Forests are complex

A century of research in Oregon's forests has provided us many, but not all, answers to difficult questions.

• How many plants and animals are there in our forests?
• What roles do these plants and animals have in each forest system?
• How do humans affect these plants and animals?
• What potential uses and values do each plant and animal have, to other plants and animals, to native cultures, for human medicine or for human food?

Every year, forest research provides us more complete answers to these and other questions.

Forests are biological legacies of the plants and animals that evolved with the changes in the environment over thousands, even millions, of years. They represent everything we know about native forests, and all we don't yet know; and, if managed sustainably, we'll have a chance to find out.

The forests of Oregon today are a biological legacy of the past.

Oregon's forests look different today than they did in the past. What are some of the important historical events in Oregon's past that created today's forests? What might we expect in the future? Click the timeline to find out.