Forest Recovery on Mudflows Following the 1980 Eruption of Mt. St. Helens

Following the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens, Jerry Franklin and Peter Frenzen and associates established a series of permanent research plots on mudflow deposits at several locations along the Muddy River. Our research is part of this collaborative research effort and is aimed at understanding mudflow-induced tree mortality and subsequent tree and understory succession as it relates to mudflow burial on the Cedar Flats River Terrace. This research further seeks to establish mortality by burial thresholds for different tree species, the timing of mortality, and how understory plant communities have responded to overstory mortality and gap formation. Lab personnel involved in this research include Keith Hadley, Marc Weber, and Sharon Stanton.