GS006
Dynamics of large wood in streams: Tagged log inventory, Mack Creek, Andrews Experimental Forest, 1985 to 2008

CREATOR(S): Stanley V. Gregory, George W. Lienkaemper

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Stanley V. Gregory

ORIGINATOR(S): Stanley V. Gregory, George W. Lienkaemper

OTHER RESEARCHER(S): Linda R. Ashkenas, George W. Lienkaemper, Randall C. Wildman

DATA SET CONTACT PERSON: Stanley V. Gregory, Linda R. Ashkenas

METADATA CONTACT: Linda R. Ashkenas

DATA SET CREDIT:

Charlie Dewberry, Bob Speaker, Karen Luchessa, Jim Sedell, Ron Purcell, Chuck Hawkins, Nick Aumen, Cliff Dahm, Al Steinman, Kelly Moore, Gary Lamberti, Dean DiNicola, Donna D'Angelo, Art McKee, Fred Swanson, John Schwartz, Mindy Simmons, Zack Toledo, Karolyn Kolasa, Matt Booker, Sherri Johnson, Jack Burgess, Lou Reynolds, Mark Meleason, Dan Sobota. NSF LTER grants; LTER1 Grant (1980) DEB8012162, LTER2 Grant (1985) DEB8514325, LTER3 Grant (1990) DEB9011663, LTER4 Grant (1996) DEB9632921, LTER5 Grant (2002) DEB0218088.

METADATA CREATION DATE:

12 Apr 2005

MOST RECENT METADATA REVIEW DATE:

4 Mar 2013

KEYWORDS:

Disturbance, Disturbance, geomorphology, ecology, stream ecology, debris flows, floods, biomass, wind, decomposition, biological processes, disturbance, wood, woody debris, ecosystems, aquatic ecosystems, streams, ecosystem processes

PURPOSE:

To provide a long-term record of large wood pieces in both an undisturbed and a modified stream channel. Most work on in-stream wood uses a "snapshot" approach, and does not provide any temporal information. This study was designed to monitor in-stream wood over a long time scale.

METHODS:

Experimental Design - GS006 :

Description: The study population consists of all pieces of wood in the stream channel and floodplain in the1.1 km study section. Only logs greater than 10 cm in diameter and 1 m in length are tagged initially (breakage may result in smaller pieces). Each piece of wood is receives 6 colored and numbered tags, and the following attributes described: location within the survey grid, longitudinal position, geomorphic location, log dimension, decay class, moss cover, origin, rood wad, channel angle, proportion of volume in wetted channel, active channel, and floodplain. The entire reach is re-inventoried annually in October. New or moved pieces are tagged and complete descriptions recorded.

Field Methods - GS006 :

Description: Each piece of wood greater than 10 cm in diameter and 1 m in length is tagged in 6 locations. Holes are drilled through the bark in each "corner" of the log and round numbered tags, with letters A, B, C, or D, are nailed into each recess. Two surface tags, one metal and the other plastic, are nailed (four nails per tag) on opposite sides of the log. Tag colors may be orange, blue or white. During the annual autumn resurvey, investigators search for all logs within the study section. The status of each piece is recorded; if the log is in the same reach, location and position as the previous year, other attributes are presumed to also be unchanged. Logs which have moved within the study grid have all attributes recorded. New input (from windthrow, snowthrow, or other mechanisms) are tagged (see above) and all attribute information recorded.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:

Tagging of wood and layout of the survey grid began in the summer of 1982. This process was quite time consuming, so the annual surveys did not begin until 1985. Tagging and grid layout were completed in 1986.

In 1994, a road culvert between the clearcut and old-growth reaches was removed, along with much of the road fill used to support it. The culvert was replaced by a bridge. The gaging station is located less than 20 meters below the downstream end of the culvert, and was also redesigned to handle potentially higher discharges. The SITECODE "CT" refers to this culvert reach.

SITE DESCRIPTION:

Mid-elevation, third-order stream. Gradient of 8%- 15%. Lower 350 m is in portion clearcut in 1963, with stream gage and flume at the top of the reach. Upper 750 m is in 500 year-old old-growth stand dominated by Tsuga heterophylla (TSHE), Psuedotsuga menziesii (PSME), and Thuja plicata (THPL). Study area consists of stream channel plus adjacent floodplain, and encompasses a riparian reference stand (TV010), monumented channel cross- sections (GS002), stream discharge (HF004), water chemistry (CF002), and meteorology (MS001).

TAXONOMIC SYSTEM:

None

GEOGRAPHIC EXTENT:

Mack Creek, H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest, Western Oregon

ELEVATION_MINIMUM (meters):

728

ELEVATION_MAXIMUM (meters):

840

MEASUREMENT FREQUENCY:

Annual

PROGRESS DESCRIPTION:

Complete

UPDATE FREQUENCY DESCRIPTION:

annually

CURRENTNESS REFERENCE:

Ground condition

RELATED MATERIAL:

Field notebooks and datasheets stored in 264 Nash Hall, OSU. Includes original sketch maps ca. 1981-1984 from implementation phase of study.