Lost Forest covers approximately 9,000 acres (36 km²).
 It is a self-sustaining stand of ponderosa pines growing in the arid high desert, 40 miles (64 km) from the nearest contiguous pine forest.
 The Bureau of Land Management considers 4,153 acres (1,681 ha) to be prime forest land with large old-growth trees dominating the stands.
 Lost Forest is a remnant of an ancient ponderosa pine forest that covered much of central Oregon thousands of years ago, when the climate was cooler and wetter.
 Today, the Lost Forest pines survive on half the annual precipitation normally required for their species.
 This is possible because of the unique soil and hydrologic properties of the Lost Forest area.

The natural area's deep sandy soil has helped the Lost Forest ponderosa pines survive in the arid high desert environment.
The Lost Forest soil was formed from lake sediments and alluvial materials.
Pumice sands from Mount Mazama and Newberry Crater appear in the surface soils throughout the Lost Forest area.
 The post-Pleistocene lake environment formed the ash sediments from Mount Mazama into porous ground soil.
 The soils are underlain by hard calcium carbonate caliche layer several inches thick.
 This subsurface layer is impervious to water drainage and is seldom penetrated by roots.
 As a result, ground water is held near the surface.
 The local ponderosa pines make use the moisture held in the porous soil above the caliche barrier.
 In addition, scientists have found that the pine seeds from the Lost Forest trees germinated more quickly than other ponderosa pine seeds, suggesting a local adaptation to the arid environment is now a common characteristic of the Lost Forest ponderosa pine community.

In addition to its ponderosa pines, the Lost Forest also supports a plant community that includes big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, and other shrubs as well as a number of desert grasses and flowering plants.
 Western juniper are also common in many parts of the natural area.

Ponderosa pines dominate the Lost Forest Research Natural Area, typically growing in open stands rooted in sandy soils.
 In some parts of the natural area, western junipers are sparse, covering less than one percent of the land.
 However, much of Lost Forest is characterized by co-dominance of ponderosa pine and western juniper.
 Some of the older junipers are very large.
 One specimen is the largest known western juniper in Oregon, reaching a height of 68 feet (21 m).
Bark beetle attacks and drought in the 1920s and the 1930s resulted in high juniper mortality from which the population has not fully recovered.

Understory shrubs are dense in some areas, sparse in other areas, and entirely absent in areas where sand dunes have encroached on the forest.
 The most abundant large shrub species are large sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), and yellow rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus).
 Among the smaller shrubs little sagebrush (Artemisia arbuscula), spreading phlox (Phlox diffusa), granite prickly phlox (Linanthus pungens), and littleleaf horsebrush (Tetradymia glabrata) are common.
 Curl-leaf mountain mahogany (Cercocarpu ledifolius) is found on some of the basalt outcroppings.
 There are a number of perennial grasses common throughout the Lost Forest.
 These include Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis), Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda), Thurber's needlegrass (Achnatherum thurberianum), needle and thread grass (Hesperostipa comata), Indian ricegrass (Oryzopsis hymenoides), bottlebrush squirreltail (Elymus elymoides), and crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum).
 Perennial flowering plants found in the natural area include lupin (Lupinus), cushion buckwheat (Eriogonum ovalifolium), lemon scurf-pea (Psoralea lanceolata), common wooly sunflower (Eriophyllum lanatum), and Townsend daisy (Townsendia florifer).
Lost Forest covers approximately 9,000 acres (36 km²).  It is a self-sustaining stand of ponderosa pines growing in the arid high desert, 40 miles (64 km) from the nearest contiguous pine forest.  The Bureau of Land Management considers 4,153 acres (1,681 ha) to be prime forest land with large old-growth trees dominating the stands.  Lost Forest is a remnant of an ancient ponderosa pine forest that covered much of central Oregon thousands of years ago, when the climate was cooler and wetter.  Today, the Lost Forest pines survive on half the annual precipitation normally required for their species.  This is possible because of the unique soil and hydrologic properties of the Lost Forest area.
The natural area's deep sandy soil has helped the Lost Forest ponderosa pines survive in the arid high desert environment. The Lost Forest soil was formed from lake sediments and alluvial materials. Pumice sands from Mount Mazama and Newberry Crater appear in the surface soils throughout the Lost Forest area.  The post-Pleistocene lake environment formed the ash sediments from Mount Mazama into porous ground soil.  The soils are underlain by hard calcium carbonate caliche layer several inches thick.  This subsurface layer is impervious to water drainage and is seldom penetrated by roots.  As a result, ground water is held near the surface.  The local ponderosa pines make use the moisture held in the porous soil above the caliche barrier.  In addition, scientists have found that the pine seeds from the Lost Forest trees germinated more quickly than other ponderosa pine seeds, suggesting a local adaptation to the arid environment is now a common characteristic of the Lost Forest ponderosa pine community.
In addition to its ponderosa pines, the Lost Forest also supports a plant community that includes big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, and other shrubs as well as a number of desert grasses and flowering plants.  Western juniper are also common in many parts of the natural area.
Ponderosa pines dominate the Lost Forest Research Natural Area, typically growing in open stands rooted in sandy soils.  In some parts of the natural area, western junipers are sparse, covering less than one percent of the land.  However, much of Lost Forest is characterized by co-dominance of ponderosa pine and western juniper.  Some of the older junipers are very large.  One specimen is the largest known western juniper in Oregon, reaching a height of 68 feet (21 m). Bark beetle attacks and drought in the 1920s and the 1930s resulted in high juniper mortality from which the population has not fully recovered.
Understory shrubs are dense in some areas, sparse in other areas, and entirely absent in areas where sand dunes have encroached on the forest.  The most abundant large shrub species are large sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), and yellow rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus).  Among the smaller shrubs little sagebrush (Artemisia arbuscula), spreading phlox (Phlox diffusa), granite prickly phlox (Linanthus pungens), and littleleaf horsebrush (Tetradymia glabrata) are common.  Curl-leaf mountain mahogany (Cercocarpu ledifolius) is found on some of the basalt outcroppings.  There are a number of perennial grasses common throughout the Lost Forest.  These include Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis), Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda), Thurber's needlegrass (Achnatherum thurberianum), needle and thread grass (Hesperostipa comata), Indian ricegrass (Oryzopsis hymenoides), bottlebrush squirreltail (Elymus elymoides), and crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum).  Perennial flowering plants found in the natural area include lupin (Lupinus), cushion buckwheat (Eriogonum ovalifolium), lemon scurf-pea (Psoralea lanceolata), common wooly sunflower (Eriophyllum lanatum), and Townsend daisy (Townsendia florifer).
Lost Forest Research Natural Area