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TP064

Dynamics of montane and subalpine meadows in the Three Sisters Wilderness Area and Biosphere Reserve, 1981-1993

  • Creator(s): Charles B. Halpern
  • PI(s): Charles B. Halpern
  • Originator(s): Charles B. Halpern
  • Other researcher(s): Jerry F. Franklin, Bradley G. Smith
  • Dates of data collection: Jul 1 1981 - Sep 15 1993
  • Data collection status: Study continues and further data collection is planned
  • Data access: Online
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/64e11326ef222c4815eed02edd725c17
  • Last update: Apr 9 2003 (Version 2)
<Citation>     <Acknowledgement>     <Disclaimer>    
Halpern, C. 2003. Dynamics of montane and subalpine meadows in the Three Sisters Wilderness Area and Biosphere Reserve, 1981-1993. Long-Term Ecological Research. Forest Science Data Bank, Corvallis, OR. [Database]. Available: http://andlter.forestry.oregonstate.edu/data/abstract.aspx?dbcode=TP064. https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/64e11326ef222c4815eed02edd725c17. Accessed 2024-05-06.
Data were provided by the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest research program, funded by the National Science Foundation's Long-Term Ecological Research Program (DEB 2025755), US Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, and Oregon State University.
While substantial efforts are made to ensure the accuracy of data and documentation, complete accuracy of data sets cannot be guaranteed. All data are made available "as is". The Andrews LTER shall not be liable for damages resulting from any use or misinterpretation of data sets.
ABSTRACT:
The Three Sisters Wilderness Area is a Biosphere Reserve that represents the northern half of the Sierra-Cascade Province. It encompasses nearly 100,000 ha of essentially undisturbed landscape straddling the crest of the central Cascade Range, Oregon. Coniferous forests dominate the Three Sisters, although the Wilderness also supports a diversity of non-forested habitats including montane and subalpine meadows. The Three Sisters was given wilderness status in 1957 and was selected as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1974, to represent a "control" area for the nearby H. J. Andrews Biosphere Reserve. Integral to the establishment of a Biosphere Reserve is the documentation of existing ecosystems with baseline data. However, basic ecological research in theThree Sisters has been relatively limited. We conducted two types of studies: (1) phytosociological studies to characterize current vegetation patterns and to interpret relationships between community composition and major environmental and edaphic gradients, and (2) retrospective analyses of the invasion of montane and subalpine meadows by trees with a focus on the effects of recent climatic variation, grazing history, and site environment.

Study Description Taxonomic Hierarchy Download Study Location Information: (CSV)
ENTITY TITLES:
1Forest reconnaissance plots: environmental characteristics (Jun 23 1981 - Sep 4 1981)METADATAData not online
Forest reconnaissance plots: landform, topographic and soil characteristics; UTMs
2Meadow reconnaissance plots: environmental characteristics (Jul 10 1982 - Oct 6 1982)METADATAData not online
Meadow reconnaissance plots: landform, topography, and soil characteristics
3Forest reconnaissance plots: ground conditions and growth form cove (Jun 23 1981 - Sep 4 1981)METADATAData not online
Meadow reconnaissance plots: landform, topography, and soil characteristics
4Meadow reconnaissance plots: ground conditions and growth form richness and cover (Jul 10 1982 - Oct 6 1982)METADATAData not online
Meadow reconnaissance plots: ground-surface cover; growth-form cover and richness
5Forest reconnaissance plots: species cover (Jun 23 1981 - Sep 4 1981)METADATAData not online
Forest reconnaissance plots: cover of individual plant species
6Meadow reconnaissance plots: species cover (Jul 10 1982 - Oct 6 1982)METADATAData not online
Meadow reconnaissance plots: cover of individual plant species
7Forest reconnaissance plots: prism-plot stem counts (Jun 23 1981 - Sep 4 1981)METADATAData not online
Forest reconnaissance plot stem counts: used to estimate live and dead tree density and basal area
8Forest reconnaissance plots: tree increment core, age, and height data (Jun 23 1981 - Sep 4 1981)METADATAData not online
Forest reconnaissance plot increment cores: core length, ring count, and estimated tree age
9Forest reconnaissance plots: soil depth, physical characteristics, and pH (Jul 10 1982 - Oct 6 1982)METADATAData not online
Forest reconnaissance plots: soil depth, texture, stoniness, and pH
10Meadow reconnaissance plots: soil depth and physical characteristics (Jul 10 1982 - Oct 6 1982)METADATAData not online
Meadow reconnaissance plots: soil depth, texture, and stoniness
11Forest-meadow ecotone transects: Transect bearings, lengths, UTMs, and elevations (Aug 2 1983 - Sep 20 1983)METADATAData not online
Forest-meadow ecotone transects: bearing, length, and UTMs and elevations of transect start and end points
12Forest-meadow ecotone transects: Transect topography, vegetation types, and soil characteristics (Aug 2 1983 - Sep 9 2009)METADATAData not online
Forest-meadow ecotone transects: vegetation type, physical environment, and soil characteristics at points along the forest-meadow gradient (1983)
13Forest-meadow ecotone transects: tree increment core, age, and height data (Aug 2 1983 - Sep 20 1983)METADATAData not online
Forest-meadow ecotone transect increment cores: core length, ring count, and estimated tree age in (1983; tagged trees only)
14Forest-meadow ecotone transects: tree spatial location, size, and age (Aug 2 1983 - Sep 9 2009)METADATAData not online
Forest-meadow ecotone transects: tree location, diameter, height, and age along the forest-meadow gradient
15Forest-meadow ecotone transects: cover of plant species, growth forms, and ground-surface conditions (Aug 2 1983 - Sep 9 2009)METADATAData not online
Forest-meadow ecotone transects: cover of plant species, growth forms, and ground-surface conditions along the forest-meadow gradient

RELATED MATERIALS:
 TSBR Recon plot and transect checkoff list and maps - Zip file with Excel checkoff list and PDF files of map locations

RELATED PUBLICATIONS:
 Halpern, C. B. 2000, Montane and subalpine meadows of the Three Sisters Wilderness Area/Biosphere Reserve, Oregon: a community classification and gradient analysis [Abstract] (Pub. No: 3042)
 Miller, Eric A., Halpern, Charles B. 1998, Effects of environment and grazing disturbance on tree establishment in meadows of the central Cascade Range, Oregon, USA (Pub. No: 2325)
 Halpern, Charles B., Smith, Bradley G., Franklin, Jerry F. 1991, Forest and meadow communities of the Three Sisters Biosphere Reserve (Pub. No: 957)