Gary-
In general, general rules didn't work well for defining 'old-growth'. But
nowhere was 'old-growth' more thoroughly studied than the Pacific Northwest.
You asked about the upper canopy, and relative to that, extended chronology
(over time) leads to structural heterogeneity (all-aged, multiple layered
canopies).
Your phrasing "...a relatively uniform layer of lower trees..." leads me to
think that what you saw was crowns emerging from the first cohort of trees that
followed a major disturbance ("other side of the creek" could mean "flood
event"; or possibly a wind or fire event?).
By some definitions, this would constitute 'old-growth'. By the strictest
definition, this would take another 'generation' (that of the tree species
involved) before they were a "true old-growth ecosystem".
Sounds like a nice hike!
-Don
> Date: Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:06:42 -0400
> From: [email protected]
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: [ENTS] Re: Pacific Coast Old Growth
>
>
> It's a great spot, I visited there a couple of years ago. The big ones
> there are Douglas Fir, very impressive trees.
> -AJ
>
> Gary Reif wrote:
> > No, not those giants down in California! I just got back from a trip to
> > Portland Oregon, and went to the coast one day at Cannon Beach. I asked
> > if they had maybe some "little" redwoods in the area, but was told they
> > just did not grow that far north. They then threw out that about 10
> > miles south of Cannon Beach, at Oswald West State Park was some old
> > growth forest! From the parking lot, take the trail to Short Sands Beach
> > and you are in old growth right away! And... not the East coast variety
> > of old growth where there is an occasional big tree..... a lot of huge
> > trees! 8-12 foot diam typ (I stood inside a fallen hollow 8 footer!)
> > They are supposed to be spruce, fir, hemlock and cedar.
> > I am not sure how big this stand is, but it seems to be on the other
> > side of the creek, and on the other trail going back up to the parking
> > lot. There were also some 8 ft diam in the woods next to the parking
> > lot across the street.
> >
> > Question; in the same area, on the wooded sides of hills I saw many tall
> > trees sticking up above a relatively uniform layer of lower trees. Is
> > this indicative of old growth also?
> > picture will come later!
> > gr
> >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> >
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