{"title":"McRae Creek NEON - United States of America","id":{"prefix":"https:\/\/deims.org\/","suffix":"ed52a7dd-be16-4edd-ba35-cabf015e1036"},"type":"site","created":"2020-05-25T09:36:50+02:00","changed":"2025-09-18T10:05:42+02:00","attributes":{"affiliation":{"networks":[{"network":{"name":"GERI","id":{"prefix":"https:\/\/deims.org\/networks\/","suffix":"c3abdc60-49f1-49db-81fe-863b7dbb21d3"}},"siteCode":null,"verified":true},{"network":{"name":"NEON","id":{"prefix":"https:\/\/deims.org\/networks\/","suffix":"fd9fbc88-0baa-4d02-b824-dc29f721782c"}},"siteCode":"MCRA","verified":true}],"projects":null},"contact":{"siteManager":[{"type":"person","name":"Ben Vierra","email":"bvierra@battelleecology.org","orcid":null}],"operatingOrganisation":null,"metadataProvider":[{"type":"person","name":"Melissa Marquez","email":"marquez@battelleecology.org","orcid":null}],"fundingAgency":null,"siteUrl":[{"title":null,"value":"https:\/\/www.neonscience.org\/field-sites\/mcra"}]},"general":{"abstract":"McRae Creek (MCRA) is an aquatic NEON field site located within the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, 80 km (50 mi.) east of Eugene, OR in the Western Cascade Mountains. It is a third-order stream that drains a 3.93 km2 (970 acre) old-growth coniferous forested watershed. H.J. Andrews is a 64 km2 (15,800 acre) ecological research site that is administered by Oregon State University, the USDA Forest Service\u2019s Pacific Northwest Research Station, and the Willamette National Forest. It has been a part of the National Science Foundation\u2019s Long-Term Ecological Research Program since 1980. It mainly consists of dense forests filled with cedar, hemlock, and Douglas fir trees, many of which are at least 300 years old and can grow as high as 75 m (250 ft.). MCRA is located in NEON\u0027s Pacific Northwest Domain (D16), which is bounded by the Pacific on the west and Canada on the north. It includes the eastern halves of Washington and Oregon and parts of northern California. The Domain hosts three other field sites: one additional aquatic and two terrestrial.","citation":null,"relatedIdentifiers":null,"status":{"label":"Operational","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/elter_cl\/10772"},"yearEstablished":2017,"yearClosed":null,"relatedSites":null,"siteName":"McRae Creek NEON","shortName":"MCRA","siteType":"Non-stationary land-based site","protectionLevel":null,"landUse":null,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/deims.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2020-06\/48754929871_5da231f7f5_z.jpg","alt":"MCRA McRae Creek"},{"url":"https:\/\/deims.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2020-06\/48755127037_b35fb8f627_b.jpg","alt":"MCRA McRae Creek"}]},"environmentalCharacteristics":{"airTemperature":{"yearlyAverage":8.8,"monthlyAverage":null,"unit":"\u00b0C","referencePeriod":null},"precipitation":{"yearlyAverage":2188,"monthlyAverage":null,"unit":"mm","referencePeriod":null},"biogeographicalRegion":null,"biome":"evergreen_forest","ecosystemType":[{"label":"Evergreen Forest","uri":null},{"label":"Forest","uri":null},{"label":"Fresh Water Rivers","uri":null},{"label":"Rivers","uri":null}],"eunisHabitat":null,"landforms":null,"geoBonBiome":["Fresh water rivers"],"geology":"The geology of H.J. Andrews is characterized by miocene aged undifferentiated flows and clastic rocks of basalt and andesite. The substrate within the creek is dominated by boulders, with some patches of cobble.","hydrology":"The flow regime of McRae Creek is considered stable and dominated by groundwater input: base discharge typically increases in the fall, remains high during the winter, peaks in spring due to snowmelt and decreases to annual lows during the summer dry season. Winter storms and snowmelt create high discharge events, with very rare zeroflow days in the summer months. ","soils":null,"vegetation":"The Western Cascades eco-region is almost exclusively covered in dense coniferous forests, with dominant tree species changing with elevation. Below 4,000 feet, Douglas-fir and western hemlock are the most common trees. As elevation increases, Pacific silver fir, mountain hemlock, and subalpine fire begin to dominate. Above 7,000 feet, alpine parklands and dwarf shrubs become dominant as conditions become too harsh for tree growth. [3] The riparian area adjacent to McRae Creek consists of mature Tsuga heterophylla (western hemlock) and Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir) dominating the over-story canopy. Groundcover consists of Acer macrophyllum (vine maple), Taxus brevifolia (Pacific yew), Cornus nuttallii (dogwood), and Alnus rubra (alder). Most mature trees are 200-300 feet tall, while groundcover is often thick in areas adjacent to the stream."},"geographic":{"boundaries":null,"coordinates":"POINT (-122.16555 44.2596)","country":["United States of America"],"elevation":{"avg":876,"min":550,"max":1250,"unit":"msl"},"size":{"value":566,"unit":"ha"},"relatedLocations":null},"focusDesignScale":{"experiments":{"design":"partly experimentation","scale":"catchment scale"},"observations":{"design":"mainly observation","scale":"entire catchment"},"observedProperties":[{"label":"DNA sequence","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/21400"},{"label":"genetic parameter","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/20942"},{"label":"land cover","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22142"},{"label":"landscape parameter","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/20943"},{"label":"water parameter","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/20945"},{"label":"water quality","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22312"}]},"infrastructure":{"accessibleAllYear":true,"accessType":null,"allPartsAccessible":null,"maintenanceInterval":null,"permanentPowerSupply":null,"operation":{"permanent":null,"notes":null,"siteVisitInterval":null},"notes":null,"collection":null,"data":{"policy":{"url":null,"rights":null,"notes":null}}},"relatedResources":null,"projectRelated":{"lter":{"lterSiteClassification":null}}}}