Burnt Creek site in the Experimental Network for Assisted Migration and Establishment Silviculture (ENAMES)

A Douglas-Fir seedling at Burnt Creek post-planting. Photo by Mekeilah Aguilar.

Land manager: USDA Forest Service.

Location: Umpqua National Forest, North Umpqua Ranger District.

Nearest town: Glide, OR.

Species: Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii).

Site history: This site was a primarily Douglas-fir stand that was commercially thinned in 1992. The site burned with 100 percent tree mortality in the Archie Creek Fire, one of the 2020 Labor Day Fires.

Site characteristics: The site is on an exposed, south-southwest-facing, 5 to 15 percent slope at an elevation of 2,800 ft. The soils are deep gravelly loams with a clay loam subhorizon, originating from weathered breccia and tuffs. The soils have good drainage and a 6 to 8 ft depth to bedrock. Mean annual temperature is 51 °F (coldest month: 38 °F, warmest month: 66 °F), and mean annual precipitation is 1,868 mm (64 mm of which is snow).

Planting date: Spring 2025.

Contact person:
Adrienne Barcas, District Silviculturist; Umpqua National Forest, North Umpqua Ranger District.

Robert Slesak, Research Forester; USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station.

Burnt Creek site 3D map showing experimental plots color-coded by the climate scenario each seed source is adapted to. Map by Laura Gonzalez Mantecon.

The Burnt Creek site during planting. Photo by Allison Philips.

Photo Credit

Courtesy photo by Adrienne Barcas

Pre-planting site conditions at the Burnt Creek site.

Management objectives and other considerations: This site was selected because of its relatively low elevation. Especially after the Archie Creek Fire burned many of the lower elevation areas in the Umpqua National Forest, the Forest has been struggling with sourcing seed lots to replant those areas from outside their immediate recruitment area.

Regarding the testing of different seedling stock types, the three stock types chosen for this site are the most common, or “default,” stock type orders for the Forest, and the District Silviculturist is interested in seeing how they compare in terms of performance and what that means for the timing of their planting decisions – How does having the foresight to sow bare root seedlings two years ahead of planting compare to making the decision just a year ahead and using containerized stock?

Site preparation: The site was salvage harvested in 2022.

Pre-planting site conditions: This site experienced 100 percent tree mortality and was salvage harvested, so no live or standing dead trees remain. Despite no expected recruitment in the area due to the high severity burn, there has been a surprising response from the Douglas-fir seed bank and some natural regeneration is now likely.

Assisted migration treatments: The team used the Seedlot Selection Tool to choose four planted seed sources (see table below.)

Seed source locations matching historical and predicted future climates for the Burnt Creek site. Map by Laura Gonzalez Mantecon.

Silvicultural treatments: Three different seedling stocktypes (see below.)

Planting density: Operational contract crews will plant 200 trees per ac.

Seedling stock type: 2-Year stock: 2-0 bareroot; 1-year stock: Styro-8 plugs (91/130; Styro-7.9 cu.in.), Q-plugs (Q+1).

Monitoring: The site will be monitored to track and compare seedling survival among seed sources and silvicultural treatments. Measurements are planned for 1, 5, 10, and 15 years after planting.

The site may also serve as a demonstration plot for managers to visit and visually compare seed source performance.