Nature & Science

Nature and Science on the Deschutes National Forest

Wildlife

• Drones Give a Clear View of Frog Habitat
• Bats and white-nose syndrome
• Elk and Deer
  • Winter Range: 

    Winter range is habitat deer and elk migrate to in order to find more favorable living conditions during the winter.  Winter range is found predominantly in lower elevations of central Oregon and is extremely important to mule deer survival.  Winter ranges usually have minimal amounts of snow cover and provide vegetation for forage, hiding cover, and protection from the weather.  In Oregon, mule deer migrate, often long distances, to lower elevations to escape or minimize exposure to snow cover. Keep Reading...

  • Cabin / Silver Lake Winter Range Closure
  • Metolius Winter Range Closure
  • Opine Winter Range Closure
  • Tumalo Winter Range Closure

Botany

• PNW Fire-resistant Plants for Home Landscapes
• The Race to Save the Whitebark Pine
• Matsutake Mushrooms
• Invasive Plants: 

  Many areas on the Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests are under attack from dozens of invasive plants, animals, and pathogens. These exotic invaders disrupt the natural ecological balance, negatively impact the quality of our outdoor recreation experiences, decrease resources values, reduce access to these areas, and can threaten human health and safety. In addition the loss of outdoor recreation uses in an area due to invasive species infestations can also drastically impact local recreation-dependent economies

• Fens

Geology 

Soil

Soils are one of the most essential, and least often considered, natural resources in our environment. Soils are the life-sustaining foundation of forests, grasslands, and farms; they absorb precipitation, moderate stream flows, and prevent floods; they clean and store our drinking water; they store more carbon than the atmosphere and all living plants and animals combined; and are home to billions of creatures from large to microscopic. When you think about soil in central Oregon, what comes to mind? Home gardeners will bemoan its droughtiness and poor nutrient value. Mountain bikers think of summer dust clouds and deep sand traps. We’re all familiar with how it turns from mud to dust in a matter of days when the seasons change. Where did our soils come from? And how does our seemingly-poor soil manage to sustain so much life?

Fire and Forestry

Central Oregon Fire Environment

The Soil Story

Soils are one of the most essential, and least often considered, natural resources in our environment. Soils are the life-sustaining foundation of forests, grasslands, and farms; they absorb precipitation, moderate stream flows, and prevent floods; they clean and store our drinking water; they store more carbon than the atmosphere and all living plants and animals combined; and are home to billions of creatures from large to microscopic. When you think about soil in central Oregon, what comes to mind? Home gardeners will bemoan its droughtiness and poor nutrient value. Mountain bikers think of summer dust clouds and deep sand traps. We’re all familiar with how it turns from mud to dust in a matter of days when the seasons change. Where did our soils come from? And how does our seemingly-poor soil manage to sustain so much life?

Learn more: Deschutes National Forest Soil Story