Patterns of conifer establishment and vigor on montane river floodplains in Olympic National Park, Washington, USA
Stolnack SA and Naiman RJ. 2010. Patterns of conifer establishment and vigor on montane river floodplains in Olympic National Park, Washington, USA. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 40:410-422
From the Abstract: "In the Pacific Coastal Ecoregion, coniferous trees are often prescribed for riparian restoration, yet little is known about their establishment on floodplains under natural conditions. In this study, 10- to 50-year-old floodplain surfaces of six rivers were surveyed to (1) quantify conifer distribution along study reaches, (2) describe relationships between conifer presence and selected biological and environmental variables, and (3) compare growth rates and relative vigor of conifers among sites. ... Our findings suggest that the tolerance of Douglas-fir to drier conditions allows it to survive on relatively higher, drier sites where more moisture-demanding competitors fail. For Sitka spruce, factors other than those measured appear to be more important to spruce establishment and survival."
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Stolnack, Scott; Naiman, Robert
- Units
- OLYM
- Keywords
- Conifer Forest, Elwha River Watershed, Floodplain, Hoh River Watershed, Queets River Watershed, Quinault River Watershed, Restoration, Riparian, Skokomish River Watershed, Soleduck River Watershed