Pacific Northwest Natural Areas
 

 

 

 


 

Moskt Butte Research Natural Area

Deschutes National Forest , USFS

East Cascades, Oregon Ecoregion

Cell(s):

  • Entire undisturbed forested cinder cone, in white fir zone; pre-Mazama
  • Entire undisturbed cinder cone in mountain hemlock zone

Moskt Butte Research Natural Area

Publication: Moskt Butte Research Natural Area Est. Rpt. or Guidelines

 

 

Moskt Butte RNA is a 506 ha tract located 20 miles southwest of Bend in Deschutes County, Oregon. The natural area includes an entire undisturbed forested cinder cone (pre-Mazama) in the White Fir and Mountain Hemlock zones. Lava flows from another post-Mazama cinder cone cover much of the site. Elevations in the tract range from 2104 m at the western edge to 2494 m at the summit of Moskt Butte. The cinder cones, including Moskt Butte and several smaller cones, have steep sides, but the rest of the terrain has very little relief. However, small ridges and mounds up to 15 m in height occur throughout the area. Over half of the RNA is covered by a recent lava flow, which is sparsely vegetated. Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) is scattered throughout the area in pockets of cinders and soils, but the most prominent plant species in the lava flow community is gland ocean-spray (Holodiscus dumosus var. glabrescens). The lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta)/currant (Ribes)-bitterbrush (Purshia)/needlegrass (Achnatherum) association is found in the sandy, pumiceous and lapilli soils northeast of Moskt Butte. Forested areas of the RNA are dominated by ponderosa pine, although white fir (Abies grandis) co-dominates the forests covering much of the two most prominent cinder cones. Western white pine (Pinus monticola) is also present on these cones.

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Access by road

Publication: Moskt Butte Research Natural Area Est. Rpt. or Guidelines  

MosktButteRNA.pdf