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Research
Sites
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The Barton Road Ecological
Research Site is
located on the east bench of Pocatello, adjacent to the ISU Business
and
Research Park. This 60 acre upland area, owned by Idaho State
University, is
dominated by sagebrush steppe vegetation.
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The O’Neil Ecological
Reserve straddles the Portneuf River between
McCammon and Inkom. This property,
donated
to ISU by Robin O’Neil, has riparian areas near the river and upland
sagebrush
steppe on the lava bench west of the river.
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Research
Natural Areas – The USDA Forest Service has established two
Research
Natural
Areas in the Portneuf watershed, Gibson Jack Creek and West Fork Mink
Creek.
The network of RNA’s was created to protect natural ecosystems for
scientific
study, for education, and to protect biodiversity. Additional
information about
these RNA’s is available at the Forest
Service web site
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The
Gibson Jack Creek RNA consists of 2210 acres located about 6 miles
south of Pocatello in the headwaters of Gibson Jack Creek, a tributary
of the
Portneuf River. This site contains riparian vegetation along the creek
transitioning into shrub and forest communities at higher elevations.
This area has
been protected as part of the Pocatello watershed for more than 75
years.
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The
West Fork Mink Creek RNA consists of 640 acres located 7 miles south of
Pocatello midway up the West Fork Mink Creek drainage. Mink Creek is
another tributary of the Portneuf River. The two parts of the this RNA
straddle
the creek, and have distinct plant communities on the north- and
south-facing slopes.
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