Fraser Experimental Forest

Current Research

Most early research was oriented toward timber or water production and quality resulting from forest management. Additionally, much research focused on the effect of forest structure and species water use, snow distribution, and water yield. A number of integrated studies examined management impacts on ecosystem processes and animal populations for a landscape. Much early research is summarized in RM GTR-118. Current research addresses questions about links between forests, riparian areas and streams, and aims to better understand mechanisms important in nutrient cycling, snow hydrology and ecosystem carbon storage. More than 30 individual studies are currently in progress, in addition to continued long-term monitoring of climate, streamflow, and water chemistry.

USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station scientists and technicians involved in ongoing research at the Fraser Experimental Forest:

• Kate Dwire - Research Riparian Ecologist
• Kelly Elder - Research Hydrologist
• Rob Hubbard - Ecologist
• Jose Negron - Research Entomologist
• Chuck Rhoades - Research Biogeochemist
• Sandra Ryan-Burkett - Research Hydrologist
• Mike Ryan - Research Forester
• Wayne Shepperd - Research Forester
• Robert Stottlemyer - Research Ecologist (NBS)

• Mark Dixon - Hydrologist/Fraser Experimental Forest Site Manager
• Gus Goodbody - Hydrologist
• Steve Mata - Forestry Technician
• Banning Starr - Hydrology Technician
  

Major research accomplishments and impacts on management:

Research at Fraser has provided significant advances in our understanding of subalpine forest ecology and hydrology, and most of the silvicultural and hydrological practices used in managing subalpine forests in the central Rocky Mountains are derived from research done at Fraser. Improvements in understanding the factors that control snow distribution and water yields across heterogeneous landscapes have been incorporated into water yield models and widely applied. Studies of tree water use and ecophysiology have provided a better understanding of the growth dynamics of forests and transpiration water loss and have been incorporated into mechanistic models of ecosystem function used to predict the impact of changing climate on forest production and carbon storage. Long-term studies of manipulated forest stands indicate recovery requires substantially longer than originally hypothesized. Aquatic and terrestrial biogeochemistry have been studied in manipulated and control catchments, providing a greater understanding of the processes that control stream water quality. Long-term data sets of stream and precipitation chemistry are extremely valuable given the potential for increases in anthropogenic nitrogen emissions during the next century.

Collaborators:

Current collaborators include scientists and graduate students from Rocky Mountain Research Station, North Central Research Station, Colorado State University, USGS, University of Colorado, State University of New York, and Texas Tech University. Scientists from Europe, Asia, and Canada have spent extended periods.

Research opportunities:

Fraser is ideal for research on extrapolating from the plot to the watershed for hydrology, biogeochemistry, and vegetation. Less than 25 percent of the area has been impacted for research purposes. Outstanding opportunities are available to examine issues of landscape scaling by expanding the Forest's GIS to cover biogeochemistry (carbon storage and flux; nitrogen cycling and retention) and forest structure and dynamics. Additionally, the dramatically increasing recreation use offers an opportunity to assess impacts of recreation. We welcome and encourage research at Fraser, and especially encourage research that takes advantage of the long-term records.