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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (July 14, 1963)
a ft) LOST FOREST AND SHIFTING SANDS The Lost Forest of Northern Lake County, long regarded as a true oddity by foresters and geologists, is a relict of a larger forest which once covered a large area, according to conclusions drawn by Dick Wallace Berry. Working on his Ph.D., Berry made intensive studies of the ponderosa pine trees, shrubs, sands, and soils of the 9,100-acre area during 1959 and I960 when he camped there with his family. Pictured on the left is his determination of a favorable site for pine reproduction. The western and southwestern end of the Lost Forest is bordered by shifting sand dunes, shown at right. One of the dunes is encroaching upon a part of the forest, burying many standing pine trees. However, tion potential as consideration is currently being given to compassing the forest, dunes, and Fossil Lake for primiti the dunes may have recrea setting aside the region en- ve camping. LAPINE LOST A I X I TV BURNS ftlAMATH FALLS DIFFICULT FOREST ACCESS Access to Lost Forest from the south is by three rather primitive roads as com pared with highway travel. Or from Highway 20 it is possible to travel from a point between Brothers and Hampton, past Frederick Butte. The U.S. Army Map Service Crescent Quadrangle is the best available map of the area. The scale one inch equals five miles. A stop at Christmas Valley Lodge or its offices might pro vide a visitor with further orientation. Two Summers In 'Forest Island' Puzzling But Interesting Study By HKLEN PARKS Is your modem vision of re search one of individuals sur rounded by complicated and cost ly equipment, those experiment ing with the atom, or others prob ing the secrets of outer space with the price tag in the millions? Then you should know the Dick Berry family who savored each moment of living in a "forest island" for two summers while searching out some answers. From early explorers to present day tourists, nearly everyone who has found the Lost Forest in (lie Christmas Lake Basin of North Lake County has asked. "Why?" How can pine trees sur vive and even reproduce where apparently the dryland junipers can barely make it? This puzzled Dick Berry, too, as he stood amidst tnis seeming phenomenon some 15 years ago. He began to lay plans for further stt'dy, study which would soon be pertine.,t to the consideration of this very forest as a primitive recreation area. In April of this year the initial visit to the site was made by state and federal park planners. Long Study Trail The purpose of the study was dual: Determining the nature of the community or communities constituting the forest and deter mining how it was able to sur vive under conditions which nor mally do not permit the growth of ponderosa pine. He titled his dissertation An Ecological Study of a Disjunct Ponderosa Pine Forest in the Northern Great Basin in Oregon." It would take more than a few weekends to g a t h e r accurate, thorough data of several types from which to make comparisons and to show relationships. So plans were laid. Field study would precede lab studv. This, he felt, could be accomplished in two summers if he lived in the forest. Being together as a family was important. Fortunately, camping out was a summertime tradition and a tent part of their equip ment. Deciding what must go and what they could do without in transplanting a household some 225 miles and providing a cer tain essence of comfort along with the bare necessities took some doing. Located exactly 30 airline miles due east of the town ot Fort Hock By the time we met this fas- their forest island covered 9.100 rinating family, they were well acres, extending approximately along the trail toward fulfillment six miles in length east to west of Dick's academic coal, th eland 2'i miles wide. This was 35 Ph D. For 15 years director of the .miles from the nearest ponderosa Forest Lands Research Center at J pine forest at an altitude of Oregon Stale I'nivcrsity, Berry! 4.300 foot above sea tevel. Here was majoring in forest manage-1 the mean annual rainfall is 9.5 ment. seeking his degree from Hie School of Forestry. A money grant from the Weyerhaeuser Comoany helped finance the research. inches, the humidity low and sum mer nights cool following hot days. Woodland Home Sh On an overnight outing our selves three summers ago. we chose early morning to call on the Berrys. We had heard about the professor who was doing re search and wondered if we would feel like intruders. We wound around over the few miles that separated our camp from where we understood their camp would be. And there it was. nestled among the pines at the foot of the slope leading to a large rock outcropping which afforded a panoramic view of the forest. Stepping out to introduce our selves, we were greeted as cor dially as if they had been expect ing us. Breakiast nearly over. Opal Berry was just turning the last hotcake. Before we knew it she was pouring lemonade for her dozen visitors. Realizing that it was made from their precious stored water supply made it all the more refreshing. Like any family enjovs show ing friends their home, still quite new, tliey gave us a tour of their open-air dwelling now in its sec ond year of occupancy, the sum mer of 1960. Combining the scientific and the artistic, their home in the woods was complete with labor atory and library, cooking, din ing, and sleeping areas. The sky and pine branches can opied this summer home, with changes of sunlight and shade automatically controlled by Mother Nature. Their tent pro vided protection for clothing and lent family comfort to chillier nights and the occasional rain storm. This year Innovations were pointed out with pride. The lat est in outdoor kitchen drainboards was one of Dick's inventions. Stif! wire netting permitted draining dishes without any wipe-up prob lem and should the dishwater spill, so what? The sandy soil beneath was a handy sponge. For young Dickie, then 4, workshop with fallen tree limbs (Continued on Page 2) , Mi X 64 XJZ.'. ACCURACY THE WATCHWORD Soil samples, taken for Berry's p r o j e e t were promptly weighed and labeled as to site. Laboratory analysis later provided additional information needed for comparison. Following completion of his graduate work, Berry joined the staff of the University of Arizona at Flagstaff as an assistant professor of forestry. KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON, SUNDAY, JULY 14, 19M i MB X jr .T'-i lSm 1 ..'V IP mwl il (tMH w Ui WW -i Warn 1 111 r mfimfyi 3.1 ihmrnmk mmmi SEEDLING DROUGHT RESISTANCE STUDY Seeds from the Lost Forest germinated quicker than seeds from other sources in lab tests. Sunflower seeds were planted in pots six weeks after seedlings were started as part of the drought resistance study. Here they have reached the wilting point while the seedlings are still healthy. Tem perature, light conditions, and moisture were controlled for the study. Results showed that Lost Forest seedlings do not appear to show superior survival ability under high soil moisture stress. SCENIC CONDITIONS Park planner Victor Ecklund of Portland, associated with the Bureau of Outdoor Recrea tion, Department of Interior, right, and Paul Arrasmith, recreation specialist with the Portland office of the Bu reau of Land Management, left, viewed Lost Forest under a light snow cover in mid-April. The party did reconnais sance for recreational possibilities. mrj v A' y , fr" -r- BREAKFAST TIME The dolls must be fed and the kit chen's the coziest place for' the job. The Berrys estab lished a spacious but compact campsite for two mem orable summers of forest living. Over Mary's shoulder may be seen the fireplace which served as a kitchen range and sometimes as a heater. A Coleman gas stove was handy for a meal in a hurry. ,ti-'-iv PICNIC EVERY DAY Lost Forest research was a family affair. Dickie and Mary Pam had their own activities while Opal Berry recorded data for her husband. Wearing Dad's "tin" hat looks like a special privilege for the young forester. The hat and a shovel, Dick Berry feels, seem far more fittinq symbols of completion of requirements for his Ph. D. Ihan the usual academic raqalii. WATER IN THE WASTE Surface water is very scarce or totally lacking in th Lost Forest area except during the winter or early spring. But in the Fossil La!( area, approximately a mile from the western end of the forest, are two springs Sand Spring and Mound Spring. A stock watering tank shows use of Mound Spring water for cattle during the graiing period. i
