Research
Research in the Department of Forest Science focuses on fundamental and applied research to support forest management practices in reforestation and silviculture, health and conservation of forest resources, and forest community and ecosystem structure and function. All biological levels of organization within natural or managed forest communities are addressed by current departmental research projects. Graduate students are an integral part of the Department's large, and diverse research program.
Research is by far the dominant program of the department, accounting for about 90% of our expenditures. Our research is done under the aegis of the Forest Research Laboratory in three of the Laboratory's five program areas. These are (a) Reforestation, (b) Forest Culture and Productivity, and (c) Forest Protection. These terms have been used to "label" program areas for more than 20 years. They must be interpreted in the broadest sense to be descriptive of our departmental programs.
Our research programs are quite successful. The faculty are productive as evidenced by their publication record, and awards. They are sought for involvement in significant assignments as well. We also compete well for resources. Since the last research program review, we have received two program improvements from the Oregon State Legislature (for new programs in forest wildlife interactions, and long-term site productivity), and one through the McIntire-Stennis budget enhancement. This allowed us to start a new program in integrated forest protection. Grants, contracts, and agreements are a significant part (about 78%) of our research budget, providing the resources to hire nearly all technical assistants and graduate students. Over the last four years, Forest Science has ranked 1, 2, or 3 among all departments of the University in terms of external funds received. Examples of recently funded projects are:
Development of Old-Growth and Riparian Forests in the Cascade and Coast Ranges
Genetic Conservation of Pacific Northwest Forest Trees
Effect of Windthrow Disturbance on Decomposition-Weathering Feedback
Assessing Terrestrial Vertebrates Over Space and Time
Development and Validation of Dynamic Global Vegetation Models
Genomic Analysis of Homologs to Disease Resistant Genes in Populus
Ecosystem Carbon Isotope Discrimination by Coniferous Forests
Testing of Pheromone-Based Methods for managing the Douglas-Fir Beetle at the Landscape Scale
The research program has undergone very significant changes in the last 30 years. When with the IBP program was initiated in 1970, the Department embarked on a new thrust in which ecosystem function became a major focus. At that time, traditional production forestry research was by far the major focus in the Department. These two research tracks have continued independently, although more recently they have an increasingly strong degree of collaboration.
Today's ecosystem research is focused largely through the Long-Term Ecological Research program funded by NSF and others. Much of this research is based at the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest and the newly formed Cascade Center for Ecosystem Management. The Cooperative Forest Ecosystem Research (CFER) program was initiated as a cooperative that works closely with resource managers, researchers, and decision-makers to develop and convey information needed to successfully implement ecosystem-based management. The ecosystem research of the Department is particularly strong and well coordinated. The prospects for finding solutions to integrated resource management problems are good.
Timber production forestry research is focused in innovative research cooperatives which are helping us make significant progress in finding solutions to particular management problems. Our research cooperatives, a point of real strength, include:
Vegetation Management Research Cooperative
Nursery Technology Cooperative
Pacific Northwest Tree Improvement Research Cooperative
Hardwood Silviculture Research Cooperative
Tree Genetic Engineering Research Cooperative
Cooperative Forest Ecosystem Research
Northwest Tree Improvement Cooperative
The research co-op concept grew out of the need to accelerate production forestry research, to address problems too expensive for individual organizations to tackle on their own. Thus, forest managers with common problems, but no research programs to solve them, elected to pool their resources and through the scientific leadership of the Department, work cooperatively towards problem solution. Co-op members supply operating capital and significant in-kind services, the Department provides the co-op leader and the infrastructure, both scientific and administrative. The Department and the members mutually agree on priorities and approaches for research. It has proven quite an effective approach to problem solving through collaboration.