Modeling early forest succession following clear-cutting in western Oregon

Abstract

In the Pacific Northwest, the process of conifer development after stand-replacing disturbance has important implications for many forest processes (e.g., carbon storage, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity). This paper examines conifer development in the Coast Range Province and Western Cascades Province of Oregon using repeat interpretation of historic aerial photographs from 1959 to 1997 to examine the canopy cover change of different life forms: shrubs, hardwood trees, and conifer trees. Ninety-four stands from the Western Cascades Province and 59 stands from the Coast Range Province were photointerpreted in roughly 5-year intervals. A Chapman–Richards growth function was used to model conifer cover development for all sample stands. Based on the photo data and the Chapman–Richards function, these stands were classified into one of seven early forest successional trajectories defined by the vegetation physiognomy. Succession in the Coast Range Province and Western Cascades Province were compared using parameters derived from the Chapman–Richards growth function. Our results echo previous studies in that rates and densities of conifer regeneration varied markedly among sites; however, our results also indicate that early forest succession differs in the two study regions in terms of both trajectories and rates. Conifer regeneration in the Western Cascades Province tends to have longer delays in establishing and slower rates compared with the Coast Range Province.