Fire and Vegetation of Upland Meadows, Willamette National Forest, Oregon
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC Ballroom A
Start Date
17-5-2012
End Date
17-5-2012
Abstract
Fire plays a critical role in altering local landscapes and shaping vegetation regimes. Prior to Euro-American settlement, Native Americans used fires to maintain the oak savanna of the Willamette Valley, but little is known about the effects of Native American burning in montane meadows. Important resources, such as beargrass and huckleberries, are found in meadows in the Willamette National Forest, but today these meadows are disappearing. Fire and vegetation history of montane meadows can be reconstructed by analyzing the charcoal and pollen deposited in the sediments of nearby lakes. Two lakes have been chosen for this study: Waterdog Lake and Huckleberry Lake in the Willamette National Forest. Records from these lakes will help to reveal the fire and vegetation history of the area and provide clues about how fire contributes to the biodiversity of upland meadow environments.
Recommended Citation
Cox, Tamara, "Fire and Vegetation of Upland Meadows, Willamette National Forest, Oregon" (2012). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 27.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2012/posters/27
Poster Number
11
Additional Mentoring Department
Other
Fire and Vegetation of Upland Meadows, Willamette National Forest, Oregon
SURC Ballroom A
Fire plays a critical role in altering local landscapes and shaping vegetation regimes. Prior to Euro-American settlement, Native Americans used fires to maintain the oak savanna of the Willamette Valley, but little is known about the effects of Native American burning in montane meadows. Important resources, such as beargrass and huckleberries, are found in meadows in the Willamette National Forest, but today these meadows are disappearing. Fire and vegetation history of montane meadows can be reconstructed by analyzing the charcoal and pollen deposited in the sediments of nearby lakes. Two lakes have been chosen for this study: Waterdog Lake and Huckleberry Lake in the Willamette National Forest. Records from these lakes will help to reveal the fire and vegetation history of the area and provide clues about how fire contributes to the biodiversity of upland meadow environments.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Megan Walsh