Forest health in the Blue Mountains: Science perspectives. A management strategy for fire-adapted ecosystems. Forest Service general technical report

Technical Report · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:5906528

Mutch, R W; Arno, S F; Brown, J K; Carlson, C E; Ottmar, R D

The fire-adapted forests of the Blue Mountains are suffering from a forest health problem of catastrophic proportions. The composition of the forest at lower elevations has shifted from historically open-growth stands of primarily ponderosa pine and western larch to stands with dense understories of Douglas-fir and grand fir. Epidemic levels of insect infestations and large wildfires adversely affect visual quality, wildlife habitat, stream sedimentation, and timber values. A management strategy to restore forest health at lower elevations will require that the seral ponderosa pine and western larch stands be managed for much lower tree densities and a more open coniferous understory. A combination of silvicultural partial cutting and prescribed fire on a large scale will be needed to produce the desired future condition of healthy, open, and park-like forests.

• Research Organization: Forest Service, Portland, OR (United States). Pacific Northwest Research Station
• OSTI ID: 5906528
• Report Number(s): PB-93-222487/XAB; FSGTR-PNW--310
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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