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REVIEWS
NECESSARY WORK: DISCOVERING OLD FORESTS, NEW OUTLOOKS, AND COMMUNITY ON THE H.J. ANDREWS EXPERIMENTAL FOREST, 1948–2000
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by Max G. Geier
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| U.S. Department of Agriculture, Portland, Oregon, 2007. Illustrations, photographs, maps, tables, notes, index. 357 pages. Free, online publication. |
| Necessary Work is a comprehensive history of the establishment of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest and the growth and development of its research programs over more than five decades. |
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In Max G. Geier's thorough treatment, the Andrews Experimental Forest comes through as something of a paradox. This "ecosystem of ideas grounded in a place of inspiration" is a kind of scientific Shangri-La— a living laboratory in an idyllic mountain setting tucked among old-growth forests and sparkling streams of the Central Oregon Cascades (p. 324). Here, camaraderie and synergy abound as a multidisciplinary community of scientists conducts innovative, collaborative research. At the same time, "the Andrews" is also a reminder of the mundane realities of making science work amid the constant challenges of securing funding, navigating the intricacies of interagency management, and addressing the more prosaic needs of a growing research community in a remote location. |
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The first two chapters of Necessary Work examine how this "experimental place for science and community" came to be (p. 1). The Blue River Experimental Forest, later renamed the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, was established in 1948 and is jointly administered by Oregon State University, the Forest Service PNW Research Station, and the Willamette National Forest. The Andrews covers approximately sixteen thousand acres of mountainous terrain in the Cascade Range of west-central Oregon, including the entire drainage basin of Lookout Creek. |
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The initial focus of research at the Andrews Experimental Forest was management for the production of timber on a 10-year rotation. That focus began to shift as new discoveries shaped the direction of scientific inquiry and as the growing community of scientists began to recognize the potential for new avenues of research in areas such as watershed and climate studies, wildlife ecology, and forest and stream dynamics. The emergence of a point of view marked by a willingness to consider new approaches to research in the "outdoor laboratory" characterized the scientific community that came to be known as the "Andrews Group." |
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Chapters three through six of Necessary Work explore several interconnected themes. One such theme is the growing links between interdisciplinary science and long-term experimental research, such as log decomposition over a 200 -year time frame, modeling of longterm processes, and the environmental legacies of clearcutting on forest and stream ecology. That long-term focus led to participation in larger efforts, such as the International Biological Programme (IBP) during the 1970s and the National Science Foundation's Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program from the 1980s through the present. |
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Another theme is the increasing public awareness of environmental issues and the resulting effects on policy, the scientific landscape, the complexities of interagency management, and the research community itself. Changing policies and priorities sparked debates over environmental issues such as logging in old-growth forests and the controversy over habitat requirements of the northern spotted owl. Research conducted on the Andrews Forest was sometimes at the heart of these debates, creating additional pressures on the scientific community as findings were used to inform and even shape public policy. |
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The final chapters explore the concepts of community, institution building, and cooperative ethics at the core of the Andrews Group. This human aspect, perhaps unimagined when the experimental forest was founded, resonates throughout Necessary Work and is illuminated by Geier's inclusion of commentary, anecdotes, and reflections by key participants during the past fifty years. |
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Necessary Work is built around oral histories, interviews, and archival material underlain with information drawn from scientific research publications. Geier deftly interweaves history and science into a cohesive, flowing narrative. The result is a harmonious blend of science and community, research and history, that captures the spirit of the Andrews Experimental Forest. |
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| Caryn M. Davis
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| Oregon State University |
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