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Overview
Overview
The land you will be looking was formed during the Cenozoic era (65 Million years ago). Since then, it’s been subject to glaciation that’s contributed to the shape of the land and the quality of the soil. You will notice extreme changes in both the physical and biological characteristics of the environments you visit on this virtual fieldtrip.
Visit each of these locations in order (how they would be visited on an actual field trip).
Visit each of these locations in order (how they would be visited on an actual field trip).
Keep in mind as you visit each location, the specific information listed for that area (ecoregion, elevation, rainfall, cilmate , soil, light, vegetation), and consider the various layers and plant species you will see.
Ground Cover -- dead organic matter covering the ground as well as the presence of mosses and herbaceous plants
Herbaceous Layer -- any woody plant (tree seedlings and shrubs) or fern that are 0-3 feet tall
Shrub Layer -- any woody plant (tree saplings and shrubs) or fern that are 3-15 feet tall
Understory -- any woody plant (small trees) that are between 15 feet tall and the tallest plants in that community
Canopy -- the tallest trees in the community
Remember that one of your goals at each location is to determine whether you are looking at a mature community (review concept and how this determination is made) or an earlier succesional (seral) stage.
How to Navigate This Website
How to Navigate This Website
Be sure you have the Cascade Virtual Field Trip Assignment with you as you navigate through each site on our field trip. You can find this assignment on your eLearn class site or will be given it by your instructor.
Use the Community Analysis Notes pages (within the Field Trip Assignment) designated for each site to take notes about the site while you watch the videos.
Each site has three pages:
Page 1: Local history, introduction to the site, specific information about elevation and precipitation, and an overview of the location
Page 2: Community analysis and soil analysis videos, test your plant ID skills, additional videos with site specific points of interest
Page 3: Still more to see (if there is more to see), the answer key for testing your plant ID skills, and "extra" videos or pictures that detail the remarkable locations we visit
The first two pages will contain the bulk of the information you need and the third page has some really beautiful footage and a summary for each site. Use them all to take notes.
Once you have completed your Community Analysis Notes pages, use the data you have collected to answer the general and site specific questions that follow.
After you have answered all the questions in the field trip packet, upload it to the assignment page of your eLearn site for your class.
Sites on Our Virtual Field Trip Through the Cascades
Sites on Our Virtual Field Trip Through the Cascades
Note: the sites start at #2 to match the profile map in your assignment. Site #1 designates a Bonesteele County Park, near Salem, which represents elevation and precipitation conditions in the Willamette Valley for comparison.
Located in the Western Cascades Lowland and Valley Ecoregion. Large trees are over 200 years old or older. High species diversity. Thick ground cover. Lots of snags and downed trees acting as “nurse logs” return nutrients to the soil in a 200+ year cycle.
This site is a true fir community (Pacific Silver Fir & Subalpine Fir with Western Hemlock). This location is in the Western Cascades Montane Highlands Ecoregion & is the upper limit of the growth for Douglas Fir. There is reduced diversity in the community due to cold, high winds & deep winter snow. Even though the moisture is high, the soil is poor.
There is a frost pocket in the transition between the Western Valley & the Cascade Montane Ecoregions. it is cold here earlier in the fall and later in the spring than surrounding slopes. This is an Engelmann Spruce forest with some Grand Fir, Pacific Silver Fir, Western Hemlock, Western White Pine, Douglas Fir & Western Red Cedar.
This is a cinder fall from Nash Crater (to the south of the road) in the Cascade Crest Montane Forest Ecoregion. The cinders are about 30 feet deep forming a very porous soil. This is a Lodgepole Pine community. There is extremely limited diversity due to rapid drainage of water through the lava cinder (lapilli) soil.
This site is located in the Hoodoo Ski Area. It is primarily a Subalpine-Fir, Mt. Hemlock, and Lodgepole Pine community in the Cascade Crest Montane Forest Ecoregion. Snow begins in October & persists until May. There is low species diversity with little in the shrub & herb layers due to the harsh climate & poor soil quality in high elevations. This site has the shortest growing season of all the sites you will visit.
A Ponderosa Pine & Bitterbrush Woodland Ecoregion. There is little species diversity due to low moisture availability. Less rainfall and low humidity because it is in the rain shadow of the cascades. The pine forest used to have a limited under-story due to periodic burning (almost like the Savanna Biome seen in the Serengeti of Africa). The current forest structure is due to fire suppression.
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