Ross Mersereau and Ted Dyrness Oral History Interview - Part 2

Interviewee: Ross Mersereau and Ted Dyrness
Interviewer: Max Geier
Interview Date: September 3, 1997
Location: Mersereau residence, Corvallis, Oregon
Duration: 1:16:17
 

Ross Mersereau was a Marine and lost a lung during the battle of Iwo Jima, but still managed a career as a watershed technician on Andrews Forest working with Al Levno, Dick Fredriksen, Jack Rothacher, and others. An exceptionally reliable worker, he credits Levno with high standards for producing high-quality data. For many years, he and his large family resided in a house on the Blue River Ranger District headquarters compound, so he had ready access to the field sites.

After completing his graduate training in soils at OSU, Ted Dyrness began soil survey and slope stability work as a Forest Service scientist at various locations in western Oregon, but quickly began to focus soil survey and erosion studies in the Andrews Forest. He collaborated with Jerry Franklin on many projects, including publication of Natural Vegetation of Oregon and Washington, which is still the go-to source book on the topic. In 1974 he joined the Forest Service research group at University of Alaska-Fairbanks and helped them begin an ecosystem science program much like the IBP teamwork he experienced at Andrews Forest. That effort spurred establishment of the Bonanza Creek LTER program. In 1990 he retired, returned to Corvallis, and continued to contribute to the Andrews Forest program.

Dublin Core

Title

Ross Mersereau and Ted Dyrness Oral History Interview - Part 2

Description

Ross Mersereau was a Marine and lost a lung during the battle of Iwo Jima, but still managed a career as a watershed technician on Andrews Forest working with Al Levno, Dick Fredriksen, Jack Rothacher, and others. An exceptionally reliable worker, he credits Levno with high standards for producing high-quality data. For many years, he and his large family resided in a house on the Blue River Ranger District headquarters compound, so he had ready access to the field sites.

After completing his graduate training in soils at OSU, Ted Dyrness began soil survey and slope stability work as a Forest Service scientist at various locations in western Oregon, but quickly began to focus soil survey and erosion studies in the Andrews Forest. He collaborated with Jerry Franklin on many projects, including publication of Natural Vegetation of Oregon and Washington, which is still the go-to source book on the topic. In 1974 he joined the Forest Service research group at University of Alaska-Fairbanks and helped them begin an ecosystem science program much like the IBP teamwork he experienced at Andrews Forest. That effort spurred establishment of the Bonanza Creek LTER program. In 1990 he retired, returned to Corvallis, and continued to contribute to the Andrews Forest program.

Creator

Ross Mersereau and Ted Dyrness

Source

H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest Oral History Collection (OH 28)

Publisher

Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Oregon State University Libraries

Date

September 3, 1997

Contributor

Max Geier

Format

Digitized Microcassette

Language

English

Type

Oral History

Identifier

oh28-mersereau-ross-and-ted-dyrness-19970903-02

Oral History Item Type Metadata

Interviewer

Max Geier

Interviewee

Ross Mersereau and Ted Dyrness

Location

Mersereau residence, Corvallis, Oregon

Original Format

Microcassette

Duration

1:16:17

OHMS Object

Interview Format

audio