• Aims: Six sampling alternatives were examined for their ability to quantify selected attributes of snags and hardwoods in conifer-dominated riparian areas of managed headwater forests in western Oregon.
• Methods: Each alternative was simulated 500 times at eight headwater forest locations based on a 0.52-ha square stem map. The alternatives were evaluated based on how well they estimated the number of hardwoods and snags per hectare and their basal area per hectare using root mean square error and percent bias.
• Results: In general, 3.6-m wide systematic strips oriented perpendicular to the stream outperformed the other alternatives. However, the variance of all six sampling alternatives was quite high and further research is needed to determine an optimal sampling method for quantifying hardwood and snag attributes in forests dominated by live conifers.
• Conclusion: When sampling snag and hardwood as a minor component of the overall forest composition within a riparian area, we suggest using 3.6-m strips perpendicular to the stream.Keywords: Stand structure, Monitoring, Pacific Northwest, Strip samplin
