Monitoring:
Monitoring is an essential component of the ASCC study. Research partners from several institutions are working together to investigate the effectiveness of different silvicultural treatments aimed at creating adaptive ecosystems. Some of the monitoring items include:
- Natural regeneration in gaps and harvest areas
- Soil nutrients and microclimate sampling
- Inventory of fuels and understory plants
Progress & Next Steps:
Each of the adaptation treatments is replicated 4 times across a 400-acre area on the San Juan National Forest. Pre-treatment forest inventory data has been collected on the study site. The treatment units have been marked for harvest and are scheduled to be cut. Future data collection will focus on tree regeneration, forest growth, and forest health.