College of Forestry

In the aftermath of historically severe wildfires in 2020, a study of Cascade Range watersheds found that stream vertebrates are doing surprisingly well, highlighted by flourishing fish populations. “Our work looked at the three years following megafires in western Oregon and suggests that fishes are thriving and amphibians are persisting,” said Oregon State University postdoctoral researcher Allison Swartz, who led the study.

The Oregon State University College of Forestry has finalized a new management plan for the OSU-owned McDonald-Dunn Research Forest in the Coast Range foothills northwest of Corvallis. Last revised in 2005, the updated plan provides an adaptive framework for sustainable management in a changing climate and sets the stage for the next century of stewardship, said Holly Ober, the college’s associate dean for science outreach and the leader of the planning process.

If mistletoe’s status as a nutrient-stealing freeloader has been cooling your holiday ardor, new research led by an Oregon State University scientist may help relight the fire. A survey of urban forests in seven western Oregon cities found no observable connection between mistletoe infestation and negative health outcomes for the trees it was parasitizing. So worry not: Your yuletide kissing tradition probably does not involve a tree killer. And as you’re setting concern aside, you might want to head outside. “This is the best time of year to look for mistletoe because there are no leaves on the trees,” said College of Forestry professor emeritus Dave Shaw, an OSU Extension Service forest health specialist.

In 1926, Oregon State University acquired the first parcel of what is now a statewide network of 10 research forests. The 2026 Starker Lecture Series will explore the history of these forests and how perspectives and stewardship have shifted with new knowledge and pressures. It will also show how today’s approaches are laying the groundwork for the next generation of learning, building on a century of discoveries that continue to shape our understanding of forests in a changing world.