Steamboat Mountain RNA

Steamboat1985
Steamboat (3) 1985
Steamboat (4)
Steamboat Gifford Pinchot NF Greene J. Franklin
Name: Steamboat Mountain
Ownership: FS
Type: RNA
State: Washington
Ecoregion: East Cascades
Forest: Gifford Pinchot NF
District Mt Adams RD
Acres: 1349

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Steamboat Mountain Research Natural Area (RNA) was established to represent subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) and pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis) in the High Cascades. The RNA includes the north, west, and south slopes of Steamboat Mountain. Slopes are gentle to steep with three major wet meadows (montane mires), a small lake, and areas of rock outcrops and talus.  Pacific silver fir, subalpine fir, and mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) are the dominant tree species.  A pacific silver fir/big huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum)/beargrass (Nolina) community is found on the upper two thirds of the southwest slope and on a portion of the northeast slope of Steamboat Mountain. A moist forest dominated by a mountain hemlock/big huckleberry community surrounds small areas of open wetland on the mountain's south and west slopes. The Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) - noble fir (Abies procera) community dominates a band of forest at the base of the southwestern slope with big huckleberry as the dominant shrub.  A Pacific silver fir/ Cascades azalea (Rhododendron albiflorum) association dominates the slopes on the cooler, northern side of the mountain.


Records and Plans:
Research Publications Associated with this RNA: