scholarly journals Designer Niches Promote Seedling Survival in Forest Restoration: A 7-Year Study of Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis) Seedlings in Waterton Lakes National Park

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathy Cripps ◽  
Genoa Alger ◽  
Robert Sissons
Keyword(s):  
Forest Restoration ◽  
National Park ◽  
Mountain Pine Beetle ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Pinus Albicaulis ◽  
Whitebark Pine ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Blister Rust ◽  
Waterton Lakes National Park

Designer niches in which environmental variables are controlled are useful in forest restoration to enhance survival of planted tree seedlings. Here, we evaluate particular manipulated habitats, on site variables, and pre-seedling conditions hypothesized to improve the survival rate of whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) seedlings out-planted in Waterton Lakes National Park. The tree species is in peril due to blister rust and mountain pine beetle infestations in its range; and is a restoration priority in Waterton Lakes because populations in the park are highly infected with blister rust (up to 90%). At Summit Lake, 21 plots were set up and half of each was terra-torched; 1000 seedlings were planted in clusters of three, under four conditions: on burned areas in burned beargrass mats, in burned areas where beargrass mats were not present, in unburned areas where beargrass was present, and in unburned areas without beargrass. This study reports data for the seventh year after planting, and overall, survival was 53% for individual seedlings and at least one seedling survived in 60.8% of clusters. Planting in burned areas increased cluster survival (by 34.3%, p ˂ 0.0001) and planting near microsites increased cluster survival (by 19.3%, p ˂ 0.0001); the type of microsite did not make a difference. Planting in beargrass mats decreased survival, but not significantly (8.9%, p = 0.11) and this was true for burns, not unburned areas. Inoculation with native ectomycorrhizal fungi did not enhance survival most likely because controls on lightly terra-torched and unburned areas had access to local native fungi. This is the first study to report statistics on the planting of seedlings in clusters; the results need to be compared with studies where seedlings are planted individually.

scholarly journals Effects of Disturbance on Tree Community Dynamics in Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelm.) Ecosystems

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Amberson ◽  
Megan Keville ◽  
Cara Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Mountain Pine Beetle ◽  
Pinus Albicaulis ◽  
Whitebark Pine ◽  
White Pine Blister Rust ◽  
White Pine ◽  
Blister Rust ◽  
Tree Community ◽  
Mountain Pine ◽  
Pine Beetle

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelm.), an ecologically important tree species in high-elevation ecosystems of western North America, is threatened by white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola Fischer) and increased pressure from mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) due to climate warming. In addition, there is concern that fire suppression may be leading to successional replacement of whitebark by late-seral trees. Despite widespread knowledge that the tree is in decline, there is limited understanding of its successional dynamics, particularly in forests disturbed by white pine blister rust and mountain pine beetle. Our objective was to examine how disturbances have affected forest composition, structure, and seedling regeneration over a 22-year period (1990–2012) at 19 sites in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State (USA). Over that time, 13 sites (68%) were infected by white pine blister rust, 11 (58%) were disturbed by mountain pine beetle, and 5 (26%) experienced wildfire. Tree community composition changed significantly during the study period, primarily due to significant mortality of mature (≥20-cm diameter at breast height) whitebark pine. Despite loss of mature whitebark trees, we found little evidence of successional replacement by other tree species. Whitebark seedling density was unrelated to basal area of mature whitebark pine, but positively correlated with the presence of herb and shrub cover. Our results demonstrate the value of long-term repeated measurements for elucidating successional dynamics.

scholarly journals Disturbance Interactions: Mountain Pine Beetle & Blister Rust in Whitebark Pine

2006 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 83-84
Author(s):  
Nancy Bockino ◽  
Daniel Tinker
Keyword(s):  
Mountain Pine Beetle ◽  
Keystone Species ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
Pinus Albicaulis ◽  
Whitebark Pine ◽  
Blister Rust ◽  
Disturbance Interactions ◽  
Pine Beetle ◽  
Greater Yellowstone

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Englem.) is a keystone species of many high elevation ecosystems in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) and directly influence watershed quality by regulating snow accumulation and retention, facilitating regeneration after a disturbance, and stabilizing soil and rock on steep, harsh sites.

scholarly journals Assessing Functional Role and Community Dynamics of Whitebark Pine at Alpine Treeline, Grand Teton National Park

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 79-88
Author(s):  
Lynn Resler ◽  
Yang Shao
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Mountain Pine Beetle ◽  
Tree Islands ◽  
Whitebark Pine ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Alpine Treeline ◽  
Rust Infection ◽  
Tree Island ◽  
Blister Rust ◽  
Pine Beetle

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) is a keystone and foundation tree species in high elevation ecosystems of the Rocky Mountains. At alpine treelines along the eastern Rocky Mountain Front and in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, whitebark pine often initiates tree islands through facilitation, thereby shaping vegetation pattern. This role will likely diminish if whitebark pine succumbs to white pine blister rust infection, climate change stress, and mountain pine beetle infestations. Here, we established baseline measurements of whitebark pine’s importance and blister infection rates at two alpine treelines in Grand Teton National Park. Our specific objectives were to: 1) examine the potential relationship between whitebark pine establishment and krummholz tree island formation at the upper alpine treeline ecotone in GTNP; 2) characterize blister rust infection rate and intensity at two treeline study areas and in whitebark pine growing both solitarily and within tree islands; and 3) characterize the biophysical environments a) where whitebark pine is/is not a majority tree island initiator, and b) with varying blister rust infection rates in treeline whitebark pine. In July 2015, we field-sampled treeline composition and blister rust infection in all krummholz whitebark pine in a total of 40 study plots. Preliminary results reveal: 1) that whitebark pine is a substantial component of treeline ecosystems, but is not a significant majority tree island initiator, and 2) blister rust infection levels for both study areas combined is 15.65%. Blister rust and mountain pine beetle interactions were not evident at the two study areas. This work provides important baseline measurements for understanding how community structure and composition may be altered given infestation by pathogens and pests in GTNP, especially in light of changing climate regimes.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Fire Regimes and Stand Dynamics in Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis) Communities in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

2003 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 123-128
Author(s):  
William Romme ◽  
James Walsh
Keyword(s):  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Grizzly Bear ◽  
Pinus Albicaulis ◽  
Whitebark Pine ◽  
Greater Yellowstone

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) is a keystone species of upper subalpine ecosystems (Tomback et al. 2001), and is especially important in the high-elevation ecosystems of the northern Rocky Mountains (Arno and Hoff 1989). Its seeds are an essential food source for the endangered grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), particularly in the autumn, prior to winter denning (Mattson and Jonkel 1990, Mattson and Reinhart 1990, Mattson et al. 1992). In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), biologists have concluded that the fate of grizzlies is intrinsically linked to the health of the whitebark pine communities found in and around Yellowstone National Park (YNP) (Mattson and Merrill 2002). Over the past century, however, whitebark pine has severely declined throughout much of its range as a result of an introduced fungus, white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola) (Hoff and Hagle 1990, Smith and Hoffman 2000, McDonald and Hoff 2001), native pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) infestations (Bartos and Gibson 1990, Kendall and Keane 2001), and, perhaps in some locations, successional replacement related to fire exclusion and fire suppression (Amo 2001). The most common historical whitebark pine ftre regimes are "stand-replacement", and "mixed­ severity" regimes (Morgan et al. 1994, Arno 2000, Arno and Allison-Bunnell2002). In the GYE, mixed-severity ftre regimes have been documented in whitebark pine forests in the Shoshone National forest NW of Cody, WY (Morgan and Bunting 1990), and in NE Yellowstone National Park (Barrett 1994). In Western Montana and Idaho, mixed fire regimes have been documented in whitebark pine communities in the Bob Marshall Wilderness (Keane et al. 1994), Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (Brown et al. 1994), and the West Bighole Range (Murray et al.1998). Mattson and Reinhart (1990) found a stand­replacing fire regime on the Mount Washburn Massif, within Yellowstone National Park.

Use of Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis) seeds by GPS-collared Grizzly Bears (Ursus arctos) in Banff National Park, Alberta

2021 ◽  
Vol 135 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-67
Author(s):  
David Hamer
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Pinus Albicaulis ◽  
Whitebark Pine ◽  
Gps Collars ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Banff National Park

Seeds of Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis) are a major food for Grizzly Bears (Ursus arctos) in the Yellowstone ecosystem. In Canada, Grizzly Bears are known to eat Whitebark Pine seeds, but little additional information, such as the extent of such use and habitat characteristics of feeding sites, is available. Because Grizzly Bears almost always obtain Whitebark Pine seeds by excavating cones from persistent caching sites (middens) made by Red Squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), it is possible to infer Whitebark Pine feeding when bears are located near excavated middens in Whitebark Pine stands. During 2013–2018, I conducted a retrospective study in Banff National Park using data from 23 Grizzly Bears equipped by Parks Canada staff with global positioning system (GPS) collars. My objectives were to use GPS fixes to determine the percentage of these bears that had been located in close proximity to excavated middens containing Whitebark Pine seeds and to describe the habitat at these excavated middens. I linked 15 bears (65%) to excavated middens and, by inference, consumption of Whitebark Pine seeds. Excavated middens occurred on high-elevation (mean 2103 ± 101 [SD] m), steep (mean 26° ± 8°) slopes facing mostly (96%) north through west (0–270°). Use of Whitebark Pine seeds by at least 65% of the 23 studied Grizzly Bears suggests that conservation of Whitebark Pine in Banff National Park would concomitantly benefit the at-risk population of Grizzly Bears.

scholarly journals Whitebark pine mortality related to white pine blister rust, mountain pine beetle outbreak, and water availability

Ecosphere ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Shanahan ◽  
Kathryn M. Irvine ◽  
David Thoma ◽  
Siri Wilmoth ◽  
Andrew Ray ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Availability ◽  
Mountain Pine Beetle ◽  
Whitebark Pine ◽  
White Pine Blister Rust ◽  
White Pine ◽  
Blister Rust ◽  
Mountain Pine ◽  
Pine Beetle

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) growth and defense in response to mountain pine beetle outbreaks

2020 ◽  
Vol 457 ◽  
pp. 117736
Author(s):  
Nickolas E. Kichas ◽  
Sharon M. Hood ◽  
Gregory T. Pederson ◽  
Richard G. Everett ◽  
David B. McWethy
Keyword(s):  
Mountain Pine Beetle ◽  
Pinus Albicaulis ◽  
Whitebark Pine ◽  
Mountain Pine ◽  
Pine Beetle

Distribution and severity of white pine blister rust and mountain pine beetle on whitebark pine in British Columbia

2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 1051-1059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M Campbell ◽  
Joseph A Antos
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Mountain Pine Beetle ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
The United States ◽  
Whitebark Pine ◽  
White Pine Blister Rust ◽  
White Pine ◽  
Blister Rust ◽  
Mountain Pine ◽  
Pine Beetle

A major decline in the abundance of whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelm.) has recently occurred in the United States, primarily as a result of white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola J.C. Fisch. ex Raben.). However, no information on the status of whitebark pine in British Columbia, Canada, was available. We sampled 54 subalpine stands in British Columbia, examining all whitebark pine trees within plots for evidence of blister rust and mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopk.) damage. About 21% of all whitebark pine stems were dead, and blister rust was the most important agent of mortality. Of all living trees sampled, 27% had obvious blister rust infection (cankers), but actual incidence was suspected of being as high as 44% (using all evidence of blister rust). Blister rust incidence and whitebark pine mortality were significantly related to differences in stand structure and the presence of Ribes spp., but relationships with local climate and site variables were absent or weak. The lack of strong relationships with climate suggests favourable conditions for the spread of the disease throughout most of British Columbia. Very little evidence of mountain pine beetle was found. Overall, the prospects for whitebark pine in British Columbia do not appear good; a large reduction in population levels seems imminent.

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