Forest's diversity brings it to spotlight
Cascade Range forest is host to large amount of OSU research
Eddie Kelley
Issue date: 2/14/07 Section: News
The H.J. Andrews National Experimental Forest has been nominated for a comprehensive ecological observation program by the National Ecological Observation Network this month.
"The National Ecological Observatory Network, or NEON, is seen as the way to address some of what we call the grand challenge questions," said Barbara Bond, a professor of forest science at OSU.
The Andrews Forest is located in the Cascade Range and has been nominated to become one of 20 "core" research sites due to its diverse ecology and its potential to answer questions regarding ecological issues.
It has been administered by the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Station, OSU and the Willamette National Forest and is funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research stations and OSU.
The mission of the Andrews Forest research project is to maintain strong links among research, education and forest management in order to provide educational opportunities for students, its Web site said.
"There are 50 researchers working there at one time, mostly students and professors from OSU," said Kari O'Connell, the forest director and coordinator of research projects at Andrews Forest. "OSU students are involved in Andrews' field courses and are using Andrews' current facilities for graduate research projects."
NEON will be the first national ecological measurement and observation system designed both to answer regional- to continental-scale scientific questions, said the NEON Web site.
NEON has been surveying sites all over the country in order to choose the "core" sites that represent the diverse ecosystems of the United States.
"NEON is the new direction that ecology is going in, and OSU wants to be part of that," O'Connell said. "It integrates ecology with computer science, engineering and mathematics."
If chosen for the research effort, Andrews Forest will receive major construction programs, such as a 3,000-square-foot headquarters building, as well as new scientific instruments and a new research infrastructure.
This will be funded by the National Science Foundation along with NEON.
"At the Andrews Forest we already have one of the premiere forestry research sites in the world," said Bond. "NEON would only make these programs better."
According to a press release, researchers in the college of forestry and engineering are developing advanced technologies that will be used in the NEON project.
OSU is also starting to develop an integrative graduate education and research trainingship.
This will require OSU to hire additional faculty, but will provide more funding for doctoral students.
"The National Ecological Observatory Network, or NEON, is seen as the way to address some of what we call the grand challenge questions," said Barbara Bond, a professor of forest science at OSU.
The Andrews Forest is located in the Cascade Range and has been nominated to become one of 20 "core" research sites due to its diverse ecology and its potential to answer questions regarding ecological issues.
It has been administered by the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Station, OSU and the Willamette National Forest and is funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research stations and OSU.
The mission of the Andrews Forest research project is to maintain strong links among research, education and forest management in order to provide educational opportunities for students, its Web site said.
"There are 50 researchers working there at one time, mostly students and professors from OSU," said Kari O'Connell, the forest director and coordinator of research projects at Andrews Forest. "OSU students are involved in Andrews' field courses and are using Andrews' current facilities for graduate research projects."
NEON will be the first national ecological measurement and observation system designed both to answer regional- to continental-scale scientific questions, said the NEON Web site.
NEON has been surveying sites all over the country in order to choose the "core" sites that represent the diverse ecosystems of the United States.
"NEON is the new direction that ecology is going in, and OSU wants to be part of that," O'Connell said. "It integrates ecology with computer science, engineering and mathematics."
If chosen for the research effort, Andrews Forest will receive major construction programs, such as a 3,000-square-foot headquarters building, as well as new scientific instruments and a new research infrastructure.
This will be funded by the National Science Foundation along with NEON.
"At the Andrews Forest we already have one of the premiere forestry research sites in the world," said Bond. "NEON would only make these programs better."
According to a press release, researchers in the college of forestry and engineering are developing advanced technologies that will be used in the NEON project.
OSU is also starting to develop an integrative graduate education and research trainingship.
This will require OSU to hire additional faculty, but will provide more funding for doctoral students.
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