Long-Term Seedfall, Establishment, Survival, and Growth of Natural and Planted Ponderosa Pine in the Colorado Front Range

Abstract Seedfall, natural regeneration establishment, and growth of planted seedlings was observed from 1981 to 2001 under shelterwood and seedtree overstories in a replicated study in ponderosa pine in the Manitou Experimental Forest in the Colorado Front Range. Good seed crops were produced only every 4 to 6 years, with almost no viable seed produced in intervening years. With seed predation, only 14% of total seedfall was available for germination. Shelterwood overstories containing between 6 and 14 m2 ha−1 stem basal area over scarified seedbeds provided optimal conditions for natural seedling establishment. Survival and growth of planted seedlings was much better than that of natural seedlings. However, poor survival and slow initial growth may require many years to establish a fully stocked forest of natural seedlings.

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Effects of ozone and climate on ponderosa pine (Pinusponderosa) growth in the Colorado Rocky Mountains

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x93-221 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 23 (9) ◽

pp. 1750-1759 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

David L. Peterson ◽

Michael J. Arbaugh ◽

Lindsay J. Robinson

Keyword(s):

Ponderosa Pine ◽

Rocky Mountains ◽

Basal Area ◽

Dominant Factor ◽

Front Range ◽

Growth Trends ◽

Second Growth ◽

Colorado Rocky Mountains ◽

Highly Correlated

Long-term radial growth trends of ponderosa pine (Pinusponderosa var. scopulorum) were studied in second-growth stands in the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains to determine if there has been any impact from oxidant air pollution. Although ozone concentrations are relatively high at some locations, visible pollutant injury was not found in any trees. Time series of basal area increments are generally homogeneous within stands. Concurrent periods of increasing and decreasing growth can be found in stands throughout the Front Range, which indicates that there are temporal growth trends at the regional level. Most of these trends appear to be related to the effects of stand dynamics and climate. Correlation analysis with climatic variables indicates that soil moisture supply is the dominant factor controlling interannual variation of basal area growth. Palmer hydrological drought index is highly correlated (positively) with growth during the summer months; total precipitation in spring is positively correlated with growth, and mean temperature in spring is negatively correlated with growth. There are no recent changes in growth trends that might be associated with elevated levels of ambient ozone in the Front Range.

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Long-term variability and source signature of gases emitted from oil & natural gas and cattle feedlot operations in the Colorado Front range

Atmospheric Environment ◽

10.1016/j.atmosenv.2021.118663 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 118663

Author(s):

I. Ortega ◽

J.W. Hannigan ◽

R.R. Buchholz ◽

G. Pfister

Keyword(s):

Natural Gas ◽

Colorado Front Range ◽

Front Range ◽

Cattle Feedlot

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BREEDING BIOLOGY OF THE CHIPPING SPARROW IN PONDEROSA PINE FORESTS OF THE COLORADO FRONT RANGE

The Wilson Bulletin ◽

10.1676/03-105 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 116 (3) ◽

pp. 246-251 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

HEATHER M. SWANSON ◽

BREANNA KINNEY ◽

ALEXANDER CRUZ

Keyword(s):

Ponderosa Pine ◽

Breeding Biology ◽

Pine Forests ◽

Colorado Front Range ◽

Front Range ◽

Ponderosa Pine Forests

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A field experiment informs expected patterns of conifer regeneration after disturbance under changing climate conditions

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/cjfr-2015-0033 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 45 (11) ◽

pp. 1607-1616 ◽

Cited By ~ 44

Author(s):

Monica T. Rother ◽

Thomas T. Veblen ◽

Luke G. Furman

Keyword(s):

Field Experiment ◽

Pinus Ponderosa ◽

Ponderosa Pine ◽

Douglas Fir ◽

Tree Regeneration ◽

Colorado Front Range ◽

Front Range ◽

Average Growth ◽

Growth And Survival ◽

Treatment Type

Climate change may inhibit tree regeneration following disturbances such as wildfire, altering post-disturbance vegetation trajectories. We implemented a field experiment to examine the effects of manipulations of temperature and water on ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex P. Lawson & C. Lawson) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) seedlings planted in a low-elevation, recently disturbed setting of the Colorado Front Range. We implemented four treatments: warmed only (Wm), watered only (Wt), warmed and watered (WmWt), and control (Co). We found that measures of growth and survival varied significantly by treatment type. Average growth and survival was highest in the Wt plots, followed by the Co, WmWt, and Wm plots, respectively. This general trend was observed for both conifer species, although average growth and survival was generally higher in ponderosa pine than in Douglas-fir. Our findings suggest that warming temperatures and associated drought are likely to inhibit post-disturbance regeneration of ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir in low-elevation forests of the Colorado Front Range and that future vegetation composition and structure may differ notably from historic patterns in some areas. Our findings are relevant to other forested ecosystems in which a warming climate may similarly inhibit regeneration by dominant tree species.

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Douglas-Fir Tussock Moth- and Douglas-Fir Beetle-Caused Mortality in a Ponderosa Pine/Douglas-Fir Forest in the Colorado Front Range, USA

Forests ◽

10.3390/f5123131 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 5 (12) ◽

pp. 3131-3146 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

José Negrón ◽

Ann Lynch ◽

Willis Schaupp ◽

Javier Mercado

Keyword(s):

Ponderosa Pine ◽

Douglas Fir ◽

Colorado Front Range ◽

Front Range ◽

Tussock Moth

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A multiple-scale assessment of long-term aspen persistence and elevational range shifts in the Colorado Front Range

Ecological Monographs ◽

10.1890/15-1195.1 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 86 (2) ◽

pp. 244-260 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Mario Bretfeld ◽

Scott B. Franklin ◽

Robert K. Peet

Keyword(s):

Multiple Scale ◽

Range Shifts ◽

Colorado Front Range ◽

Front Range ◽

Scale Assessment ◽

Elevational Range

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Post-fire soil fluxes of CO2, CH4 and N2O along the Colorado Front Range

International Journal of Wildland Fire ◽

10.1071/wf09135 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 20 (7) ◽

pp. 838 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Mark A. Gathany ◽

Ingrid C. Burke

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Ponderosa Pine ◽

Fire Severity ◽

Colorado Front Range ◽

Front Range ◽

Soil Co2 Flux ◽

Ponderosa Pine Forests ◽

Time Since Fire ◽

Wide Range ◽

Ch4 And N2o

Wildfires affect Rocky Mountain ecosystems across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Many of the resulting changes are greatest for environmental factors, such as substrate and microclimate that control exchanges of greenhouse gases. We investigated this link to understand how time since fire influences the cycling of these gases through ponderosa pine forests. We measured and compared trace gas flux rates between recently burned sites and topographical aspects (north- and south-facing slopes). We calculated the ability of five factors (soil temperature, soil moisture, fire severity, aspect and time since fire) to describe the variability in the flux rates. Our study revealed that carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes were significantly different between sites; however, methane (CH4) uptake was not different between sites or aspects. Nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes had a significant interaction between site and aspect. Using a likelihood approach, we determined the strength of support in the data for model combinations of five variables. Of these, the single variable models soil moisture, time since fire and severity best described the CO2, CH4, and N2O flux data respectively. Our data show that following a forest fire in the Colorado Front Range, >98% of the global warming potential of the measured soil–atmosphere fluxes is contributed by the soil CO2 flux.

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