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Abstract

Forest Health in the Blue Mountains: A Plant Ecologist's Perspective on Ecosystem Processes and Biological Diversity
by C. Johnson, Jr. (USDA Forest Service)

Natural disturbances are important to ecosystem processes. Disturbances historically have occurred in the vegetation of the Blue Mountain area of northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington. The primary modifying events that historically have cycled through most of its plant communities are fire, grazing and browsing, insect and disease epidemics, windthrow, flooding, and erosion. Knowledge of plant successional pathways enables managers to predict the probable course of community development for a disturbance regime. Recommendations for restoring the Blue Mountains area are to reintroduce fire into the ecosystem, restore rangelands, and enhance biological diversity by practicing landscape ecological management and by emulating natural patterns on the landscape. Periodic and timely sampling after these activities is critical to assessing the results for adaptive management needs.