Forest Service designates new experimental forest in Tongass National Forest

The Héen Latinee (heen la-tee'-nee), a Native American Tlingit name that means "River Watcher," will be managed jointly by the Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station and the Alaska Region. The new experimental forest provides an outstanding setting to conduct nationally-significant scientific research on how coastal temperate rain forests function. The experimental forest reaches from ridge to reef, from glacier to marine environment, over a short distance, allowing for studies crossing many different ecosystems. Héen Latinee is part of a nationwide network of more than 80 experimental forests and grasslands across the country.

A central focus of research will be to investigate how climate change affects a variety of forest-related resources. Those resources include: timber; carbon sequestration and dissolved carbon flux from land to ocean margins; salmon habitat and production; and recreational opportunities and their environmental needs and consequences.

		IMAGE: As water flows through the glacially carved landscape, it takes with it materials derived from the bedrock, wetlands and forest soils, exporting carbon and nutrients to enhance the productivity of... Click here for more information.

"The station will use this important experimental site to understand the impact of climate change on ecosystems in Southeast Alaska," explained PNW Research Station Director Bov Eav. "When linked to the other experimental forests, it will contribute to the knowledge of the impacts of climate change on forested ecosystems, nationwide."