Mountain pine beetle attack faster growing lodgepole pine at low elevations in western Montana, USA

Partial cutting prescriptions were applied in the fall of 1978 through the early winter of 1980 to lodgepole pine stands (Pinuscontorta Douglas var. latifolia Engelmann) threatened by mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonusponderosae Hopkins) in the Kootenai and Lolo National Forests in western Montana, U.S.A. Partial cutting prescriptions consisted of removing from separate stands all trees 17.8, 25,4, and 30.5 cm and larger diameter at breast height (dbh), and prescriptions leaving 18.4, 23.0, and 27.6 m2 basal area per hectare. In thinned stands, the first 5 years' results following cutting showed greatly reduced tree losses to mountain pine beetle when compared with untreated stands (P < 0.01) on both forests. There were no significant differences in tree losses among partial cut treatments (P > 0.05). Post treatment mortality of lodgepole pine 12.7 cm and larger dbh to mountain pine beetle averaged 4.0 to 38.6% on the Kootenai and 6.0 to 17.1% on the Lolo in treated stands, compared with averages of 93.8 and 73.1% in untreated stands. Partial cutting appears to be useful for reducing lodgepole losses to mountain pine beetle.

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Mountain pine beetle attack severity data in lodgepole pine in the Northern Rockies from 1999-2014

Forest Service Research Data Archive ◽

10.2737/rds-2017-0006 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Howard L. Williams ◽

Sharon M. Hood ◽

Chrisopher R. Keyes ◽

Joel M. Egan

Keyword(s):

Mountain Pine Beetle ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Mountain Pine ◽

Pine Beetle ◽

Northern Rockies

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Forest structure altered by mountain pine beetle outbreaks affects subsequent attack in a Wyoming lodgepole pine forest, USA

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x11-142 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 41 (12) ◽

pp. 2403-2412 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Daniel M. Kashian ◽

Rebecca M. Jackson ◽

Heather D. Lyons

Keyword(s):

Pinus Contorta ◽

Mountain Pine Beetle ◽

Stand Structure ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Climate Change Scenarios ◽

Cone Production ◽

Mountain Pine ◽

Large Trees ◽

Pine Beetle ◽

The 1960S

Extensive outbreaks of the mountain pine beetle ( Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) will alter the structure of many stands that will likely be attacked again before experiencing a stand-replacing fire. We examined a stand of lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Watson) in Grand Teton National Park currently experiencing a moderate-level outbreak and previously attacked by mountain pine beetle in the 1960s. Consistent with published studies, tree diameter was the main predictor of beetle attack on a given tree, large trees were preferentially attacked, and tree vigor, age, and cone production were unimportant variables for beetle attack at epidemic levels. Small trees killed in the stand were killed based mainly on their proximity to large trees and were likely spatially aggregated with large trees as a result of the previous outbreak. We concluded that the driving factors of beetle attack and their spatial patterns are consistent across outbreak severities but that stand structure altered by the previous outbreak had implications for the current outbreaks in the same location. This study should catalyze additional research that examines how beetle-altered stand structure affects future outbreaks — an important priority for predicting their impacts under climate change scenarios that project increases in outbreak frequency and extent.

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