scholarly journals Allometric Model Development in Lodgepole Pine Forests of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

2004 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 70-74
Author(s):  
Daniel Tinker ◽  
Rick Arcano
Keyword(s):  
Forest Structure ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Belowground Biomass ◽  
Allometric Equations ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem ◽  
Pine Trees ◽  
Greater Yellowstone

Changes in climatic patterns in western North America may modify natural fire regimes, resulting in alterations in forest structure and productivity (Amiro et al. 2000). More frequent fues would create substantial landscape-scale heterogeneity and, consequently, variability in how individual trees and stands allocate biomass in response to the differences in forest structure (Chapin et al. 2002; Turner et al. 2004). For example, in the lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia [Engelm. ex Wats.] Critchfield) forests of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), recent and historic fires have created a complex mosaic of forest stand structures and aboveground net primary production (NPP) (Turner et al. 1997, 2004). The quantification of forest structure and function at large spatial scales requires accurate measurements of aboveground and belowground tree biomass. Allometric equations for estimating above­ and belowground biomass of lodgepole pine have been developed in Alberta, Canada, southeastern British Columbia, southeastern WY, and in Washington and Oregon (Johnstone 1971; Comeau and Kimmins 1989; Pearson et al. 1984; Gholz et al. (1979, respectively). More recently, allometric equations for young lodgepole pine saplings have also been developed in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) for aboveground biomass by Turner et al. (2004), and for belowground biomass by Litton et al. (2003). However, because of variability in latitude, growing conditions, substrate and climate, existing equations that predict biomass for mature lodgepole pine trees are not appropriate for use in the GYE, and new allometric equations specific for the GYE are needed. In this study, we will develop new allometric equations for predicting above- and belowground biomass in mature lodgepole pine forests of the GYE. The specific objectives of this study were to: (1) develop allometric models for predicting above and belowground biomass of mature lodgepole pine trees in the GYE, and determine how these equations differ with stand density and age; (2) compare and contrast allometric equations developed in this study to allometric equations developed in other locations to determine applicability across geographic loc-ations independent of forest structure.

scholarly journals Allometric Model Development in Lodgepole Pine Forests of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

2005 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 115-119
Author(s):  
Daniel Tinker ◽  
Rick Arcano
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Belowground Biomass ◽  
Allometric Equations ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem ◽  
Pine Trees ◽  
Greater Yellowstone ◽  
Growing Conditions

Allometric equations for estimating above­ and belowground biomass of lodgepole pine have been developed in Alberta, Canada, southeastern British Columbia, southeastern WY, and in Washington and Oregon (Johnstone 1971; Comeau and Kimmins 1989; Pearson et al. 1984; Gholz et al. 1979, respectively). More recently, allometric equations for young lodgepole pine saplings have also been developed in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) for aboveground biomass by Turner et al. (2004), and for belowground biomass by Litton et al. (2003). However, because of variability in latitude, growing conditions, substrate and climate, existing equations that predict biomass for mature lodgepole pine trees are not appropriate for use in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), and new allometric equations specific for the GYE are needed. In this study, we will develop new allometric equations for predicting above- and belowground biomass in mature lodgepole pine forests of the GYE.

scholarly journals Bark Beetles, Fuels, Fire Potential and Nitrogen Cycling in Contrasting Conifer Forests of Greater Yellowstone

2011 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 171-176
Author(s):  
Monica Turner ◽  
Jacob Griffin ◽  
Philip Townsend ◽  
Martin Simard ◽  
Brian Harvey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Cycling ◽  
Bark Beetle ◽  
Bark Beetles ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Greater Yellowstone

Recent increases in insect and fire activity throughout the western US have presented forest managers with formidable challenges. The extent and severity of bark beetle (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) epidemics have reached unprecedented levels, and the number of large, severe fires continues to increase. These trends are expected to continue because climate change is implicated for both disturbances. Insects and fire have tremendous ecological and economic effects in western forests, yet surprisingly little is known about how fire hazard may change following bark beetle epidemics, and the efficacy of alternative forest management practices (e.g., removal of beetle-killed trees or remaining small trees) designed to reduce future fire hazard is largely unknown. We are employing a combination of field studies, remote sensing and simulation modeling to understand how bark beetle infestation affects fire hazard in two widespread but contrasting forest types, lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir forests are key components of Rocky Mountain landscapes, and both are experiencing extensive and severe bark beetle outbreaks. Published research on beetle effects on fire in lodgepole pine forests is inconclusive, and almost no studies have examined Douglas-fir. We hypothesize that differences in fire regime, stand structure, regeneration potential and decomposition of woody fuels lead to important differences in fuel profiles, fire hazard and, in turn, the effectiveness of alternative mitigation strategies in lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir. We also anticipate that ecosystem responses, especially nitrogen cycling, to beetle attack will differ between these two forest types. Our studies are being conducted in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, and the Bridger-Teton and Shoshone National Forests within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), where we build on >20 years of research and our recent studies of bark beetles and fire in lodgepole pine forests. During the summer of 2010, we conducted a significant portion of the field component of the project, measuring stand structure and fuel profiles in a chronosequence of Douglas-fir forests of differing time since beetle attack (TSB), and also measuring burn severity and forest regeneration following a 2008 fire that burned a recently beetle-attacked forest. Data analyses are ongoing and results will be forthcoming.

scholarly journals Predicting wood stiffness of lodgepole pine trees using acoustic tools and green density

2021 ◽  
Vol 97 (01) ◽  
pp. 52-64
Author(s):  
James D. Stewart ◽  
Ross Koppenaal ◽  
Antoine Lalumière ◽  
Roger J. Whitehead
Keyword(s):  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Wood Properties ◽  
Tree Level ◽  
Green Density ◽  
Destructive Testing ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Wood Stiffness ◽  
Measurement Tools ◽  
Pine Trees

Upstream identification of wood properties using non-destructive testing methods such as acoustic velocity (AV) measurements is important for optimizing allocation of wood to mills or products. We evaluated the effectiveness of field AV measurement tools in predicting lodgepole pine wood stiffness (modulus of elasticity, MOE) as measured by Silviscan on wood samples. AV was measured on trees and logs from six sites in Alberta and British Columbia. We evaluated the effect on MOE estimation of calculating averages of the adjustment factor k and of green density (GD) at different spatial scales from individual tree to population. The effect of using forest inventory variables on MOE prediction were also examined. Prediction of tree-level MOE from tree-level measurements of AV, k and GD resulted in R2 values of 0.59. Using estimates of k and GD averaged at plot, site or population scales significantly diminished the R2 of the MOE predictions at tree level. Predicting MOE at plot or stand level from corresponding averages of AV, k and GD gave R2 values >0.8. Including inventory variables in tree-level MOE predictions increased the R2 to 0.62. AV measurements can give operationally useful estimates of MOE in lodgepole pine trees at the stand level.

scholarly journals Bark Beetles, Fuels, and Short-Interval Fires in Douglas-Fir and Lodgepole Pine Forests of Greater Yellowstone

2011 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. 161-165
Author(s):  
Monica Turner ◽  
William Romme ◽  
Brian Harvey ◽  
Daniel Donato
Keyword(s):  
Bark Beetle ◽  
Bark Beetles ◽  
Forest Regeneration ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Regeneration Potential ◽  
Postfire Regeneration ◽  
Greater Yellowstone

Recent increases in insect and fire activity throughout the western US have presented forest managers with formidable challenges. The extent and severity of bark beetle (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) epidemics have reached unprecedented levels, and the frequency of large, severe fires continues to increase. These trends are expected to continue because climate change is implicated for both disturbances. Insects and fire have tremendous ecological and economic effects in western forests, yet surprisingly little is known about how fire hazard may change following bark beetle epidemics, and how changing fire regimes may potentially alter forests of Greater Yellowstone. We are employing a combination of field studies, remote sensing and simulation modeling to understand how bark beetle infestation affects fire hazard in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests. The Douglas-fir type is a key component of Rocky Mountain landscapes, and is experiencing extensive and severe bark beetle outbreaks. However, almost no studies have examined Douglas-fir. We hypothesized that differences in fire regime, stand structure, regeneration potential and decomposition of woody fuels lead to important differences in fuel profiles, fire hazard and, in turn, the effectiveness of alternative mitigation strategies in Douglas-fir. Our studies are being conducted in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, and the Bridger-Teton and Shoshone National Forests within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), where we build on >20 years of research and our recent studies of bark beetles and fire in lodgepole pine forests. During the summer of 2011, we conducted a significant portion of the field component of the project, collecting ancillary data in our previously measured chronosequence of Douglas-fir forests of differing time since beetle attack (TSB), and measuring burn severity and forest regeneration following a 2008 fire that burned a recently beetle-attacked Douglas-fir forest on the Shoshone National Forest. We also sampled forest regeneration and dead wood biomass following a short (28-year) interval ‘reburn’ in lodgepole pine forests to test whether reduced seed sources associated with younger trees at the time of burning might reduce postfire regeneration potential. Data analyses are ongoing and results will be forthcoming.

Ectomycorrhizal fungi of whitebark pine (a tree in peril) revealed by sporocarps and molecular analysis of mycorrhizae from treeline forests in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Botany ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine R. Mohatt ◽  
Cathy L. Cripps ◽  
Matt Lavin
Keyword(s):  
Mountain Pine Beetle ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem ◽  
Whitebark Pine ◽  
Cenococcum Geophilum ◽  
Ecm Fungi ◽  
Greater Yellowstone

Whitebark pine ( Pinus albicaulis Engelm.) is unique as the only stone pine in North America. This species has declined 40%–90% throughout its range owing to blister rust infection, mountain pine beetle, fire suppression, and global climate change. However, intact mature and old growth forests still exist in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) at high timberline elevations. This study addresses the urgent need to discover the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi critical to this tree species before forests are further reduced. A study of mature whitebark pine forests across five mountain ranges in the Northern GYE confirmed 32 ECM species of fungi with the pine by sporocarp occurrence in pure stands or by identification of mycorrhizae with ITS-matching. Boletales and Cortinariales ( Cortinarius ) comprise 50% of the species diversity discovered. In Boletales, Suillus subalpinus M.M. Moser (with stone pines), Suillus sibericus Singer (stone pines), Rhizopogon evadens A.H. Sm. (five-needle pines), Rhizopogon spp. (pines) and a semi-secotioid Chroogomphus sp. (pines) are restricted to the hosts listed and are not likely to occur with other high elevation conifers in the GYE. The ascomycete generalist, Cenococcum geophilum Fr., was the most frequent (64%) and abundant (51%) ECM fungus on seedling roots, as previously reported for high elevation spruce-fir and lower elevation lodgepole pine forests in the GYE. The relative importance of the basidiomycete specialists and the ascomycete generalist to whitebark pine (and for seedling establishment) is not known, however this study is the first step in delineating the ECM fungi associated with this pine in peril.

scholarly journals Spatial patterns and sources of atmospheric nitrogen deposition in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Wyoming determined from lichens

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 51-57
Author(s):  
David G. Williams ◽  
Abigail S. Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Scales ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem ◽  
Agricultural Activity ◽  
N Saturation ◽  
Anthropogenic Nitrogen ◽  
Greater Yellowstone ◽  
Photo Collection ◽  
N Incorporation ◽  
Future Work

Increased anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition can lead to N saturation of ecosystems, altering water quality, biogeochemical cycling and biodiversity. Although some N deposition (Ndep) is natural, there has been an increase of Ndep in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), largely due to local and regional intensification of agricultural activity, which releases ammonia (NHx), and transportation and industrial processes, which release nitrogen oxides (NOx). The climate, topography, and sources of Ndep in the region likely create heterogeneous patterns of Ndep in the GYE, where nutrient-limited alpine ecosystems are especially susceptible to Ndep. Epiphytic lichens obtain their nutrients from the air and record local scale patterns of Ndep. We collected 162 lichen samples (Usnea lapponica and Letharia vulpina) and analyzed them for %N and δ15N at 15 sites in the GYE to understand patterns and sources of Ndep in the GYE at small spatial scales. We found that lichen \%N was higher closer to the Snake River Plains and at higher elevations, which indicates higher deposition at those sites. This is likely because N is more likely to be deposited closer to major sources and because N is often deposited in precipitation so deposition patterns follow precipitation patterns. Additionally, the mean δ15N value was -11.8 ± 3.2‰, which suggests an agricultural source of Ndep, but δ15N values increased with higher %N, which indicated sites with high deposition were receiving more N from combustion sources. However, the large amount of variation in lichens collected at a single site suggest that future work needs to address how microhabitat factors influence lichen N incorporation.   Featured photo by Kathryn Robertson, taken from the AMK Ranch photo collection.

scholarly journals Evidence for Ecosystem-Level Trophic Cascade Effects Involving Gulf Menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) Triggered by the Deepwater Horizon Blowout

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 190
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Short ◽  
Christine Voss ◽  
Maria Vozzo ◽  
Vincent Guillory ◽  
Harold Geiger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Mississippi River ◽  
Trophic Cascade ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
Predator Species ◽  
Brevoortia Patronus

Unprecedented recruitment of Gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) followed the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout (DWH). The foregone consumption of Gulf menhaden, after their many predator species were killed by oiling, increased competition among menhaden for food, resulting in poor physiological conditions and low lipid content during 2011 and 2012. Menhaden sampled for length and weight measurements, beginning in 2011, exhibited the poorest condition around Barataria Bay, west of the Mississippi River, where recruitment of the 2010 year class was highest. Trophodynamic comparisons indicate that ~20% of net primary production flowed through Gulf menhaden prior to the DWH, increasing to ~38% in 2011 and ~27% in 2012, confirming the dominant role of Gulf menhaden in their food web. Hyperabundant Gulf menhaden likely suppressed populations of their zooplankton prey, suggesting a trophic cascade triggered by increased menhaden recruitment. Additionally, low-lipid menhaden likely became “junk food” for predators, further propagating adverse effects. We posit that food web analyses based on inappropriate spatial scales for dominant species, or solely on biomass, provide insufficient indication of the ecosystem consequences of oiling injury. Including such cascading and associated indirect effects in damage assessment models will enhance the ability to anticipate and estimate ecosystem damage from, and provide recovery guidance for, major oil spills.

scholarly journals Spore Dispersal by Dothistroma septosporum in Northwest British Columbia

2015 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kennedy Boateng ◽  
Kathy J. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Summer Precipitation ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Spore Dispersal ◽  
Mixed Species ◽  
Inoculum Sources ◽  
Pine Trees ◽  
Dothistroma Septosporum ◽  
Needle Blight

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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