Supplement No. 21 William H. Moir, Chris Maser, and Jerry F. Franklin2 The Research Natural Area described in this purposes. They are sites where natural features supplement is administered by the Forest Service. are preserved for scientific purposes and natural Forest Service Research Natural Areas are processes are allowed to dominate. Their main located within Ranger Districts which are purposes are to provide: themselves administrative subdivisions of 1. Baseline areas against which effects of National Forests. Normal management and human activities can be measured; protective activities are the responsibility of 2. Sites for study of natural processes in District Rangers and Forest Supervisors. undisturbed ecosystems; and However, scientific and educational uses made of 3. Gene pool preserves for all types of or- these tracts are a responsibility of the research ganisms, especially rare and endangered branch of the Forest Service. Therefore, a types. scientist interested in using one of these tracts in The total Federal system is outlined in "A Oregon or Washington should contact the Directory of the Research Natural Areas on Director of the Pacific Northwest Forest and Federal Lands of the United States of America. '" Range Experiment Station (P.O. Box 3141, Of the 48 established Research Natural Areas in Portland, Oregon 97208) and outline the activity Oregon and Washington, 45 are described in he plans. If extensive use of one or more Forest "Federal Research Natural Areas in Oregon and Service Research Natural Area is planned, a Washington: A Guidebook for Scientists and cooperative agreement between the scientist and Educators,'" vvith details on the Forest Service may be necessary. The Forest Supervisor and District Ranger administering the 1 Supplement No.2 to "Federal Research Natural Areas in Oregon and Washington: A guidebook for scientists and affected Research Natural Area will be informed educators," by Jerry F. Franklin, Frederick C. Hall, C. T. of mutually agreed upon activities by the Dyrness, and Chris Maser (USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, 498 p., Experiment Station Director. However, a scientist illus., 1972). The guide.book is available from the should still visit the administering ranger station Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, for $3.50; stock number when beginning his studies and explain the 0101.0225. nature, purpose, and duration of his activities. 2 Dr. Moil' is a consultant. Mr. Maser is Assistant Curator of Mammals, Puget Sound Museum of Natural History, Permission for brief visits to Research Natural University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington. Dr. Areas for observational purposes can be obtained Franklin is Principal Plant Ecologist, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Pacific N orthwest Forest and Range from the District Ranger. Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of The Research Natural Area described within is Agriculture, Corvallis, Oregon. 3 Federal Committee on Research Natural Areas. a part of a Federal system of such tracts A directory of Research Natural Areas on Federal lands of established for research and educational the United States of America. Washington, D.C., Superintendent of Documents, 129 p., 1968. " See footnote 1. 1973 BA-1 management and use of such tracts; this is the progress of the research, published results, second supplement to that guidebook. and disposition of collected materials. The guiding principle in management of The purposes of these limitations are simpleto Research Natural Areas is to prevent unnatural insure that the scientific and educational values encroachments, activities which directly or on the tract are not impaired, to accumulate a indirectly modify ecological processes on the documented body of knowledge about the tract, tracts. Logging and uncontrolled grazing are not and to avoid conflict between new and old allowed, for example, nor is public use which studies. Research on Research Natural Areas threatens significant impairment of scientific or must be essentially nondestructive in character; educational values. Management practices destructive analysis of vegetation is generally not necessary for maintenance of the ecosystem may allowed nor are studies requiring extensive forest be allowed. floor modification or extensive soil excavation. Federal Research Natural Areas provide a Collection of plant and animal specimens should uniquely valuable system of publicly owned and be restricted to the minimum necessary for protected examples of undisturbed ecosystems provision of voucher specimens and other which are available to the scientist. He can research needs, but under no circumstances conduct his research with minimal interference should collecting significantly reduce the pop- and reasonable assurance that investments in ulation levels of a species. Collecting must also long-term studies will not be lost to logging, land be carried out in accordance with State and development, or similar activities. In return, the Federal agency regulations. A scientist wishing scientist wishing to use a Research Natural Area to use a Research Natural Area within these has the following obligations. He must: broad guidelines must contact the administering agency' regarding the proposed use and obtain 1. Obtain permission from the appropriate the necessary permission. Each agency differs administering agency before using the area; slightly in its requirements. 2. Abide by the administering agency's reg- ulations governing the use of the natural area including specific limitations on the type of research, sampling methods, etc., 5 There are five agencies cooperating in this program in allowed; and the Pacific Northwest: Forest Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture; Bureau of Land Management, 3. Inform the administering agency on the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, and the National Park Service in the U.S. Department of Interior; and the Atomic Energy Commission. BA-2 Mature (250-year-old) Douglas-fir-western hemlock stands at middle elevations on eastand west- facing mountain slopes and benches in the northern Oregon Cascade Range. Bagby Research Natural Area was established Environment in January 1970 to provide examples of typical commercial forest types on lower slopes of the Bagby Research Natural Area is in a tem- western Cascades. The stands are dominated by perate, humid region with marked seasonal mixtures of 250-year-old Douglas-fir precipitation and temperature changes. There are (PseudotsugcL menz1:esii) and western hemlock no meteorological measurements within the (Tsuga heterophylla), with lesser amounts of natural area. The nearest weather station western redcedar (Thuja pliwta). The natural area (Estacada 24 SE is about 20 km. (13 miles) to the is located in Clackamas County, Oregon, within northeast at 45° 05' N. latitude, 121 ° 59' W. the Estacada Ranger District (Estacada, Oregon) longitude) probably does not reflect the climate at of the Mount Hood National Forest. It includes Bagby because of the highly variable effects of portions of both the east and west slopes of the mountain topography upon local patterns of Hot Springs Fork of the Collawash River and lies precipitation, temperature, and evaporation. within sections 22, 23, 26, and 27, T. 7 S., R. 5 Therefore, we must rely on regional data from E., Willamette meridian. The boundaries averaged summaries for the Northern Cascades generally follow physiographic features, i.e., Meteorological Division of Oregon (U.S. main and secondary ridges (fig. BA-l) . Weather Bureau 1972). The general precipitation pattern in the northern Oregon Cascade Range shows about 77 percent of the annual total occurring as both rain Access and Accommodations and snow from October through March (fig. BA- 2). Recording stations in this region average a Estacada, a small town 25 miles southeast of total of 1,740 mm. (69 inches) precipitation, with Portland, Oregon, provides the nearest public a very marked dry period in July and August facilities. To reach the natural area, proceed up when only 35 mm. (1.4 inches) of rainfall occurs the Clackamas River for 49 km. (30.4 miles) (fig. BA-2). along State Highway 224 and Forest Highway S- January is the coldest month (0.8° C. or 33.5° 46. Turn right on S-63 and continue 6 km. (3.5 F. average); both July and August are the miles) to Forest Highway S-70. The trail head for warmest (respectively, 17.9° and 17.5° C. or 64° Trail #544 is located 10 km. (6.3 miles) up the F. average). Under the Thornthwaite climatic Hot Springs Fork of the Collawash River along classification system, Bagby Research Natural Highway S-70 at N ohorn. This trail provides Area would probably fall within the B!B!'sa' access to the streamside zone separating the two type: a humid, cool mesothermal climate (Carter halves of the natural area. The U.S. Forest and Mather 1966). Although there is more than Service maintains several campgrounds along the ample soil water recharge during cool months, it Hot Springs Fork near the trail head. Bagby Hot is likely that poor forest productivity on many Springs is located 2.5 km. (1.6 miles) south on sites (discussed below) can be partially attributed the trail. Two abandoned trails climb from the to water stresses on shallow soils during summer Hot Springs into the southeastern and months. southwestern parts of the natural area. The Hot The research area is located in the western Springs area is for day use only with no overnight