SNOW FOR TREES AND WATERSHEDS

SNOW FOR TREES AND WATERSHEDS

WITH DRIER SUMMER SOILS CAUSING TREE STRESS, HOW CAN PRACTICAL FORESTRY TECHNIQUES INCREASE WATER AVAILABILITY?

WITH DRIER SUMMER SOILS CAUSING TREE STRESS, HOW CAN PRACTICAL FORESTRY TECHNIQUES INCREASE WATER AVAILABILITY?

Maintaining a steady and reliable source of water in a changing climate is critical for the health of both people and ecosystems. At several sites in Washington, including the Nisqually Community Forest near Mount Rainier, we have been demonstrating methods of ecological forestry that can increase the resilience of future watershed forests. 

  1. Thinning the forest to spread available soil moisture among fewer trees,
  2. Installing snow gaps so that more snow accumulates and extends snowmelt season
  3. Planting seedlings from warmer zones to provide a local source for adapted genetic traits

Nisqually Community Forest was once managed as an industrial timber plantation. The techniques above are part of our overall plan to restore the forest while also making it more resilient to the predicted future climate in the area.

Learn more about this project at the links below.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUsVlI1–Pohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-F21i968Tk

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