Lower Teakettle NEON / TEAK

Like most of the Sierra Nevada range, TEAK experiences hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. It receives most of its annual precipitation as snowfall between November and May. Snow accumulation is highly variable, but has averaged a maximum depth of 1140 mm (45 in.) over the past 30 years. Mean annual temperature is 8°C (46°F). Mean annual precipitation is 1222.5 mm (48.1 in.). [2] [5]

The geology of TEAK is glacial deposits overlaying granitic rocks. [3]

Soils at TEAK are classified as coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Humixerepts. [6]

TEAK is colocated with the aquatic site Teakettle Creek (TECR). The flow regime of TECR is typical of snowmelt-dominated mountainous streams in the west. Base flows are lowest in the winter (November - March) and highest in the late spring (April – June). TECR has a mean base flow of 11 liters per second in the autumn months. Snow melt begins in March and peaks in June. Discharge during the peak flow months of May and June is approximately 18 times greater than base flow. [4]

Dominant tree species include red and white fir (Abies magnifica and Abies concolor), Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi), and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta). Stand structure is diverse, with active recruitment and extensive coarse downed wood. Although dense tree cover limits understory shrubs, bush chinquapin (Chrysolepis sempervirens) often grows on forested slopes. Exposed rock and shallow soils support other shrub species, such as mountain whitethorn (Ceanothus cordulatus), greenleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos patula) and pinemat manzanita (Arctostaphylos nevadensis). Pine and fir forests provide habitat for more shade-tolerant herbaceous plants, whereas meadows, streams, and patches of shallow soil accommodate a greater diversity of native grasses, graminoids, and forbs. [1]

Before the area was primarily dedicated to research, it was subject to cattle grazing and fire suppression, but no timber harvesting. In the 1930s, state and federal government agencies began to research how the management of Sierra Nevada watersheds could impact the Central Valley of California's water supply. The Teakettle Experimental Area was established in 1938, when 13 km² (3200 acres) in Teakettle Creek were designated for hydrological study. In the 1940s, stream-gauging stations and sediment basins were built in the study area. The area was officially designated “The Teakettle Creek Experimental Forest” in 1958. The main objectives of the forest were to develop timber harvesting techniques and patterns that would increase water yield. Throughout the 1970s, researchers used these stations to collect data on water flow and weather conditions. In the late 1990s, a large experiment involving over two dozen researchers started in the area. The experiment continues to run, examining the effects of fire and thinning on mixed-conifer ecosystems. [2] [7]

TEAK is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and partially encompasses the Pacific Southwest Research Station’s Teakettle Experimental Forest. The USFS manages the forest for grazing and research activities associated with the long-term "Teakettle Experiment," which started in the late 1990s and examines the effects of fire and thinning on ecosystem function. [1] [2] [7]