PARENT SESSION
OOS 27: From Idea to Reality: Applied Science and Ecological Problem Solving in the National Forest System.
Organized by: H Safford, R Holthausen, and T DeMeo
Thursday, August 5, 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM, Meeting Room E 143.
DecAID: Decayed Wood Advisor for managing dead wood in forests of Washington and Oregon.
Mellen, Kim*,1, Marcot, Bruce 2, Ohmann, Janet3, Waddell, Karen2, Livingston, Susan4, Willhite, Elizabeth5, Hostetler, Bruce5, Dreisbach, Tina3, 1 USDA Forest Service, Portland, OR, USA2 USDA Forest Service, Portland, OR, USA3 USDA Forest Service, Corvallis, OR, USA4 USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland, OR, USA5 USDA Forest Service, Sandy, OR, USA
ABSTRACT- Dead wood (snags, down wood, and live decaying trees)are habitat for many organisms that live in terrestrial ecosystems, and contribute to other aspects of ecosystem productivity and diversity. Maintaining an adequate level and mixture of these habitat elements can be a challenging task for any forest land manager. The DecAID Advisor is a web based planning tool intended to help advise and guide managers as they conserve and manage snags, partially dead trees, and down wood for biodiversity. DecAID is a synthesis of data and research results pertaining dead wood in forests of Oregon and Washington, integrating published scientific literature, research data, wildlife databases, forest inventory databases, and expert judgment and experience. The advisor also provides a summary of forest inventory data representing the range of "natural" (unharvested) and current conditions of snags and down wood in forests of all ownerships and disturbance histories. Interpretation of the wildlife and inventory data, as well as the relationship between the two sources of information is provided. Whereas the relationship of dead wood to wildlife habitat is a major component of DecAID, far more than just wildlife use of snags and down wood is addressed. DecAID also provides information on the array of key ecological functions and functional groups of wildlife that use dead wood. Interpretation and advice on the roles of insects and pathogens in the creation and dynamics of dead wood is provided in DecAID.
Key words: forests, Washington, dead wood, Oregon