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ECOSYSTEMS > INLAND OREGON > FORESTS
Prior to large numbers of pioneers settling Oregon in the nineteenth century, the western part of the state from the Cascade Mountain Range to the Pacific Ocean was nearly an uninterrupted swath of forest. Parts of this wilderness was considered old growth and had been developing and evolving since the Pleistocene Era. But this doesn’t mean the wilderness was completely undisturbed. Native Americans and natural processes were constantly affecting the forests. Fires, whether naturally caused, or deliberately or accidentally set by humans, probably played a major role in the creation and maintenance of old growth. In some cases, fire destroyed forests but deposited nutrient-rich ash which allowed subsequent growth to be more diverse, eventually forming into old growth forests. In other cases, fires thinned out the understory of existing old growth forests and allowed new plant species to take root, adding diversity to the area. Some of Oregon’s current old growth stands appear to have grown up after extensive wildfires ravaged the area between the years of 1400 and 1650 A.D.E.
The Native Americans of Oregon practiced fire-setting to burn off trees and allow meadows and prairies to flourish. These ecosystems were beneficial to the native people’s hunting-gathering lifestyle. When pioneers arrived from the eastern United States, they further reduced the stands of old growth. These huge trees were valuable not only for their lumber, but the cleared ground was made available for farming.
It’s impossible for us to know exactly how much of the native forest was removed by these early Oregon residents, but scientists believe at least 50% of the cleared land was classifiable as “old growth.”
Prior to large numbers of pioneers settling Oregon in the nineteenth century, the western part of the state from the Cascade Mountain Range to the Pacific Ocean was nearly an uninterrupted swath of forest. Parts of this wilderness was considered old growth and had been developing and evolving since the Pleistocene Era. But this doesn’t mean the wilderness was completely undisturbed. Native Americans and natural processes were constantly affecting the forests. Fires, whether naturally caused, or deliberately or accidentally set by humans, probably played a major role in the creation and maintenance of old growth. In some cases, fire destroyed forests but deposited nutrient-rich ash which allowed subsequent growth to be more diverse, eventually forming into old growth forests. In other cases, fires thinned out the understory of existing old growth forests and allowed new plant species to take root, adding diversity to the area. Some of Oregon’s current old growth stands appear to have grown up after extensive wildfires ravaged the area between the years of 1400 and 1650 A.D.E.
The Native Americans of Oregon practiced fire-setting to burn off trees and allow meadows and prairies to flourish. These ecosystems were beneficial to the native people’s hunting-gathering lifestyle. When pioneers arrived from the eastern United States, they further reduced the stands of old growth. These huge trees were valuable not only for their lumber, but the cleared ground was made available for farming.
It’s impossible for us to know exactly how much of the native forest was removed by these early Oregon residents, but scientists believe at least 50% of the cleared land was classifiable as “old growth.”
