Research Natural Areas are examples of typical and distinctive natural ecosystems and habitats reserved for scientific and educational use. This outline of the minimal Research Natural Area system needed to provide adequate field laboratories for ecological, environmental, and land management research was developed by an interinstitutional, interdisciplinary working group. Natural area needs were first described on the basis of individual organisms, habitats, or ecosystems which should be represented. These "cells," the basic building blocks in defining the total scope of the system, considered terrestrial and aquatic environments as well as rare and endangered species. Identified cells were matched against existing Research Natural Areas to determine which were already filled. The remaining, unfilled cells were then tentatively grouped as units which were listed as Research Natural Area needs. A minimal Research Natural Area system for Oregon and Washington requires approximately 360 tracts which, in turn, incorporate over 770 individual cells (ecosystems, habitats, or organisms). Since 60 Research Natural Areas are already established, about 300 additional areas are needed. These remaining needs were assigned a priority (low, medium, or high) based on importance and degree to which they are endangered, as well as identified as to the Federal, State, or private agency or institution most likely to be able to provide a tract of that type. The purpose of Research Natural Areas, their place in land planning, history of Research Natural Area activities in the Pacific Northwest, and general observations and recommendations on unresolved problems are also outlined.

Discover the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest with this informative guide. Learn about the unique ecosystems and habitats found in federal research natural areas and gain insight into preserving our planet's precious resources. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.