Isolation and identification of endophytic diazotrophs from lodgepole pine trees growing at unreclaimed gravel mining pits in central interior British Columbia, Canada

We studied spore dispersal by Dothistroma septosporum, causal agent of a serious outbreak of red band needle blight in lodgepole pine plantations in northwest British Columbia. Spore abundance was assessed at different distances and heights from inoculum sources and microclimatic factors were recorded during two consecutive years. Conidia were observed on spore traps from June to September during periods of rainfall. It was rare to detect spores more than 2 m away from inoculum sources. The timing and number of conidia dispersed were strongly tied to the climatic variables, particularly rainfall and leaf wetness. Should the trend toward increased spring and summer precipitation in the study area continue, the results suggest that disease spread and intensification will also increase. Increasing the planting distances between lodgepole pine trees through mixed species plantations and overall reduction in use of lodgepole pine for regeneration in wet areas are the best strategies to reduce the spread of the disease and enhance future productivity of plantations in the study area.

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Endophytic nitrogen fixation – a possible ‘hidden’ source of nitrogen for lodgepole pine trees growing at unreclaimed gravel mining sites

FEMS Microbiology Ecology ◽

10.1093/femsec/fiz172 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 95 (11) ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Kiran Preet Padda ◽

Akshit Puri ◽

Chris Chanway

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Fixation ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Nifh Gene ◽

Control Treatment ◽

Nitrogen Fixing ◽

Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria ◽

Mining Sites ◽

Greenhouse Study ◽

Gravel Mining ◽

Pine Trees

ABSTRACT Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) trees have been thriving on unreclaimed gravel mining sites in British Columbia, Canada, with tissue nitrogen-content and growth-rate unaffected by extremely low soil nitrogen-levels. This indicates that pine trees could be accessing a hidden nitrogen source to fulfill their nitrogen requirements – possibly via endophytic nitrogen-fixation. Endophytic bacteria originally isolated from native pine trees growing at gravel sites were selected (n = 14) for in vitro nitrogen-fixation assays and a year long greenhouse study to test the overall hypothesis that naturally occurring endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacteria sustain pine tree growth under nitrogen-limited conditions. Each of the 14 bacteria colonized the internal tissues of pine trees in the greenhouse study and fixed significant amounts of nitrogen from atmosphere (23%–53%) after one year as estimated through 15N isotope dilution assay. Bacterial inoculation also significantly enhanced the length (31%–64%) and biomass (100%–311%) of pine seedlings as compared to the non-inoculated control treatment. In addition, presence of the nifH gene was confirmed in all 14 bacteria. Our results support the possibility that pine trees associate with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, capable of endophytic colonization, to survive at unreclaimed gravel mining pits and this association could potentially be utilized for effective reclamation of highly disturbed sites in a sustainable manner.

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Long-term effect of inoculating lodgepole pine seedlings with plant growth-promoting bacteria originating from disturbed gravel mining ecosystem

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/cjfr-2020-0333 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kiran Preet Padda ◽

Akshit Puri ◽

Christopher Chanway

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Tree Regeneration ◽

Lytic Enzyme ◽

Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria ◽

Bacterial Strains ◽

Acetic Acid Production ◽

Gravel Mining ◽

Pine Seedlings ◽

Pine Trees

Gravel mining is prevalent in forest landscapes of Canada, typically resulting in complete loss of vegetation and topsoil. Despite such extreme disturbance, lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) trees are thriving at unreclaimed gravel pits located in central-interior British Columbia, possibly due, at least in part, to the association of pine trees with their endophytic bacteria. Testing this possibility, several bacterial strains were previously isolated from pine trees growing at these pits, of which 14 were identified as effective nitrogen-fixers. In this study, we evaluated the inoculation effect of these 14 strains on lodgepole pine growth under nitrogen-poor conditions. Each strain colonized the rhizosphere and internal tissues of pine seedlings and significantly enhanced their length (24–65%) and biomass (100–300%), 18 months after sowing and inoculation. Notably, three Pseudomonas strains increased pine seedling length by 1.6-fold and biomass by 4-fold. Most strains also demonstrated substantial potential to promote plant growth via phosphorus solubilization, siderophore production, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase activity, indole-3-acetic acid production, lytic enzyme activity and catalase activity. Our results suggest that such effective bacteria could be sustaining pine growth on bare gravel, indicating a possible ecological association that may explain natural tree regeneration in such a disturbed ecosystem.

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Soil properties and lodgepole pine growth on rehabilitated landings in northeastern British Columbia

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/s03-013 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 83 (4) ◽

pp. 465-474 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

C. E. Bulmer ◽

M. Krzic

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Clay Content ◽

Exchange Capacity ◽

Soil Productivity ◽

Mechanical Resistance ◽

Average Height ◽

Water Storage Capacity ◽

Pine Trees

We determined post-establishment tree growth and soil properties on rehabilitated log landings and forest plantation sites with medium texture in northeastern British Columbia. Six years after rehabilitation treatments were applied, 60% of rehabilitated landing plots had more than 1000 stems ha-1, while 17% had fewer than 600 stems ha-1. The average height of undamaged lodgepole pine trees on rehabilitated landings was consistently lower than for trees of the same age on plantations. Surface (0–7 cm) and subsurface (10–17 cm) soil bulk densities were higher for rehabilitated landings than for adjacent plantations. Rehabilitated landing and plantation soils had similar values of total and aeration porosity. Plantation soils had higher available water storage capacity (AWSC) than rehabilitated soils. Soil mechanical resistance after landing rehabilitation was often higher than for plantation soils at the same depth. Soils on both rehabilitated landings and plantations showed an increase in mechanical resistance from June to September 2001. With the exception of June 2001, soil mechanical resistance after landing rehabilitation was often higher than 2500 kPa. For surface mineral soils, there were no differences in total C, N, or cation exchange capacity (CEC) between rehabilitated landings and plantations. Rehabilitated landing soils had significantly higher total C and N at 10–17 cm depth than plantation soils, which coincided with higher clay content for the landing subsoils. Key words: Forest soil rehabilitation, soil degradation, soil productivity, soil conservation

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Chemosystematic studies in the genus Pinus. V. Variation in the leaf oil terpene composition of young and old lodgepole pine trees from different moisture regimes near Prince George, British Columbia

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x85-130 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 15 (5) ◽

pp. 801-808 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

E. Von Rudloff ◽

Martin S. Lapp ◽

R. G. McMinn

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Volatile Oil ◽

Provenance Trials ◽

Moisture Regimes ◽

Pine Trees ◽

Leaf Oil ◽

Natural Stands ◽

Old Trees ◽

Resin Canals

The leaf oil terpene composition of lodgepole pine stands from contrasting moisture regimes (400–1200 mm precipitation) within upland and bog sites in the Prince George area of central British Columbia was investigated. In addition to the terpene patterns recorded previously, a new one with relatively high percentages (5–28%) of the terpinene group was found. This pattern was encountered mainly in old trees with very low yields (less than 0.1%) of volatile oil, especially in trees from shaded stands. The absence of resin canals in the leaves of such trees may be the reason for the low yields, but the reason for the link with relatively high terpinene group percentages is obscure. Young trees growing in the vicinity of such stands had mainly the normal patterns. No differences between upland and bog sites or dry and wet sites were found in young trees. Hence, old trees from bogs or wet sites east of Prince George provided progeny with the normal terpene patterns, even though many of the old trees have the new terpene pattern. Samples from two 12- to 13-year-old provenance trials originating from west and east of Prince George had terpene patterns similar to those of the young trees from the natural stands.

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Carbon storage recovery in surviving lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) 11 years after mountain pine beetle attack in northern British Columbia, Canada

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/cjfr-2019-0394 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 50 (12) ◽

pp. 1383-1390

Author(s):

Jesse McEwen ◽

Arthur L. Fredeen ◽

Thomas G. Pypker ◽

Vanessa N. Foord ◽

T. Andrew Black ◽

...

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Eddy Covariance ◽

Pinus Contorta ◽

Mountain Pine Beetle ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Growth Release ◽

C Storage ◽

Pine Beetle ◽

Pine Trees ◽

Highly Correlated

We studied the recovery of tree- and stand-level carbon (C) storage in a lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) forest in northern British Columbia that experienced substantial (∼83%) mortality in 2006–2007 (total loss by 2013 = 86%) during a severe mountain pine beetle (MPB; Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, 1902) infestation. Earlier work suggested that this forest recovered positive annual C storage 3 years after attack based on eddy covariance measurements. We sought to confirm these results by examining C storage in surviving pine trees using tree core analysis. Average growth release of surviving lodgepole pine trees was 392% (range of –53% to 2326%) compared with mean decadal growth prior to MPB attack. Nearly 97% of trees underwent a growth release, considerably higher than the 15%–75% reported for lodgepole pine in previous studies. Mean annual stem C storage of the surviving trees in this study was highly correlated (r = 0.88) with 10 years of annual net ecosystem productivity estimates made using the eddy covariance technique, indicating that surviving lodgepole pine remain an important part of C recovery after MPB attack. Mean annual stem C storage was also highly correlated (r = 0.92) with the cumulative percentage of downed stems per hectare at the site, suggesting that increased availability of resources is likely assisting the growth release.

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Predicted impacts of hard pine stem rusts on lodgepole pine dominated stands in central British Columbia

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x99-236 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 30 (3) ◽

pp. 476-481 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Alex J Woods ◽

Albert Nussbaum ◽

Bill Golding

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Pinus Contorta ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Stand Density ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Volume Loss ◽

Annual Increment ◽

Yield Model ◽

Blister Rust ◽

Pine Trees

We developed two models to predict volume loss due to western gall rust (Endocronartium harknessii (J.P. Moore) Y. Hiratsuka) and comandra blister rust (Cronartium comandrae Peck) on juvenile lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud.) dominated stands in central British Columbia. The models suggest that volume loss is significantly and positively correlated to the incidence of comandra blister rust. The relationship between volume loss and western gall rust incidence was weak. The addition of stand density data improved the statistical fit of the model. We used the growth and yield model Tree and stand simulator (TASS) to predict volume at culmination age (age at which the merchantable mean annual increment was maximized) in thirty 1-ha stem-mapped stands. The lodgepole pine trees we stem mapped were also assessed for hard pine stem rust incidence. We developed our volume loss functions assuming that trees with stem infections of both comandra blister rust and western gall rust were lethal, and that infected trees would die from ages 21 to 40. In areas where comandra blister rust is common, the losses due to the disease can be considerable. We predict that the volume losses due to hard pine stem rusts in lodgepole pine dominated stands are as high as 7.2% by culmination age.

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Lodgepole pine and trembling aspen competition: Neighbourhood studies within 22 to 39 year-old pine plantations of northern British Columbia

The Forestry Chronicle ◽

10.5558/tfc2017-031 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 93 (03) ◽

pp. 226-240

Author(s):

by George Harper

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Nonlinear Models ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Pine Plantations ◽

Competition Intensity ◽

Stand Productivity ◽

Nearest Neighbours ◽

Pine Trees ◽

Linear And Nonlinear ◽

Competition Indices

Six lodgepole pine plantations located within the Sub Boreal Spruce (SBS) biogeoclimatic zone of the northern interior of British Columbia were chosen to study the impacts of neighbourhood aspen competition on the growth of planted lodgepole pine (22–39 years old). At each site, 30 pine trees (CP) were selected as plot centres across the observed range of aspen competition. Information on the six nearest neighbours (NN) and a variety of competition indices were evaluated using linear and nonlinear models. Competition indices based on diameter or height relative to size were found as the best overall predictors of CP growth. Proximity of NN to the CP was found to be inconsistent as a predictor of growth. Individual pine and aspen NN modelling suggested aspen competition had the greatest influence on CP growth restriction. The results do not support aspen thresholds for optimizing the growth of free growing pine plantations. It is recommended that performance-based standards be developed that account for aspen competition intensity and provide guidance for the management of pine stand productivity.

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Spiral phyllotaxis of needle fascicles on branches and scales on cones in Pinus contorta var. latifolia: Are they influenced by wood-grain spiral?

Canadian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1139/b02-002 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 80 (2) ◽

pp. 166-175 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Arthur L Fredeen ◽

Jeanne A Horning ◽

Robert W Madill

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Pinus Contorta ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Fibonacci Numbers ◽

Rocky Mountain ◽

Mature Trees ◽

Grain Angle ◽

Pine Trees ◽

Wood Grain ◽

The Relationship

Neither the relationship between the chirality of spiral phyllotaxis and spiral wood grain nor the cause or ontogeny of such a relationship has been examined previously. To this end, chirality of the spiral in phyllotaxis of needle fascicles and cone scales were contrasted with wood-grain spiral in seedlings, young, and mature trees of Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) in central British Columbia. To assess chirality of phyllotaxis, the relationship between numbers of contact parastichies and chirality of phyllotaxis in scales on cones and needle fascicles on branchlets was determined. Three or 8 clockwise acropetal contact parastichies were indicative of a clockwise generative spiral, while totals of 2, 5, or 13 clockwise acropetal parastichies were indicative of a counter-clockwise generative spiral. Lodgepole pine trees were nearly always chimeric, i.e., having clockwise and counter-clockwise phyllotaxis on the same individual, but there was a high overall correspondence between the chirality of phyllotaxis in cone scales and subtending needle fascicles. Seedlings (<1.5 years old) had no measurable wood-grain angle and clockwise and counter-clockwise phyllotaxis occurred in equal proportions. However, young trees (1315 years since planting) had a pronounced clockwise bias to their wood-grain spiral in contrast with a counter-clockwise bias in phyllotaxis. In contrast, mature trees ([Formula: see text]100 years old) had the reverse trend and exhibited a counter-clockwise bias in wood-grain spiral but a clockwise bias in phyllotaxis. A model is proposed to explain how chirality of spiral wood grain could generate an inverse bias in the chirality of phyllotaxis in lodgepole pine.Key words: lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta var. latifolia, phyllotaxis, generative spiral, Fibonacci numbers, spiral wood grain.

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Variation in lodgepole pine (Pinuscontorta var. latifolia): greenhouse response of wind pollinated families from five populations to day length and temperature–soil

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x78-014 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 81-89 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

David A. Perry ◽

James E. Lotan

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Site Index ◽

Day Length ◽

Temperature Regimes ◽

Pine Trees ◽

Closed Cone ◽

Cool Treatment ◽

Two Temperature

Seeds were collected from 10 lodgepole pine trees in each of five stands located in Utah, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and British Columbia. Seeds were planted and seedlings grown in four day-length regimes (14, 15.5, 16.5, and 22 h) in each of two temperature regimes (warm and cool). Soils used in the warm and cool treatment were slightly different. Height and dry weight were recorded.Variability among families within populations was considerably greater than that among populations. If interactions between families of the two cone types (open and closed) are removed, correlation between among-family variance and differential family response to day length and temperature–soil treatments is strong for dry weight (r2 = 0.96), and less strong for height (r2 = 0.51). Families from open- and closed-cone mothers did not have different heights and dry weights, but in at least some of the populations were different in the degree of among-family variability.Correlation between greenhouse and 5th-year heights of field planted seedlings was poor for individual families, but good (r2 = 0.92) for mean population heights. Correlation between 5th-year mean population heights and site index of the parent stand was also good (r2 = 0.89).

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