The ecological condition, or health, of forest ecosystems can be characterized by the physiological state of trees, tree growth, and other factors sensitive to environmental stress (e.g., insects, fungal pathogens). Forest disturbances such as fire, which may occur naturally, are a component of ecosystem function but affect the overall condition of forest species. This section contains data and descriptive information on factors that can indicate the health of Pacific Northwest forests.

• Mountain Hemlock/Subalpine Fir Searchable Database

Database of annual radial growth of mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) at sites spanning the latitudinal and elevational ranges of the species in the Pacific Northwest. Metadata for the mountain hemlock and subalpine fir are available for download.

• Pacific Northwest Lichens and Air Quality Searchable Database

Lichens, an important component of forest biodiversity in the Pacific Northwest, occupy tree stems and crowns, rocks, woody debris, and the forest floor. This database includes data from eight national forests in Oregon and from the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

• Ecophysiological parameters of western conifers Searchable Database

This is a species- and location-specific data set of physiological parameters for coniferous and deciduous trees in the western United States. Derived from published literature, these data can be used to parameterize ecosystem models such as Biome-BGC and Fire-BGC, which are grounded in ecophysiological relationships.

• International Tree Ring Data Bank Searchable Database

Maintained by the NOAA Paleoclimatology Program and World Data Center for Paleoclimatology, the Data Bank includes raw ring width or wood density measurements, and site chronologies (growth indices for a site). Reconstructed climate parameters are also available for some areas.  Data from over 1000 sites on five continents are included.

Geographic Perspectives
U.S. Programs & Activities | International | California | Central Southwest/Gulf Coast | Great Basin
Mountain Prairie | Pacific Basin | Pacific Northwest | Southern Appalachian | Southwest

This site is developed and maintained by the Fire and Mountain Ecology Lab,the
USFS Pacific Northwest Research Station, the University of Washington,
and the Northwest Alliance for Computational Science and Engineering