Efficacy of resource objective wildfires for restoration of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests in northern Arizona

Abstract Information on the mortality factors affecting naturally seeded conifer seedlings is becoming increasingly important to forest managers for both economic and ecological reasons. Mortality factors affecting ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) seedlings immediately following natural germination and through the following year were monitored in Northern Arizona. The four major mortality factors in temporal order included the failure of roots to establish in the soil (27%), herbivory by lepidopteran larvae (28%), desiccation (30%), and winterkill (10%). These mortality factors were compared among seedlings germinating in three different overstory densities and an experimental water treatment. Seedlings that were experimentally watered experienced greater mortality than natural seedlings due to herbivory (40%), nearly as much mortality due to the failure of roots to establish in the soil (20%), less mortality due to winterkill (5%), and no mortality due to desiccation. The seedling mortality data through time were summarized using survivorship curves and life tables. Our results suggest that managers should consider using prescribed burns to decrease the percentage of seedlings that die from failure of their roots to reach mineral soil and from attack by lepidopteran larvae. West. J. Appl. For. 18(2):109–114.

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Verbenone Inhibits Attraction of Ips pini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to Pheromone-Baited Traps in Northern Arizona

Journal of Economic Entomology ◽

10.1093/jee/toaa192 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 113 (6) ◽

pp. 3017-3020

Author(s):

Monica L Gaylord ◽

Stephen R McKelvey ◽

Christopher J Fettig ◽

Joel D McMillin

Keyword(s):

Aggregation Pheromone ◽

Pinus Ponderosa ◽

Ponderosa Pine ◽

Tree Mortality ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Current Treatment ◽

Northern Arizona ◽

Pine Engraver ◽

Baited Traps ◽

Significant Difference

Abstract Recent outbreaks of engraver beetles, Ips spp. De Geer (Coleoptera: Curculionidae; Scolytinae), in ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum Engelm. (Pinales: Pinaceae), forests of northern Arizona have resulted in widespread tree mortality. Current treatment options, such as spraying individual P. ponderosa with insecticides or deep watering of P. ponderosa in urban and periurban settings, are limited in applicability and scale. Thinning stands to increase tree vigor is also recommended, but appropriate timing is crucial. Antiaggregation pheromones, widely used to protect high-value trees or areas against attacks by several species of Dendroctonus Erichson (Coleoptera: Curculionidae; Scolytinae), would provide a feasible alternative with less environmental impacts than current treatments. We evaluated the efficacy of the antiaggregation pheromone verbenone (4,6,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-3-en-2-one) in reducing attraction of pine engraver, I. pini (Say), to funnel traps baited with their aggregation pheromone in two trapping assays. Treatments included 1) unbaited control, 2) aggregation pheromone (bait), 3) bait with verbenone deployed from a pouch, and 4) bait with verbenone deployed from a flowable and biodegradable formulation (SPLAT Verb, ISCA Technologies Inc., Riverside, CA). Unbaited traps caught no beetles. In both assays, baited traps caught significantly more I. pini than traps with either formulation of verbenone, and no significant difference was observed between the verbenone pouch and SPLAT Verb. In the second assay, we also examined responses of Temnochila chlorodia (Mannerheim) (Coleoptera: Trogositidae), a common bark beetle predator. Traps containing verbenone pouches caught significantly fewer T. chlorodia than the baited control and SPLAT Verb treatments. We conclude that verbenone shows promise for reducing tree mortality from I. pini.

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Stand density, drought, and herbivory constrain ponderosa pine regeneration pulse

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/cjfr-2019-0248 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 50 (9) ◽

pp. 862-871 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Thomas E. Kolb ◽

Kelsey Flathers ◽

John B. Bradford ◽

Caitlin Andrews ◽

Lance A. Asherin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pinus Ponderosa ◽

Ponderosa Pine ◽

Seedling Survival ◽

Stand Density ◽

Survival Duration ◽

Northern Arizona ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

Pine Regeneration ◽

Stand Thinning ◽

Survival And Growth

Trees in dry forests often regenerate in episodic pulses when wet periods coincide with ample seed production. Factors leading to success or failure of regeneration pulses are poorly understood. We investigated the impacts of stand thinning on survival and growth of the 2013 cohort of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex P. Lawson & C. Lawson) seedlings in northern Arizona, United States. We measured seedling survival and growth over the first five growing seasons after germination in six stand basal areas (BAs; 0, 7, 14, 23, 34, and 66 (unthinned) m2·ha−1) produced by long-term experimental thinnings. Five-year survival averaged 2.5% and varied among BAs. Mean survival duration was longer in intermediate BAs (11 to 16 months) than in clearings and high BAs (5 months). The BAs of 7, 14, and 23 m2·ha−1 had >2600 5-year-old seedlings·ha−1. In contrast, regeneration was lower in the clearing (666 seedlings·ha−1) and failed completely in the 34 m2·ha−1 and unthinned treatments. Seedling survival was highest during wet years and lowest during drought years. Many surviving seedlings had no net height growth between years 4 and 5 because of stem browsing. Results indicate that natural regeneration of ponderosa pine is influenced by stand BA, drought, herbivory, and interactions between extreme climatic events.

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Western Dwarf Mistletoe Parasitizing Colorado Blue Spruce and Norway Spruce in California

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis.1998.82.3.351e ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 82 (3) ◽

pp. 351-351 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R. L. Mathiasen ◽

J. R. Allison ◽

B. W. Geils

Keyword(s):

Norway Spruce ◽

Pinus Ponderosa ◽

Ponderosa Pine ◽

Natural Infection ◽

Dwarf Mistletoe ◽

First Report ◽

Blue Spruce ◽

Northern Arizona ◽

Jeffrey Pine ◽

Shoot Production

Western dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium campylopodum Engelm.), a common parasite of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) and Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi Grev. & Balf.), was found parasitizing planted Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens Engelm.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karsten) in Upper Cuddy Valley, CA (Kern County, T. 9 N., R. 21 W., Sec. 25). One tree greater than 6 m in height of each spruce species was infected and both trees were within 12 m of a Jeffrey pine severely infected with western dwarf mistletoe. Five to 10 branches were infected on each tree and a few of these had abundant mistletoe shoot production, which allowed identification of the parasite. This is the first report of western dwarf mistletoe on Colorado blue spruce. Although this is the first report of natural infection of Norway spruce in California, this mistletoe/host combination has been reported by Weir from artificial inoculation (2) and collected by Russell in central Washington (1). We recommend that these spruce species not be planted within 15 m of pines infected with western dwarf mistletoe. Specimens of western dwarf mistletoe on Colorado blue spruce and Norway spruce were collected and deposited at the Deaver Herbarium, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff. References: (1) F. G. Hawksworth and D. Wiens. 1996. Dwarf Mistletoes: Biology, Pathology, and Systematics. USDA Agric. Handb. 709. (2) J. R. Weir. Bot. Gaz. 56:1, 1918.

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Ponderosa pine mortality following fire in northern Arizona

International Journal of Wildland Fire ◽

10.1071/wf02054 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 7 ◽

Cited By ~ 106

Author(s):

Charles W. McHugh ◽

Thomas E. Kolb

Keyword(s):

Pinus Ponderosa ◽

Prescribed Fire ◽

Ponderosa Pine ◽

Tree Mortality ◽

Variable Model ◽

Individual Tree ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Ponderosa Pine Forests ◽

Northern Arizona ◽

Crown Volume

Sampling of 1367 trees was conducted in the Side wildfire (4 May 1996), Bridger-Knoll wildfire (20 June 1996) and Dauber prescribed fire (9 September 1995) in northern Arizona ponderosa pine forests (Pinus ponderosa). Tree mortality was assessed for 3 years after each fire. Three-year post-fire mortality was 32.4% in the Side wildfire, 18.0% in the Dauber prescribed fire, and 13.9% in the Bridger-Knoll wildfire. In the Dauber and Side fires, 95% and 94% of 3-year post-fire mortality occurred by year 2, versus 76% in the Bridger-Knoll wildfire. Compared with trees that lived for 3 years after fire, dead trees in all fires had more crown scorch, crown consumption, bole scorch, ground char, and bark beetle attacks. Logistic regression models were used to provide insight on factors associated with tree mortality after fire. A model using total crown damage by fire (scorch + consumption) and bole char severity as independent variables was the best two-variable model for predicting individual tree mortality for all fires. The amount of total crown damage associated with the onset of tree mortality decreased as bole char severity increased. Models using diameter at breast height (dbh) and crown volume damage suggested that tree mortality decreased as dbh increased in the Dauber prescribed fire where trees were smallest, and tree mortality increased as dbh increased in the Side and Bridger-Knoll wildfires where trees were largest. Moreover, a U-shaped dbh–mortality distribution for all fires suggested higher mortality for the smallest and largest trees compared with intermediate-size trees. We concluded that tree mortality is strongly influenced by interaction between crown damage and bole char severity, and differences in resistance to fire among different-sized trees can vary among sites.

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First Report of Arceuthobium vaginatum subsp. cryptopodum on Pinus mugo

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis.2003.87.11.1395c ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 87 (11) ◽

pp. 1395-1395

Author(s):

R. Mathiasen ◽

M. Haefeli ◽

D. Leatherman

Keyword(s):

Pinus Ponderosa ◽

Ponderosa Pine ◽

Pinus Mugo ◽

Black Forest ◽

Dwarf Mistletoe ◽

First Report ◽

Northern Mexico ◽

Northern Arizona ◽

Positive Identification ◽

Northern Arizona University

Southwestern dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium vaginatum (Willd.) Presl subsp. cryptopodum (Engelm.) Hawksw. & Wiens, family Viscaceae) is a serious and common pathogen of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex Lawson & C. Lawson) in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico (1). In July 2002, this dwarf mistletoe was observed parasitizing a 1.4-m tall mugo pine (P. mugo Turra) in the Black Forest north of Colorado Springs, CO (39°02.118′N, 104°36.028′W, elevation 2,250 m). The infected mugo pine was planted as an ornamental approximately 6 m from a ponderosa pine infected with A vaginatum subsp. cryptopodum. Dwarf mistletoe shoots were produced on the only infected branch observed but this was sufficient for a positive identification of the dwarf mistletoe. Although J. Weir successfully inoculated mugo pine with western dwarf mistletoe (A. campylopodum Engelm.) and lodgepole pine dwarf mistletoe (A. americanum Nutt. ex Engelm.) (2), to our knowledge, this is the first report of a dwarf mistletoe occurring naturally on P. mugo, as well as the first report of A vaginatum subsp. cryptopodum on P. mugo (1). Specimens of A vaginatum subsp. cryptopodum from P. mugo have been deposited in the Deaver Herbarium, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff (Accession No. 73761). References: (1) F. Hawksworth and D. Wiens. Dwarf mistletoes: biology, pathology, and systematics. USDA Agric. Handb. 709, 1996. (2) J. Weir. Bot. Gaz. 56:1, 1918.

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Mortality Associated with a Bark Beetle Outbreak in Dwarf Mistletoe-Infested Ponderosa Pine Stands in Arizona

Western Journal of Applied Forestry ◽

10.1093/wjaf/23.2.113 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 113-120 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Shawn Kenaley ◽

Robert Mathiasen ◽

E. James Harner

Keyword(s):

Bark Beetle ◽

Pinus Ponderosa ◽

Ponderosa Pine ◽

Bark Beetles ◽

Basal Area ◽

Strong Relationship ◽

Dwarf Mistletoe ◽

Northern Arizona ◽

Stand Attributes ◽

Study Sites

Abstract Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex C. Lawson var. scopulorum Engelm.) mortality was evaluated from a 2002 bark beetle outbreak in areas infested with southwestern dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium vaginatum [Willd.] Presl subsp. cryptopodum [Engelm.] Hawksw. & Wiens) in a total of nine study sites in northern Arizona. Ponderosa pine mortality attributable to bark beetles (Ips and Dendroctonus spp., Scolytidae) was systematically sampled, and stand attributes, such as basal area, tree density, dwarf mistletoe severity, and site indices were recorded. Ponderosa pine mortality was predominately attributed to Ips spp. Although the prolonged drought likely was the inciting factor responsible for the Ips spp. outbreak, results suggested a strong relationship between ponderosa pine mortality and the interaction between crown class and dwarf mistletoe rating class. Ponderosa pines severely infected with dwarf mistletoe and in the intermediate crown class are at the greatest risk of Ips spp. attack during outbreak years in northern Arizona.

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Twenty years of drought‐mediated change in snag populations in mixed‐conifer and ponderosa pine forests in Northern Arizona

Forest Ecosystems ◽

10.1186/s40663-021-00298-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Joseph L. Ganey ◽

Jose M. Iniguez ◽

Scott C. Vojta ◽

Amy R. Iniguez

Keyword(s):

Pinus Ponderosa ◽

Ponderosa Pine ◽

Tree Mortality ◽

Forest Types ◽

Mixed Conifer ◽

Size Classes ◽

Ponderosa Pine Forests ◽

Northern Arizona ◽

Mortality Event ◽

Over Time

Abstract Background Snags (standing dead trees) are important biological legacies in forest systems, providing numerous resources as well as a record of recent tree mortality. From 1997 to 2017, we monitored snag populations in drought-influenced mixed-conifer and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests in northern Arizona. Results Snag density increased significantly in both forest types. This increase was driven largely by a pulse in snag recruitment that occurred between 2002 and 2007, following an extreme drought year in 2002, with snag recruitment returning to pre-pulse levels in subsequent time periods. Some later years during the study also were warmer and/or drier than average, but these years were not as extreme as 2002 and did not trigger the same level of snag recruitment. Snag recruitment was not equal across tree species and size classes, resulting in significant changes in species composition and size-class distributions of snag populations in both forest types. Because trees were far more abundant than snags in these forests, the effect of this mortality pulse on tree populations was far smaller than its effect on snag populations. Snag loss rates increased over time during the study, even though many snags were newly recruited. This may reflect the increasing prevalence of white fir snags and/or snags in the smaller size classes, which generally decay faster than snags of other species or larger snags. Thus, although total numbers of snags increased, many of the newly recruited snags may not persist long enough to be valuable as nesting substrates for native wildlife. Conclusions Increases in snag abundance appeared to be due to a short-term tree mortality “event” rather than a longer-term pattern of elevated tree mortality. This mortality event followed a dry and extremely warm year (2002) embedded within a longer-term megadrought. Climate models suggest that years like 2002 may occur with increasing frequency in the southwestern U.S. Such years may result in additional mortality pulses, which in turn may strongly affect trajectories in abundance, structure, and composition of snag populations. Relative effects on tree populations likely will be smaller, but, over time, also could be significant.

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Southwestern Dwarf Mistletoe, Arceuthobium vaginatum subsp. cryptopodum, Found Parasitizing Picea pungens in Colorado

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pd-89-0106b ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 89 (1) ◽

pp. 106-106

Author(s):

R. Mathiasen ◽

N. Marcus

Keyword(s):

Pinus Ponderosa ◽

Ponderosa Pine ◽

Morphological Description ◽

Dwarf Mistletoe ◽

First Report ◽

Blue Spruce ◽

Northern Arizona ◽

Picea Pungens ◽

Voucher Specimens ◽

Pinus Spp

Southwestern dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium vaginatum (Willd.) Presl subsp. cryptopodum (Engelm.) Hawksw. & Wiens, Viscaceae) severely parasitizes several species of pines (Pinus spp., family Pinaceae) in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico, but it has not been reported to parasitize any species of spruce (Picea, family Pinaceae) (1). However, in June 2004, this dwarf mistletoe was observed parasitizing blue spruce (Picea pungens Engelm.) in the Black Forest north of Colorado Springs, CO (39°02.118′N, 104°36.028′W, elevation 2,250 m). The infected blue spruce was planted as an ornamental approximately 4 m from a 16-m-high ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex Lawson & C. Lawson) severely infected with southwestern dwarf mistletoe. Mature dwarf mistletoe shoots were produced on five infected branches of the blue spruce. These shoots were compared with a morphological description of southwestern dwarf mistletoe (1) and this was sufficient for a positive identification of the dwarf mistletoe. The other dwarf mistletoes reported to infect blue spruce are Arceuthobium microcarpum (Engelm.) Hawksw. & Wiens, A. americanum Nutt. ex Engelm., and A. douglasii Engelm.; these are all morphologically distinct from southwestern dwarf mistletoe (1). Three of the infected branches formed small (less than 0.3 m in diameter), nonsystemic witches' brooms. All of the infections on the 6-m-high blue spruce were higher than 1 m on the tree. Thus, it is likely that the spruce was infected after it was transplanted. Three other blue spruces were also located within 4 m of the infected ponderosa pine, but these trees were not infected. To our knowledge, this is the first report of southwestern dwarf mistletoe parasitizing blue spruce and the first report of this dwarf mistletoe on Picea spp. Voucher specimens have been deposited in the Deaver Herbarium, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff (Accession No. 73959). References: (1) F. Hawksworth and D. Wiens. Dwarf mistletoes: Biology, pathology, and systematics. USDA For. Serv. Agric. Handb. 709, 1996.

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Seasonal dynamics of tree growth, physiology, and resin defenses in a northern Arizona ponderosa pine forest

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x06-309 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 37 (7) ◽

pp. 1173-1183 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

Monica L. Gaylord ◽

Thomas E. Kolb ◽

Kimberly F. Wallin ◽

Michael R. Wagner

Keyword(s):

Water Stress ◽

Temporal Variation ◽

Pinus Ponderosa ◽

Ponderosa Pine ◽

Seasonal Dynamics ◽

Carbon Allocation ◽

Resin Flow ◽

Northern Arizona ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Tree Survival

During periods of resource stress, such as drought, allocating limited photosynthate between growth and defense is a crucial component of tree survival. Our objectives were to describe the seasonal dynamics of physiology, growth, and resin defense of southwestern ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. & C. Laws.) which undergoes regular seasonal drought. We measured leaf-level net photosynthetic rate, leaf water potential, resin flow after phloem wounding, and growth in 24 consecutive months in 2002 and 2003. Precipitation was below average in both years, and 2002 was an extreme drought. In both years, the highest resin flow occurred when tree water stress was highest and photosynthesis was low. Belowground growth was highest in August in both years. Aboveground growth occurred primarily between May and August and was greater in 2003 than in 2002. Temporal variation in resin flow was positively related to temporal variation in needle and radial growth but was not related to temporal variation in root nor shoot growth. Thus, trade-offs in carbon allocation between resin and growth were weak. We discuss these results in the context of water stress in trees, current hypotheses of carbon allocation in plants, and the historical lack of pine bark beetle epidemics in northern Arizona.

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