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Taylor Ranch
Wilderness Field Station
University of Idaho
HC 83 Box 8070
Cascade, ID 83611
Satellite Phone:
1-254-543-9291
Fax at Arnold Aviation:
208-382-3941
Email:
tayranch@hughes.net
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| Undergraduate Research |
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Eric Clippinger
Pursuing B.S. in Ecology and Conversation Biology
(Natural Resource Option)
University of Idaho
DeVlieg Taylor Undergraduate Research Scholar 2008
Faculty Advisor: Kathleen Kavanagh
Associate Professor - Natural Resources
University of Idaho
Exploring climate effect on coniferous seedling regeneration in burned areas in central Idaho.
Proposal
Abstract: Higher temperatures and the redistribution of precipitation have influenced the northern Rockies in recent years. These climatic changes could alter the distribution and abundance of important tree species. Frequently burned, or disturbed, landscapes offer the best chance to monitor and analyze the regeneration dynamics of tree seedlings through time. The Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness (FC-RNRW) possess some of the most suitable and least anthropogenically tainted environments for observing changes in the distribution of conifer stands through time due to a rich history of frequent forest fires. Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) are the dominant tree species at low to mid-elevations in the wilderness. This project aims to compare the regeneration of coniferous seedlings following older fires to regeneration on more recently burned low elevation areas in FC-RNRW. Ultimately, this study will identify whether recently burned low to mid-elevation conifer habitats are regenerating in similar time steps compared to older forests that established post-fire.
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