Senior Project Advisor

Wallin, David O.

Document Type

Project

Publication Date

Winter 1997

Keywords

Old-growth forests, Terrestrail ecology

Abstract

Much of ecology, especially terrestrial ecology, studies how a given system changes over time. Pressures from preservationists and demands for timber products have focused ecological attention on Pacific Northwest forest ecosystems, and much of the debate has been over how change affects "old-growth” forests. Old-growth forests have a number of distinguishing characteristics including species composition, size of trees and forest structure that make them unique (Waring and Franklin 1979, Franklin et al. 1981). Old-growth forests west of the Cascade mountain range are dominated by Douglas fir (Psuedotsuga menziesii) and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) trees approximately 200-750 years old. The climax community consists of the shade tolerant western red cedar (Thuja plicata) and western hemlock species that grow up in the understory and gradually phase out Douglas fir (Waring and Franklin 1979; Franklin, et al. 1981).

Department

Environmental Sciences

Subjects - Topical (LCSH)

Biotic communities--Washington (State)--Whatcom County--History--19th century; Plant communities--Washington (State)--Whatcom County--History--19th century; Forest biomass--Washington (State)--Whatcom County--History--19th century

Geographic Coverage

Whatcom County (Wash.)

Genre/Form

student projects; term papers

Type

Text

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

Rights Statement

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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