Zena Forest Project
We are hiring three student researchers for the summer of 2008.
Applications are due February 15th at 5pm.
Dr. Karen Arabas and Dr. Joe Bowersox
Our research examines vegetation and land use history of Zena Forest in the Willamette Valley. Zena Forest is a 1466 acre (594 ha) private forest located 8 miles northwest of Willamette University, and is comprised of a mosaic of forest types ranging from even aged monoculture plantations of Douglas Fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii) to remnant Oregon white oak ( Quercus garryanna) savannah. Prior to European settlement, Zena Forest was predominantly oak savannah, most likely managed by periodic low intensity burning by the local Calapooia tribe. In the early 1900s, the area was converted to Douglas Fir plantations for industrial forestry: after a change in ownership in the early 1980s, Zena Forest has slowly returned to a mixed species/oak savannah trajectory through a combination of selective harvesting and invasive species removal. Using an interdisciplinary approach and incorporating both field data, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing technologies, we will analyze vegetation change and land use history at Zena Forest over the past 150 years. Our results will help answer questions about how natural and anthropogenic disturbance have influenced forest development in the Willamette Valley. These results will also provide valuable information to forest managers and policy makers with respect to management strategies for maintaining biological diversity and ecological integrity in remaining valley forests.
Dr. Arabas will examine vegetation change over the past 150 years by looking at the structure, composition, and disturbance history of the forest. Specifically, we will look for evidence of a variety of natural and human disturbances in the tree ring (dendroecological) record including fire, insect infestation, competition, wind, logging, and climate. The role of these disturbances in forest succession will also be analyzed. Dr. Bowersox will use GIS and remote sensing technology to 
investigate landscape change over time. By interpreting historic aerial photography dating to the 1930s, as well as thirty years of satellite imagery, we will track and model changes over time in species composition, canopy density, and canopy distribution. We will also ground truth the remotely sensed data and integrate these findings with the dendroecological data. This collaborative and interdisciplinary approach will produce a more sophisticated and useful understanding of the vegetation dynamics of Zena Forest over time, and the impacts of both anthropogenic (e.g., land use and land tenure) and natural factors (e.g., precipitation, climate change, disturbance) driving those dynamics.
Students interested in the vegetation/disturbance history should have basic coursework in biogeography, biology, or ecology, and a strong interest in fieldwork. Students interested in the land use history should possess a working knowledge of GIS techniques and be ready to learn remote sensing. Familiarity with TotalStation and Trimble GPS use is a plus. All prospective students should be willing to work in both the lab and in the field as part of a collaborative and interdisciplinary team. We also expect our team to present at national conferences and work toward publishing this research.
The research period is from June 1 to August 1. Those selected for the research team will receive a stipend (~$4000) plus a housing allowance ($500, or on campus housing provided) and a food allowance ($500). Members of the research team will create a poster presentation of their summer work which they will present during the fall of 2008 at two conferences: one on-campus and one off-campus.
A short list of relevant peer-reviewed literature and reports can be accessed here.
Application Process:
Submit to Drs. Arabas and Bowersox by February 15th at 5pm (via e-mail) the following items:
1) A 4-5 page (single-spaced) letter of application containing the following elements
• why you want to participate in the Zena Forest Project
• any qualifications you might have (e.g relevant coursework, previous research experience, technical skills)
• how you see yourself fitting into the project
Please be sure you integrate the important literature into your letter and document that literature at the end of the letter.
2) A letter of recommendation from someone (professor, supervisor, etc.) who can address your ability in the lab, field or classroom and your enthusiasm for doing research.
3)
an unofficial transcript (a copy of your Degree Audit is fine)
