The effects of clearcut logging on stream biology of the North Fork of Caspar Creek, Jackson Demonstration State Forest, Fort Bragg, CA--1986 to 1994

Abstract

The dense coniferous forests of the North Coast Range of California have been harvested for valuable redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and other tree species for more than 100 years. Initially, the primary focus of logging activities was to efficiently fall the trees and transport them to the mill site without much concern for the sustained productivity of the renewable forest resource and other environmental components within the drainage basin. However, for some time now, it has been recognized that logging activities can have significant impacts, both short- and long-term, within the drainage basin (Salo & Cundy 1987, Meehan 1991, Naiman 1992). These impacts are not localized just to the specific areas of tree cutting, but extend downstream into the network of streams draining the logged sites. Understanding how to minimize these downstream impacts is especially vital because many North Coast streams serve as habitat for valuable salmonid fishes. There is also interest in whether cumulative effects of logging are impacting stream biological communities.

Citation

Bottorff, Richard L.; Knight, Allen W. 1996. The effects of clearcut logging on stream biology of the North Fork of Caspar Creek, Jackson Demonstration State Forest, Fort Bragg, CA--1986 to 1994. Unpubl. Final Rept. prepared for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Contract No. 8CA3802. May 1996 Sacramento, CA. 177 p.