Wood density variation in naturally regenerated stands of Pinus ponderosa in northern Arizona, USA

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Damon Vaughan ◽  
David Auty ◽  
Thomas Kolb ◽  
Joseph Dahlen ◽  
Andrew J. Sánchez Meador ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wood Density ◽  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Wood Properties ◽  
Density Variation ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Stem Wood ◽  
Northern Arizona ◽  
Naturally Regenerated Stands

In the southwestern United States, land managers are implementing large-scale forest restoration projects involving treatments designed to improve forest health, protect ecosystem services, and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire in overstocked ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. & C. Laws.) forests. A better understanding of wood properties is necessary to improve the currently limited markets for the woody byproducts generated by these treatments. Therefore, our objective was to investigate variations in ponderosa pine wood density across the northern Arizona landscape. We sampled trees from 18 naturally regenerated stands and used X-ray densitometry to quantify the radial and axial variation within and among trees. We modeled within-stem wood density patterns using generalized additive models, and investigated the effects of climatic variation using response function analyses. Additionally, we tested the effects of site-level predictors on whole-tree wood density. We found high variability in radial wood density profiles among trees in our stands compared with that observed in studies of other species grown in plantations — perhaps due to high genetic variation within naturally regenerated stands. Wood density was negatively correlated with precipitation at annual and most quarterly intervals, except for a positive correlation with late-summer monsoon precipitation. The high wood density variation we found among trees highlights the need for further investigation of controls over wood properties in natural nonplantation forests.

scholarly journals Germination, Establishment, and Mortality of Naturally Seeded Southwestern Ponderosa Pine

2003 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. Stein ◽  
Diana N. Kimberling
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Mortality Factors ◽  
Seedling Mortality ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Northern Arizona ◽  
Lepidopteran Larvae

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.

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

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.

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

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (9) ◽  
pp. 862-871 ◽  
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.

Integrated system of equations for estimating stem volume, density, and biomass for Australian redcedar (Toona ciliata) plantations

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 681-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalino Calegario ◽  
Timothy G. Gregoire ◽  
Tatiane Antunes da Silva ◽  
Mario Tomazello Filho ◽  
Joyce A. Alves
Keyword(s):  
Wood Density ◽  
Nonlinear Function ◽  
Volume Density ◽  
Density Variation ◽  
Integrated System ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
System Of Equations ◽  
Stem Wood ◽  
Toona Ciliata ◽  
Density And Biomass

A system of equations is proposed to assess the stem wood density variation of Toona ciliata M. Roem. growing in Brazilian plantations. As a taper function, a third-degree polynomial was fitted and the stem radius squared (r2), the dependent variable, was estimated as a function of diameter at breast height (dbh), total height (ht), and radius (r) at height (h). A nonlinear function was fitted to estimate wood density variation, having as the independent variable the ratio of r to h. The stem mass was estimated by integrating the product of stem volume and wood density. Stem measurements from a group of 72 trees of T. ciliata were used to fit the taper equation. A group of six trees was selected and a wood density database was created using X-ray technology. Both the taper and the nonlinear functions performed well in estimating the radius and the wood density. The within-tree wood density systematically increased from pith to bark and from the base to the top of the tree. With the density varying from base to top, the estimated mass of the stem, compared with the mass estimated using wood density value at dbh, had a bias of 4.2%. When the density variations from base to top and from pith to bark of the tree were considered, the estimated mass had a bias of 1.5%.

scholarly journals Variation and Correlations Among Stem Growth and Wood Traits of Calycophyllum spruceanum Benth. from the Peruvian Amazon

2005 ◽  
Vol 54 (1-6) ◽  
pp. 31-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Weber ◽  
C. Sotelo Montes
Keyword(s):  
Wood Density ◽  
Heat Content ◽  
Wood Properties ◽  
International Markets ◽  
Stem Growth ◽  
Peruvian Amazon ◽  
Stem Wood ◽  
Farming Communities ◽  
Wood Traits ◽  
The Difference

Abstract Calycophyllum spruceanum Benth. is an important tree for timber and energy in the western Amazon, with expanding national and international markets for its wood. There is relatively little information, however, about geographic variation in tree growth and wood properties, and correlations among these traits. The first provenance trial was established with farming communities in the Peruvian Amazon. Seven provenances, sampled from regions near the equator, were tested in three planting zones located in one watershed. Variation and correlations were investigated in stem growth at 30 and 42 months, wood density (in the lower and upper parts of the stem) and mean heat content of stem wood at 32 months. Stem height varied significantly among provenances and planting zones, but zones accounted for much more variation than provenances. Stem wood traits did not vary significantly among provenances. Wood density was greater in the lower than in the upper stem. Wood density in the upper stem and the difference in density between the lower and upper stem varied significantly among planting zones: density in the upper stem was lowest, and the difference in density between the lower and upper stem was largest in the zone where trees grew most rapidly. Phenotypic correlations between stem growth and wood density differed in sign among planting zones, suggesting that selecting fastgrowing trees could indirectly reduce wood density in environments where trees grow slowly, and increase the difference in wood density between the lower and upper stem in environments where trees grow very rapidly. Correlations between stem growth and wood heat content were stable across zones, and indicated that larger trees tended to have wood with higher heat content. Stem-wood heat content varied with provenance latitude/ longitude in the sample region, but none of the other traits varied clinally. Results indicate that there is potential to select faster-growing provenances at an early age, but this could affect wood density in certain environments.

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

2017 ◽  
Vol 389 ◽  
pp. 395-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Huffman ◽  
Andrew J. Sánchez Meador ◽  
Michael T. Stoddard ◽  
Joseph E. Crouse ◽  
John P. Roccaforte
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Northern Arizona

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

Plant Disease ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-351 ◽  
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.

Modelling variation in wood stiffness of Pinus ponderosa using static bending and acoustic measurements

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damon Vaughan ◽  
David Auty ◽  
Joseph Dahlen ◽  
Andrew J Sánchez Meador ◽  
Kurt H Mackes
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Modulus Of Elasticity ◽  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Radial Profile ◽  
Standing Tree ◽  
Static Modulus ◽  
Wood Stiffness ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Static Modulus Of Elasticity

Abstract Wood removed in Southwestern US forest restoration treatments currently has limited markets and thus low value. One important property of wood in structural products is its stiffness (measured as modulus of elasticity), which is known to vary systematically within trees. Directly measuring wood stiffness is expensive, time consuming and destructive. Therefore, we tested samples of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum Engelm.) from northern Arizona destructively in bending and also non-destructively using acoustic velocity (AV) methods. In total, we tested multiple pith-to-bark small clear (2.54 × 2.54 × 40.64 cm) samples from up to four heights in 103 trees. We first measured the standing-tree AV of sample trees, then the AV of small clear samples, and finally measured wood stiffness using three point static bending tests. We found that a Michaelis–Menten curve was a good fit to the radial profile of wood stiffness, with a steep increase outward from the pith that approached an asymptote. The AV of small clear samples, coupled with measured volumetric density values, approximated the static modulus of elasticity values with high accuracy (r2 = 0.86). At the stand level, a model predicting standing tree AV from tree morphology fit the data well (r2 = 0.77). Results indicate that southwestern ponderosa pine contains outerwood with relatively high stiffness that could be suitable for structural products. However, when assessed using wood stiffness, the trees take a long time to reach maturity (~50 years) and thus the corewood proportion is large. AV measurements are a good way to assess variability within and among stands and thus could be employed to segregate the resource by expected stiffness values. Segregation could help identify stands not suitable for structural uses and direct them toward more appropriate products.

Ponderosa pine mortality following fire in northern Arizona

2003 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals First Report of Arceuthobium vaginatum subsp. cryptopodum on Pinus mugo

Plant Disease ◽  
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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