Clearcutting A Logging in Oregon, USA story
Forests
A logging strategy that’s easy to spot in the Landsat imagery is clearcutting. All the trees in an area are harvested, and then replanting begins immediately. Replanting must be completed within 2 years of harvest. In Oregon, about 40 million new trees are planted each year. According to the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, the reforestation success rate is 95% on private land.
Clearcutting is a major change to the forest. Clearcuts look unattractive, and they disrupt wildlife habitat. The clearcut area can also increase streamflow in that area, and the soil can erode more quickly until reforestation occurs. Therefore, in Oregon, the size of clearcuts is limited to 120 acres. They are also limited further when near highways. Forested buffers must be maintained along streams, lakes, and wetlands. This protects against possible increased streamflow erosion and maintains wildlife habitat.
There are actually some positive effects to clearcuts. They create open space in the forest that many plants and animals need to flourish. The full sun promotes rapid regrowth of Douglas fir and other species that need full sun. Also, clearcuts are generally temporary. Oregon requires prompt reforestation.
Location
July 19, 1984, Landsat 5 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA
July 30, 1988, Landsat 5 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA
July 31, 1994, Landsat 5 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA
July 5, 1999, Landsat 7 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA
July 29, 2005, Landsat 5 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA
July 24, 2009, Landsat 5 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA
July 3, 2013, Landsat 8 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA
June 7, 2015, Landsat 8 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA
June 26, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA
July 14, 2017, Landsat 8 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA
July 1, 2018, Landsat 8 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA
July 25, 2021, Landsat 8 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA
Logging in Oregon, USA Additional Imagery & Stories
Checkerboard Pattern
The close-up Landsat images that accompany this section show an obvious checkerboard pattern in the forest. These lands are known as “O&C” lands, ...
Colorful Composites
On Earthshots we typically show “multispectral composites”—single-date images that combine three different wavelengths into one image. The example use...
Interpret the Images
A more up-close look in the Landsat images helps you to see the progression of clearcutting and regrowth. The colors in most of these images are a pat...