to understand how the movement of rocks in the stream bottom interacts with algae locally and throughout the stream’s reach.

Segura works with Associate Professor Dana Warren on a project funded by the National Science Foundation. Two sites are being compared: Oak Creek and Mill Creek, a tributary of the Siletz River in the Coastal Range.

Segura says the rocks in each of these streams are very different. The rocks in Oak Creek are basalt and coarser, while the rocks in Mill Creek are sandstone and finer.

The researchers, together with graduate student Samantha Cargill, collected data on oxygen and used that to model the amount of primary production by algae on rocks.

“Now that we understand what happens during storm events in the winter when the water runs quickly and the rocks in the bottom move frequently, we can think about seasonal variability. We have a new post-doctoral fellow, Sandra Villamizar, who will take the project in this new direction.” In the meantime, several sensors for this project remain in Oak Creek. They are monitored intermittently. Segura also takes her classes to Oak Creek so undergraduate and graduate students can observe the research happening there.

“I tell my students about how we collect data and take them to those locations. We look at flow measurements and do a few different labs in the forest,” she says. “Logistically, I appreciate how convenient it is. You can visit Oak Creek as frequently as you want, and it makes it easy to integrate teaching and research.”

Segura says there are also benefits to Oak Creek being inside a managed forest, managed by the College of Forestry.

“The forest director, Professor Stephen Fitzgerald, has helped facilitate our research by doing things like restricting access to the stream at sensitive times,” she says.

The other study area near the Siletz was also convenient. It is located partially on tribal land, and partially on Weyerhaeuser property.

“Last year we were able to host high school students and teachers through the SMILE: Science Math Investigative Learning Experience program,” Segura says. “We trained the teachers in different modules to take back to their classes, and that was very gratifying. It’s amazing that so many people can benefit from the interesting work we’re doing thanks to our location.”

Andreja Kutnar arrived in Oregon on September 1, 2006. The visiting Ph.D. student from Slovenia had never been to the U.S. before. She was nervous and excited, and found herself surprised at the cultural differences she encountered. Her friendly neighbor gifted her a bike to get around town; she discovered it didn’t matter that her English wasn’t perfect; and, she was able to build a vast network of friends and colleagues. During her first six-month visit she worked with Fred Kamke, JELD-WEN Chair of Wood-based Composites Science, on wood densification and bonding. Kutnar completed all of the experimentation for her dissertation.

She returned in 2009 for a post-doc before she joined the faculty of the University of Primorska in Slovenia. Soon she had funding for graduate students of her own.

“I wanted to bring an American over because I like the culture and the mentality. I like the way people communicate and how they appreciate diversity,” Kutnar says. “I wanted to stay involved with these people and the research I fell in love with at Oregon State.”

It felt natural for Kutnar to offer her Ph.D. spot to Mike Burnard, who earned his master’s degree in Wood Science at Oregon State in 2012. Eric Hansen, head of the Wood Science and Engineering Department, called Burnard a ‘superstar master’s student’, but there was no funding for his Ph.D. at Oregon State. Just before he committed to attend the University of British Columbia, Kutnar swooped in and recruited him.

“I thought I might come to Europe to do a post-doc or sometime else later in my career,” Burnard says, “But it worked out that I could actually complete my Ph.D. at the University of Primorska. This will be a more permanent solution so that’s great.”

Burnard, Hansen and Kutnar worked together toward a big success in 2017 when the European Union and the government of Slovenia awarded Kutnar 45 million euros to create the ‘InnoRenew CoE: Renewable Materials and Healthy Environments Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence’ research institute.

“The EU does this in a variety of areas,” Hansen explains, “But this was the first focused on wood products, and it’s interesting because there’s not much primary processing of wood products in Slovenia. Much of the processing is in neighboring Austria.”

Scott Leavengood, professor and director of the Oregon Wood Innovation Center, agrees.

“You would expect something like this to exist in Scandinavia or somewhere else in Alpine Europe, but instead there will soon be 60-70 scientists researching wood in various aspects on the coast of Slovenia near the border of Croatia. It’s awe-inspiring,” he says.

Kutnar continues to recruit American students from Oregon State as well as experts from throughout Europe, Brazil, India and Iran as InnoRenew CoE researches renewable materials and sustainable buildings.

Other OSU-transplants to Slovenia include Matthew Schwarzkopf and David DeVellance, who earned their Ph.D. degrees at the College of Forestry, as well as former faculty member Amy Simmons.

Kutnar says InnoRenew’s goals include building a new facility and expanding throughout the continent and the world. For now, collaboration with Oregon State continues. Hansen and Leavengood participate in collaborative research projects with Kutnar and her team in Slovenia. Mariapaola Riggio, assistant professor of wood design and architecture, serves on InnoRenew’s Council of Experts and advises on the development of strategies and scientific challenges within the organization.

“It’s an honor to serve on the Council of Experts,” Riggio says. “My role is to consult on the scientific program of the institute with the executive board and director, advise them on important areas of research and groups for projects and to suggest individual projects to be implemented by the institute and director.”

Riggio also collaborates with InnoRenew’s researchers on several projects, including investigating the perception and performance of biomaterials in architecture, researching nondestructive assessment of cross-laminated timber structures and implementing a monitoring project of InnoRenew’s new facility.

Additionally, almost a dozen Oregon State faculty, staff and graduate students have traveled to Slovenia, and Kutnar co-leads a short-term study abroad experience for students from Oregon State and European universities. There, students learn about InnoRenew up close.

“It’s fun to have the students from Oregon State come in the summer,” Burnard says. “I was able to study abroad in Scandinavia during my time at Oregon State, and it was such a great experience. It’s amazing to see students come here and be awed by the beauty of Slovenia and the differences in the wood products industry. For many of them, it’s a place they had never heard of before they signed up for the program. It opens their eyes to a whole new world of possibilities.”

A version of this story appeared in the fall 2019 issue of Focus on Forestry, the alumni magazine of the Oregon State University College of Forestry. Learn more about international programs within the College of Forestry here.

Scion in New Zealand is a beacon for international researchers in the forestry and wood products industries. More than half-a-dozen Oregon State researchers have connections to Scion, an institute that specializes in research, science and technology development for the forestry, wood product, wood-derived materials and other biomaterial sectors.

A sabbatical hotspot

“Just imagine the College of Forestry with fewer students, and even more focused on research,” says Scott Leavengood, professor and director of the Oregon Wood Innovation Center, who took a sabbatical in New Zealand and worked at Scion in 2016. “Scion has hundreds of researchers and visiting students from around the globe dedicated to forestry and forest products innovation in New Zealand.”

Associate Professor Jeff Hatten also spent his spring 2019 sabbatical there working on projects related to forest nutrition dynamics. He says one aspect of Scion’s mission is to grow trees faster and more sustainably to create better wood products and healthier forests.

“It leads to forward-thinking problem solving around those issues,” says Hatten. “It’s an area of study I haven’t focused on in my career,” Hatten says. “I’m piecing information together and learning more about what Scion has done to manage for Radiata Pine and Douglas-fir.”

Radiata Pine is the largest plantation species in New Zealand. Douglas-fir is also popular, and locals sometimes refer to it as ‘Oregon fir.’

Hatten says the two species are very different but thrive in similar soils.

“There are a lot of similarities between New Zealand and the Pacific Northwest,” Hatten says. “This means there are also similar problems in terms of how we grow and harvest trees. I’m interested in learning more about the problems and helping solve them here and back in Oregon.”

Problem-solving tree diseases

Ph.D. Student Michael Gordon hasn’t been to New Zealand – yet – but he’s working with Distinguished Professor Steve Strauss and Assistant Professor Jared LeBoldus, using gene transfer methods developed by Scion to produce a disease-resistant Douglas-fir tree. While genetically modifying trees is common in species like poplar (cottonwoods and aspens), it’s uncommon in plantation species important in Oregon, like Douglas fir.

The team is using host-induced gene silencing, widely called ‘HIGS’ by scientists, to encourage trees to successfully resist diseases like Swiss needle cast — and to do it by tweaking the natural mechanisms by which trees and their pathogens interact.

Scion scientists will insert the OSU-designed genes into Douglas-fir and send micro-propagated plants to Oregon State where they will grow in a greenhouse. When acclimated, they will be planted in a USDA-regulated field trial and monitored for growth and disease resistance. Gordon says the project is at the cutting edge, and he does not know if it will be successful. However, similar projects with crop plants have seen success, and if successful, this project could open up new and exciting ways to control Swiss needle cast and many other forest diseases.

Pressing on: more work to be done

In April 2019, Liam Gilson, a graduate student studying sustainable forest management and advised by Doug Maguire, the N.B. and Jacqueline Giustina Professor of Forest Management, presented his New Zealand-related research at the Western Forestry Graduate Research Symposium hosted by Oregon State.

Gilson’s project compares growth rates of Douglas fir in the Pacific Northwest and New Zealand’s South Island.

Douglas fir grows faster in the Southern Hemisphere, compared to its native climate in the Pacific Northwest, but little research points to why.

“My project used a group of plantings in western Oregon and the South Island of New Zealand that originated from the same seed lot,” Gilson says. “The project investigates the interplay between genetics and environmental conditions within and between these two radically different geographic locations separated by 7,400 miles. The results will help to develop strategies to minimize risks of plantation damage as our climate changes, inform the choice of genetic material for future plantings and strengthen the case for gene conservation in the context of Douglas-fi r breeding in New Zealand.”

With these and other projects and collaborations in the works, the exchange of ideas, research and people between Oregon State and Scion will likely continue, as New Zealand continues to promote the use of sustainable forestry practices and strive toward an even greener economy.

Corinne Walters decided to study civil engineering at Oregon State because, “a high school math teacher told me I would be a good civil engineer,” she says.

She took an introduction to forest engineering class her freshman year to fulfill a requirement, but instead, found a passion.

“My professor, Jim Kiser, Richard Strachan Scholar in Fire and Silviculture, taught us all the best things about forestry,” Walters remembers. “So, I decided to switch my major to forest engineering.”

She says the allure of working outside instead of behind a desk on a computer all day was enticing. Walters’s parents are both in the forest industry, but she never considered following in their footsteps. She also never thought she would study abroad.

“There’s a lot of pressure as an engineering student to finish all your coursework, so I just didn’t think I would have the time and flexibility to make it work,” she says.

But when Walters found out about a short-term, faculty-led study abroad experience in Chile, she realized that studying abroad was possible for her.

“It was so fun, and it opened my eyes to all the possibilities that are out there,” she says. “The College of Forestry offers so much for students when it comes to international experiences.”

After her initial experience in Chile, she became hungry for more international exposure.

“I’d interned for great companies here in the U.S., and I wanted to do something different and out of my comfort zone for the summer before my senior year,” she says.

She ended up in New Zealand, working for one of the largest timber companies in the country.

Together with another intern, Walters worked on the layout for permanent sample plots.

“They measure the height, diameter and form of the trees about every five years to get an idea of how they’re growing,” Walters says. “They work with a lot of different seedlings from different locations and compare seed sources in an attempt to grow the healthiest trees they can to produce the best wood products.”

Walters graduated in June 2019 and is working for Miami Corporation in McMinnville. She says her international experience gave her knowledge to draw upon during the interview process.

“Most of all, it’s great to be connected to the international forest industry,” she says. “I think that’s important.”

She says she plans on leveraging international relationships moving forward.

“For example, there are a lot of similarities between the forest industry in the Pacific Northwest and New Zealand,” she says. “If I have a question, I can call up my old supervisor or coworker and see what he or she thinks about an issue or technique.”

Walters encourages other students to take advantage of international experiences.

“It’s easy to get connected if you want to,” she says. “The forestry community is close-knit and brings people together all over the world.”

Science asserts that agroforestry can have many benefits, including increased biodiversity, reduced erosion and healthier trees and crops. But what are people’s attitudes toward agroforestry in the developing world, and who is choosing to implement these mixed land management systems?

Ph.D. student Sonia Bruck is working hard to find answers to these questions. She’s partnered with Anthony Kimaro, Tanzania country representative for the World Forestry Centre (ICRAF) and Peter Matata, environmental scientist at the Tanzanian Ministry of Agriculture, because of their expertise on agroforestry in rural areas throughout Africa.

“I wanted to work with ICRAFbecause their headquarters are in Africa. They’re connected to the people in villages throughout the country and are there to ensure these projects continue,” Bruck says.

She takes comfort in the fact that when she completes the project the data will live with the organization for years to come. So, she set out to live in Tanzania for five months to learn more about agroforestry practices there.

Bruck began her journey by researching the history and socioeconomics of the region she is studying. Located in the northwest corner of Tanzania, the Uyui District was part of the Arab slave trade and later transitioned to a tobacco production region. To cure tobacco, local farmers cut much of the surrounding woodlands to produce charcoal, which resulted in deforestation and soil erosion.

To help combat that problem, ICRAF encouraged the practice of intercropping pigeon pea, a legume-producing woody perennial; cassava, a root vegetable and a tree called Gliricidia sepium.

ICRAF also researched and promoted the use of woodlots for fuelwood and charcoal production.

Bruck says, “Corn is a staple in the region, which requires a lot of nitrogen in the soil. People plant corn in the same place year after year, and that depletes nitrogen stores. Also, many people are undernourished or food insecure. Planting a variety of crops can help people get the nutrients they need.”

When Bruck first arrived in the area, she met with local government officials to obtain a letter explaining why she was there and what her research was.

“I had to meet with the chief and elders of the village as well,” Bruck says. “One thing that stuck with me during those meetings was how much people were interested in seeing the results of my study, so my goal is to eventually provide them with feedback and information about the data we collected.”

During her five-month stay, Bruck used a survey to understand who is adopting agroforestry in the region and the potential impacts intercropping has on food security. Together with five hired enumerators from a local agricultural college, Bruck surveyed 43 households randomly selected from village registries.

“So far, we found that many people are planting cassava. Fewer are planting the pigeon pea, and even fewer are planting Gliricidia sepium,” she says. “Many people report they’ve heard of agroforestry practices, but haven’t fully adopted them.”

She returned in July 2019 to disseminate her full questionnaire to 600 households among 12 subvillages and hold focus groups.

Before jetting off to Africa, Bruck helped plan and attended the North American Association for Temperate Agroforestry biennial conference (AFTA), hosted at Oregon State in June 2019. Bruck’s major professor, senior instructor and program director Badege Bishaw, is the current president of AFTA.

Even though the study region is not temperate, she presented her work on the project so far.

“Agroforestry professionals are interested in all kinds of climate zones, and people come to this conference from all over the world,” Bruck says. “It’s exciting to be able to collaborate with people and organizations who have the same research interests. I’m also extremely grateful for support from the College of Forestry, my advisors, committee members and collaborators in Africa.”

Robert Rose is a senior studying renewable materials. He landed at Oregon State after growing up in New Mexico, a stint in the Air Force and working in Japan as a Department of Defense contractor.

With his first bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Rose had broad knowledge of the construction industry, but wanted to switch roles.

“A few friends told me about the College of Forestry at Oregon State, which led me to discover the renewable materials program, and it seemed like a good fit,” he says. “I wanted to learn about what renewable materials are and how to apply renewable products to the field of construction.”

The father of three considers school his job right now. He finished his renewable materials coursework and is now focused on business classes for the marketing and management option within the degree program.

Rose says one of his favorite areas to study is mass timber. He says his dream job is working with innovative products within the construction industry.

“I’m hoping I can take the knowledge and experience I gained here and translate it into getting plugged back into the workforce,” Rose says.

He says he’s excited about mass timber because of its unexpected construction potential.

“People just don’t really think about wood as a suitable material for large-scale construction projects,” Rose says. “But once you start learning about the properties behind it, it’s really intriguing and interesting. There’s also an aesthetic piece to it that I really like, so overall it makes for an interesting material to work with.”

During summer 2017, Rose completed an internship with Accsys Technologies. He worked with the College of Forestry’s Office of International Programs to travel abroad to the company’s headquarters in The Netherlands for a week where he observed the manufacturing process for Accoya wood products.

Once he returned home, Rose worked with Scott Leavengood, director of the Oregon Wood Innovation Center, to test a variety of modified wood products including acetylated red alder similar to the wood that will be used on the exterior cladding of the new George W. Peavy Forest Science Center building.

“Robert is an exceptional student and employee,” Leavengood says. “His natural curiosity; attention to detail and ability to organize, plan and conduct his work independently are strong assets for any researcher.”

A version of this story appeared in the spring 2019 issue of Focus on Forestry, the alumni magazine of the Oregon State University College of Forestry. Learn more about our undergraduate programs here.

Senior Vanessa Mckinney is passionate about forestry, natural resources and conservation.

The Eureka, California, native came to Oregon State to study forest management, but after participating in field school decided – with the help of an advisor – that the natural resources major would be a better fit.

“Coming to Oregon felt like a new opportunity for me,” Mckinney said. “Here at Oregon State, and in the state of Oregon in general, everyone encourages students to get out into the woods and into the field and find out how we can make a change for the better.”

Mckinney stays as active as she can, participating in a variety of hands-on learning opportunities.

During summer 2018, Mckinney worked with a graduate student to reopen the greenhouse at the Oak Creek building on the Oregon State campus. The neglected space is now an active research facility again.

“I helped graduate students get seedlings going,” Mckinney says. “It was really rewarding to make that area a productive space for research again.”

Mckinney also participated in the Mentored Employment Program (MEP), which provides College of Forestry undergraduate students paid opportunities to work with faculty members on research projects or to gain field experience.

Mckinney worked with Carlos Gonzalez-Benecke, assistant professor, and Maxwell Wightman, faculty research assistant, on a project for the Vegetation Management Research Cooperative (VMRC). She said that before working with the VMRC, she began to question her future and interest in natural resources and forest management.

“I was wondering if I really wanted to be here,” she says. “But getting into the field with the VMRC gave me a new sense of confidence. I gained real experience with real data that I knew was going to be applied. This added to my OSU experience.”

Mckinney’s data ended up in the lab, and will eventually have real applications for land managers and other scientists.

“Working with her as a mentor through the program was a wonderful experience,” Wightman says. “I worked closely with her in the field and saw her grow in skill and confidence. Her work with the VMRC was so exceptional that we immediately hired her as a student employee once her time with MEP ended.”

In her spare time, Mckinney also volunteers with Oregon State Community Service and has participated in the Polar Plunge event for the Special Olympics. She plans to attend graduate school and eventually hopes to work with children and youth, teaching them about forestry, natural resources and conservation.

“As a child, I was captivated by the outdoors at an early age,” Mckinney says. “If we captivate children at an early age, they can become leaders in managing and protecting our natural resources for the future.”

The Oregon Forest Practices Act (FPA) is up for renewal in 2020. According to the State of Oregon, the FPA “sets standards for all commercial activities involving the establishment, management or harvesting of trees on Oregon’s forestlands.

Oregon law gives the Board of Forestry primary responsibility to interpret the FPA and set rules for forest practices.”

Assistant Professor Kevin Bladon has a vested interest in the FPA because of his work in and with harvesting in riparian areas. He says this practice is one of the reasons the act exists. “In the 1950s and 60s, before FPA, logging companies were harvesting next to streams, and a lot of sediment was ending up in the water.”

This had negative impacts on water sources, quality, temperature and more. To prove this, scientists at the Oregon State College of Forestry conducted a study of the Alsea Watershed in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

For six years, scientists made pre-harvest measurements and observations. Next, over a two-year period, they observed harvest and the change that occurred in respect to the nearby streams. Bladon says the stream temperature rose from a standard 13.9 degrees Celsius to up to 29.4 degrees Celsius.

“That’s more than double the original temperature,” Bladon says. “That has major impacts on fish habitat and the laying and survival of eggs. There was also increased sediment. None of the results were good, and all of this information was built into FPA.”

FPA passed in 1971. Major amendments were made in 1992 with added water and geographic classifications.

“It’s cool to look back on that time and the regulations that have been developed and know this study happened just down the road from us,” Bladon says.

He had a chance to return to the Alsea Watershed when it was harvested again in 2009 and 2015 to conduct a one-of-a-kind study. Work like this will influence FPA and other policy decisions in Oregon and beyond.

“Going back to the same watersheds, it’s clear the FPA had a positive impact,” Bladon says. “We were able to show that based on the stream temperature and amount of sediment, FPA regulations are appropriate and working well for the landscape.”

A version of this story appeared in the spring 2019 issue of Focus on Forestry, the alumni magazine of the Oregon State University College of Forestry. Learn more about college research here.

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Category Archives: focus

The Pole Farm

The Ecology of Surprise

Oak Creek: A Legend in the World of Geomorphology

Embracing partnership in Slovenia

New Zealand: coming for the science, staying for the scenery

A sabbatical hotspot

Problem-solving tree diseases

Pressing on: more work to be done

Corinne Walters: creating an international network, engineering the future

Supporting healthy communities

Robert Rose: a future in mass timber

Vanessa Mckinney: pursuing better policy for our lands

A legacy of impacting change

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