The Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest (TCEF) was established in 1961 and is representative of the vast expanses of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) found east of the Continental Divide in Montana, southwest Alberta, and Wyoming. Lodgepole pine stands on the experimental forest form a mosaic, typical of the fire-prone forests at moderate to high altitudes in the Northern Rocky Mountains. The forest stands are classified as 1-aged (47% of the forested area) and 2-aged (53% of the forested area) which were created by past stand replacement and mixed severity fires. Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) grows in the area's sparse but species-rich wetlands, while whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) grace the higher ridge tops.

The Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest encompasses 9,125 acres (3,693 ha) at the headwaters of Tenderfoot Creek in the Little Belt Mountains on the Lewis and Clark National Forest in Meagher Country, Montana. It is approximately 40 miles (64 km) north of White Sulphur Springs, Montana, or 71 miles (114 km) southeast of Great Falls, Montana. Lodgepole pine and mixed lodgepole pine with Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir stands occupy about 8,681 acres (3,514 ha), wet meadows cover 311 acres (125 ha), and drier grass and scree slopes make up another 133 acres (54 ha). Elevations range from 6,035 to 7,941 ft (1,840 to 2,421 m).

Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest is the only experimental forest formally dedicated to research on the east slope of the Northern Rockies. Established originally for watershed research, it's scope was expanded in the late 1980's to include research in fire history, fisheries, vegetation composition, animal communities, including rare, endangered, and sensitive species, and other physical and biological factors as they relate to landscape-level management. Research activity on the forest is designed to develop and evaluate methods for sustaining the productivity and biodiversity of east-side lodgepole pine communities. There has been sporadic information collected since the establishment of the experimental forest. However, more intensive baseline data has been collected since the late 1980's encompassing the resource areas of overstory and understory, hydrologic inputs and outputs including measurement of winter precipitation, water quality (chemical and sediment), climate, wildlife (avian and mammals), fisheries resources (habitat and population surveys), fire history, stream channel characterization, and forest fuels.

Climate

The climate is generally continental with occasional influence of the Pacific maritime climate along the Continental Divide from Marias Pass south. Annual precipitation averages 880 mm, and ranges from 594 to 1,050 mm from the lowest to highest elevations. Monthly precipitation generally peaks in December or January at 100 to 125 mm per month and declines to 50 to 60 mm per month from late July through October. About 70 percent of the annual precipitation falls during the November through May period, usually as snow. Intense summer thunderstorms are relatively rare, and most overland flow and associated soil erosion are associated with snowmelt.

Mountain soils generally are at field capacity at the beginning of plant growth in early spring. At lower elevations and on dry south-facing slopes, soil-moisture stress stops plant growth for shallow rooted plants by mid-July. At higher elevations, growing seasons are shorter and killing frosts rather than moisture stress limit growth. Freezing temperatures and snow can occur every month of the year at Tenderfoot Creek and throughout the Little Belt range. For hardy native plants, growing seasons average 45 to 75 days, decreasing to 30 to 45 days on the higher ridges.

Soils

The most extensive soil groups are the loamy skeletal, mixed Typic Cryochrepts and clayey, mixed Aquic Cryoboralfs. Rock talus slopes are prominent on the perimeter of the landscape, but rock outcrops are confined chiefly to areas adjacent to main stream channels. Soils in the grassland parks range from well to poorly drained. Seeps and springs are common over the entire forest.

The geology of Tenderfoot Creek is characterized by igneous intrusive sills of quartz porphyry, Wolsey shales, Flathead quartzite, and granite gneiss. The northern part of the forest occupies the highest elevations and steepest upland topography and is underlain by igneous intrusive granitic rocks. The arched bedrock in the area was formed from metasediments of Cambrian Age consisting mainly of argillites and quartzites. Glaciation has influenced the landform, producing broad basins in which the streams are beginning to regain a water-carved dendritic pattern.

Vegetation

Four forest habitat types are present at Tenderfoot Creek: subalpine fir/grouse whortleberry; subalpine fir, blue huckleberry; subalpine fir, bluejoint; subalpine firwhitebark pine/grouse whortleberry. Besides these four climax types, a portion of the Tenderfoot Creek is dominated by the lodgepole pine/huckleberry community type. In this case, however, the community type is attributable to the subalpine fir/grouse whortleberry habitat type because of the extensive and continuous presence of fir regeneration and old growth throughout the forest. Within each habitat type are stands of different age classes occurring intermittently. There are also four other general land descriptions classified for the forest: talus slopes, rock outcrops, grassland parks, and wet meadows.

Long-Term Data Bases

Long-term data bases maintained at Tenderfoot Creek include information on: timber inventory (1957 and 1963), soil types and maps (1966), fuels analysis (1974 and 1999), ecological habitat type descriptions (1975), GIS layers (current through 2003), streamflow (1992 to present), water quality, sediment, climate, and vegetation (current through 2003).

Research

Research emphasis on the forest was expanded in 1991 to develop and evaluate ecosystem-based treatments for sustaining productivity and biodiversity of lodgepole pine forests and watersheds. The Tenderfoot Research Project was developed to take a multi-disciplinary approach to evaluating ecosystem-based treatments in lodgepole pine stands. Treatments will serve as demonstration sites where the public can view new management alternatives.

Objectives

Objectives for the Tenderfoot Research Project are to:

• Evaluate and quantify the ecological and biological effects of alternative silvicultural treatments and prescribed fire in lodgepole pine forests by creating reserve stand structures that emulate those created by natural disturbances.
• Evaluate damage to reserve trees relative to alternative stand densities and structures and examine regeneration and understory vegetation changes associated with alternative silvicultural treatments.
• Develop linkages between vegetation management activities and hydrologic responses at the sub-watershed level.
• Manage and integrate the knowledge gained from the variety of studies at TCEF to improve ecosystem-based management in lodgepole pine forests.
• Develop demonstration sites for education of the general public, students, professional, and researchers.
• Test and verify hydrologic and vegetation models and evaluate harvest costs and product recovery values associated with alternative silvicultural prescriptions and harvest systems.
• Contribute to the scientific knowledge through publication of results in appropriate outlets.
• Integrate knowledge gained from these studies into ecosystem management guidelines that enhance the function and sustainability of lodgepole pine forests in the Northern Rockies through a variety of technology transfer products.

Collaborators

Collaborators working at Tenderfoot Creek include scientists from the Lewis and Clark, Helena, Gallatin, Beaverhead-Deerlodge, and Bitterroot National Forests; USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Montana State Departments of Water Quality and Fish, Wildlife and Parks; Montana State University; University of Montana; Bitterroot Ecosystem Management Research Project; USDI Geological Survey, and Mississippi Basin Carbon Project.

Research Opportunities

Opportunities for research at Tenderfoot Creek abound for those interested in evaluating new techniques and options for managing lodgepole pine communities in the northern Rockies, including fuels management, and vegetation response and development following harvesting, prescribed burning, water production, water quality, and associated ecological processes.

Facilities

Permanent structures at Tenderfoot Creek include 10 flumes, one open-channel measurement site and two SNOTEL sites, Onion Park and Stringer Creek. Three travel trailers parked near the forest during summers provide temporary quarters for field crews; a fourth equipment trailer is located on site. Other features include internal access roads for stream monitoring (Tenderfoot Creek and Lonesome Creek) and for access to new research. All other roads are within or on the border of three of the four boundaries of Tenderfoot Creek. The western boundary is accessed by trails only. The main road along Tenderfoot Creek is closed to motorized vehicles except for administrative use.

Lat. 46°55' N, long. 110°53' W

Contact Information

Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest
US Forest Service

Rocky Mountain Research Station
Forestry Sciences Laboratory
800 East Beckwith, PO Box 8089
Missoula, MT 59807
Tel: (406) 329-2125