Gawley Panther sites in the Experimental Network for Assisted Migration and Establishment Silviculture (ENAMES)

Gawley Panther sites 3D maps (top: Gawley Panther 1 - south facing, bottom: Gawley Panther 2 - north facing) showing experimental plots color-coded by the climate scenario each seed source is adapted to. Maps by Laura Gonzalez Mantecon.

Land manager: Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF).

Nearest town: Elkhorn, OR.

Species: Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii).

Site history: Before burning in the 2020 Beachie Creek Fire, these sites were a mixed Douglas fir-noble fir stand with some mountain and western hemlock and a very small hardwood component. Management history records for this area unfortunately burned during the same fire, but the stand was likely 40-60 years old, having been planted after an initial harvest and then commercially thinned 10-15 years before it burned.

Site characteristics: The sites are at an elevation of 3700 ft (south-facing) and 2400 ft (north-facing), both with a slope of 10–16°. The site is fairly rocky in general, with a few rock outcrops. The soils are deep, well-drained gravelly loams formed in colluvium weathered from andesite rocks mixed with volcanic ash. The mean annual temperature is 46 °F (coldest month: 34 °F, warmest month: 58 °F) and mean annual precipitation is 2434 mm (229 mm of which is snow).

Planting date: Spring 2024.

Contact person: 

John Walter, Young Stand Silvicultural Specialist, Oregon Department of Forestry.

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

Pre-planting site conditions at the Gawley Panther site. Photo by Broderick DeAngelis.

Management objectives and other considerations: With increasing costs of seedlings and later thinnings, the Oregon Department of Forestry is considering lowering their standard operating density, and this site offers a good opportunity to test how different seed sources respond to lower densities. Since some of the seed sources are not local, a release treatment 1 or 2 years after planting is planned to reduce competition for the best chance of survival.

Site preparation: Salvage harvest and baseline herbicide spray in 2023.

Pre-planting site conditions: Since the site was salvage harvested, it is almost entirely clear, except for a few live trees and snags in some areas. Woody debris covers about half of the site, with scattered moderate sized burn piles. Natural regeneration includes some ferns and rhododendron as well as a very small amount of noble fir and Douglas-fir.

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 Gawley Panther sites. Map by Laura Gonzalez Mantecon.

Silvicultural treatments: Four treatments: Two different planting densities (see below) and herbicide spray vs. no herbicide control.

Planting density: Operational contract crews will plant 303 and 436 (standard operating density) trees per acre.

Seedling stocktype: Styro 515 containerized seedlings.

Monitoring: The sites 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.

Forestry technician James Dollins uses a PVC pipe and colored flagging tape to delimit an experimental plot at the Gawley Panther site. Photo by Broderick DeAngelis.