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The forest ecology option is designed for students who wish to further their understanding of the structure and
function of forest ecosystems, the response of such systems to management and to natural disturbance, and their role in regional- and
global-scale phenomena. The study of forest ecosystems includes study of both the biotic and abiotic components and processes. Thus,
research in the Department includes work on plant and animal species interactions, plant physiological processes, microbial processes,
soil chemistry and physics, hydrology, climatology, forest-stream interactions, geomorphic processes, remote sensing, and landscape
processes.
Most forest ecology research is conducted through collaborations with the U.S. Forest Service Region 6 and
Pacific Northwest Station (PNW) at sites throughout Oregon and Washington. A major joint project focuses on the H.J. Andrews
Experimental Forest, which is located about 90 miles from the OSU campus and is the site of the Andrews LTER (Long-term Ecological
Research) Program. Other cooperative research programs bring together OSU, the forest industry, and land management agencies to study
problems in stand growth, reforestation, and nursery management.
Students electing the forest ecology option select their courses from various departments on campus including
Bioengineering, Botany and Plant Pathology, Crop and Soil Science, Rangeland Resources, Entomology, Fisheries and Wildlife,
Geoscience, and Microbiology. Although there is no fixed set of courses for this option, the following are frequently selected and
serve to illustrate the broad range of options available:
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