Historical forest patterns of Oregon's central Coast Range

To describe the composition and pattern of unmanaged forestland in Oregon's central Coast Range, we analyzed forest conditions from a random sample of 18 prelogging (1949 and earlier) landscapes. We also compared the amount a nd variability of old forest (conifer-dominated stands > 53 cm dbh) in the prelogging landscapes with that in the current landscapes. Sixty-three perc ent of the prelogging landscape comprised old forest, approximately 21% of which also had a significant (> 20% cover) hardwood component. The proporti ons of forest types across the 18 prelogging landscapes varied greatly for both early seral stages (cv = 81-194) and hardwoods (cv = 127) and moderate ly for old forest (cv = 39). With increasing distance from streams, the amo unt of hardwoods and nonforest decreased, whereas the amount of seedling/sa pling/pole and young conifers increased. The amount of old forest was signi ficantly greater (p < 0.002) in prelogging forests than in current landscap es. Old-forest patterns also differed significantly (p < 0.015) between pre logging and current landscapes; patch density, coefficient of variation of patch size, edge density, and fragmentation were greater in current landsca pes and mean patch size, largest patch size, and core habitat were greater in prelogging forests. Generally, old-forest landscape pattern variables sh owed a greater range in prelogging landscapes than in current landscapes. M anagement strategies designed to increase the amount of old forest, and the range in landscape patterns would result in a landscape more closely resem bling that found prior to intensive logging. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.