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Local History
Local History
According to local legend and Bend magazine, Native Americans named this river "Mptolyas" for the salmon that swam here. The water springs full force out from under Black Butte as a calm, yet majestic, river with Mt. Jefferson as a backdrop. Nearby Camp Sherman was settled in the 1890s but the designation of the surrounding forest as the Cascade Forest Reserve prevented further establishment of the hamlet. Today the area is visited by fisherpeople and vacationers who just want a bit of peace in a beautiful landscape.
Introduction to the Metolious River
Introduction to the Metolious River
Keep in mind as you watch the videos
Keep in mind as you watch the videos
Take notes using the community analysis pages for each site provided in the assignment. Remember at each site we are trying to determine whether we are seeing a mature forest or an early successional stage.
To determine this we will try to answer the following questions:
What is the structural complexity of this forest? Is every layer represented?
What is the species composition and diversity of this forest? Which species are here?
What are the soil conditions in this forest? How do they contribute to the diversity and complexity?
What is the relative age of this forest
Specific Information
Specific Information
Ecoregion: Ponderosa Pine Bitterbrush Woodland
Ecoregion: Ponderosa Pine Bitterbrush Woodland
Altitude: 2,800 ft.
Altitude: 2,800 ft.
Precipitation: 12 inches a year
Precipitation: 12 inches a year
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.
Overview of the Metolious River
Overview of the Metolious River
Keep in mind as you watch the video
Keep in mind as you watch the video
How dense is this vegetation?
Is the vegetation diverse?
How tall are the trees?
What sort of layering do you observe?
Is the canopy open
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