Canopy effects from biomass utilization on the Priest River Experimental Forest

Early in the first part of this century, an initiative was undertaken to investigate the question of the effects of biomass reduction on forested areas. Funding for these investigations was made available through the National Fire Plan (NFP), and President Bush’s Wildfires and Healthy Forest Initiative. Several years later another initiative was instated known as the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) which targeted studies involving the utilization of the biomass offsite, for feedstock or other energy needs. Our BRDI research goals, targeted the soil and water component of the area where the biomass was removed once reduction had taken place These goals examined whether biomass reduction/removal indicated a significant increase in soil erosion, decrease in infiltration or otherwise adversely impact water resources, compared to control sites. To explore these objectives, we installed research sites at several locations and studied management at the small plot scale. The Priest River Experimental Forest (PREF) which is in the northern panhandle of Idaho approximately 12 kilometers (km) (7 miles (mi)) northeast of Priest River, Idaho, was chosen as one research study area because biomass removal projects had been completed in years past. The object of this particular utilization study was to look at the differences between the no canopy clearing of watershed 8 (past research salvaged logged watershed see methodology for more detail) and the nearby canopy covered area that had not been harvested for 100 years. This data publication contains 2014 data gathered from both the canopy and no canopy areas for ground cover, bulk density, and litter cover. Equipment installed consisted of a 32-point snow course, 12 rain gauges with 24 complementary soil moisture and temperature probes, 2 weather stations and 2 four component net radiation sensors. Data collected from these instruments were gathered during 2014-2017. Daily weather station peripherals included temperature, relative humidity, windspeed, and solar radiation. The four-component net radiation equipment logged (via Campbell Scientific programing) shortwave radiation down and up welling and longwave radiation down and up welling. Additionally, a of raster image of PREF are included, along with shapefiles providing the boundaries of watershed 8 as well as snow course collection point locations, weather stations, rain gauges, soil moisture/temperature probes, and net radiation sensors. Hemispheric photos were collected at the rain gauge locations and next to the net radiation sensors. All hemispheric photos are included in this package.
The object of the utilization study at the PREF was to look at the differences between the no canopy clearing of watershed 8 and the nearby canopy covered area that had not been harvested for 100 years.