Forest health at Black Butte Ranch

Jack Barringer discusses trees and forest health.

Forester and Black Butte Ranch resident Jack Barringer gave the Friends of Black Butte Ranch an armchair examination of forest health at their meeting Thursday, October 10.

He reviewed basic plant anatomy and physiology with the attentive group, discussed local forest ecology and offered some suggestions for future planning in the area.

With the recent Cache Mountain fire and loss of two homes at BBR fresh in everybody's mind, Barringer reminded his group of the three main parts of the (forest) fire triangle: fuel, heat and oxygen.

"Oregon trees have been around for 400 million years. Through many generations they have adapted well to their environment," said Barringer. "The dominant trees in our transition area are ponderosa pine and lodgepole.

"Lodgepole have a very tight cone and need either heat or very dry conditions for seeds to be released," he said. "Ponderosa need less water than lodgepole, Juniper are a very dry species and Douglas fir need more water as evidenced by their numbers west of the Cascades. The site influences rate of growth."

At present, we know what to do to improve forest health and we need to do more of it according to Barringer. Thinning from below is a present prescription for improving forest health.

Root diseases can also attack trees in the area.

"Many times you'll see trees infected in a circle when roots are affected," said Barringer.

Thinning and selective logging can lead to vigorous trees remaining, according to Barringer.

Vigorous trees offer protection against Western pine beetles and mountain pine beetles. Barringer brought examples of the fingerprint patterns these beetles leave on the inside bark of infested trees.

Fuel buildup on slopes is more dangerous than on flat ground because a fire spreads much more rapidly as the slope increases.

"The south slope of Black Butte is driest in that area," he said.

The ponderosa pine is second in commercial value for tree harvesting with the Douglas fir taking first place, according to Barringer.

Presently, BBR is clearing some trees for commercial use west of the ranch on property it owns. Some of these trees were in or close to the recent Cache Mountain fire and are subject to beetle infestation.

"We hope to plant 150 trees per acre in the area west of the ranch during spring 2003," said Barringer. "Getting teams of volunteers out mornings and afternoons could plant quite a few trees. I'm willing to show people how to do this useful work."