Commercial thinning effects on growth, yield and mortality in natural lodgepole pine stands in Alberta

There is an expected decrease in the short to mid-term timber supply of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) in Alberta, Canada due to the impacts of past fires and the mountain pine beetle outbreak. Commercial thinning is a potential option for increasing mid-term sawlog timber supply by decreasing the time needed for individual trees to reach merchantable size, through providing access to fiber earlier in the rotation, and from the ability to keep mature stands on the stump longer. In the current study, we evaluated the effects of commercial thinning in stands of different ages. Stands less than 70 years old at thinning were classified as commercial thinning (CT), whereas stands greater than 70 years at thinning were classified as salvage thinning (ST). Tree growth and survival were measured every five years from 1996 to 2016 in both thinned and unthinned stands. Fifteen years post-thinning, stand volume was less in the thinned stands relative to the unthinned controls. However, when volume removed at thinning was considered, volume gain from thinned stands was greater than that from the controls in both thinning treatments. Individual tree DBH and live crown ratio were also greater in thinned stands relative to controls. Thinning favored diameter gain mostly in the medium-sized trees in CT but both small to medium-sized trees in ST. Thinning reduced mortality in all stands relative to the controls and a maximum of 50% reduction in mortality was observed in CT. Overall, the findings suggest that natural lodgepole pine stands may respond to commercial thinning with a net gain in cumulative volume at final harvest.

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Winter Habitat Use by Moose, Alces alces, in Central Interior British Columbia

The Canadian Field-Naturalist ◽

10.22621/cfn.v119i2.104 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 119 (2) ◽

pp. 186 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Gilbert Proulx ◽

Rhonda M. Kariz

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Pinus Contorta ◽

Mountain Pine Beetle ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Alces Alces ◽

Late Winter ◽

Winter Habitat ◽

Pine Beetle ◽

Pine Stands

In central British Columbia, recent epidemics of Mountain Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) have resulted in the use of expansive clearcut areas to remove infested mature and old Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta) stands. This study aimed to determine if Moose (Alces alces) use late-successional Lodgepole Pine stands in mid- to late-winter. Moose activity and habitat use was determined during February-March track surveys in 2000 (60 km) and 2001 (55.7 km). In 2000 (69 tracks) and 2001 (313 tracks), Moose track distribution differed significantly (P < 0.05) from random. They were significantly more abundant than predicted in young stands (dominated by Picea spp.), or early seral stages; they were less abundant than predicted in mature and old Lodgepole Pine stands. It is unlikely that harvesting late-successional Lodgepole Pine stands would affect Moose winter habitat supply.

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Biological Aspects of Mountain Pine Beetle in Lodgepole Pine Stands of Different Densities in Colorado, USA

Forests ◽

10.3390/f10010018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 18 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

José Negrón

Keyword(s):

Mountain Pine Beetle ◽

Tree Mortality ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Tree Size ◽

Individual Tree ◽

Tree Diameter ◽

Mountain Pine ◽

Pine Beetle ◽

Similarities And Differences ◽

Pine Stands

Research Highlights: The biology of mountain pine beetle (MPB), Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, in Colorado’s lodgepole pine forests exhibits similarities and differences to other parts of its range. Brood emergence was not influenced by stand density nor related to tree diameter. The probability of individual tree attack is influenced by stocking and tree size. Findings have implications for understanding MPB as a disturbance agent and for developing management strategies. Background and Objectives: MPB causes extensive tree mortality of lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon, across the western US and Canada and is probably the most studied bark beetle in North America. However, most of the current knowledge on the biology and ecology of MPB in lodgepole pine comes from the Intermountain Region of the US and western Canada. Little information is available from Colorado. This is the first study addressing effects of stand stocking levels on the biology of MPB and quantifying phloem consumption. In addition, although data are available on the conditions that foster stand infestation, this is the first study estimating the probability of individual tree attack among stands of known different stocking. Materials and Methods: Studies were conducted in managed lodgepole pine stands in Colorado. Unbaited traps were used to monitor MPB flight across stands of different densities. Cages were used to monitor emergence and bark samples to determine attack densities, and phloem consumption in trees growing under different stocking. Beetle collections were used to determine emergence across the growing season. Tree mortality data from plots of different densities were used to examine the probability of individual tree infestation. Results: More beetles were caught flying through higher density stands. More attacks were observed in lower stocking stands but there were no differences in the number of insects emerging nor phloem consumption. There was no relationship between tree size and beetle emergence. Peak flight occurred in early to mid-August and only one peak of beetle emergence occurred. The probability of tree attack was influenced by stand stocking and tree diameter. Conclusions: In general, aspects of the biology of MPB in Colorado exhibit similarities and differences with other regions. The data suggest the need to more closely examine how MPB functions in stands of different stocking and how the distribution of tree sizes influence the probability of infestation and extent of mortality in stands. Biological characteristics of MPB in Colorado need further examination, particularly as climate change continues to manifest. Baseline information will be critical to refine management approaches, and extend the understanding of how MPB contributes to shape forest composition and structure in Colorado.

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Forest structure altered by mountain pine beetle outbreaks affects subsequent attack in a Wyoming lodgepole pine forest, USA

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x11-142 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 41 (12) ◽

pp. 2403-2412 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Daniel M. Kashian ◽

Rebecca M. Jackson ◽

Heather D. Lyons

Keyword(s):

Pinus Contorta ◽

Mountain Pine Beetle ◽

Stand Structure ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Climate Change Scenarios ◽

Cone Production ◽

Mountain Pine ◽

Large Trees ◽

Pine Beetle ◽

The 1960S

Extensive outbreaks of the mountain pine beetle ( Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) will alter the structure of many stands that will likely be attacked again before experiencing a stand-replacing fire. We examined a stand of lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Watson) in Grand Teton National Park currently experiencing a moderate-level outbreak and previously attacked by mountain pine beetle in the 1960s. Consistent with published studies, tree diameter was the main predictor of beetle attack on a given tree, large trees were preferentially attacked, and tree vigor, age, and cone production were unimportant variables for beetle attack at epidemic levels. Small trees killed in the stand were killed based mainly on their proximity to large trees and were likely spatially aggregated with large trees as a result of the previous outbreak. We concluded that the driving factors of beetle attack and their spatial patterns are consistent across outbreak severities but that stand structure altered by the previous outbreak had implications for the current outbreaks in the same location. This study should catalyze additional research that examines how beetle-altered stand structure affects future outbreaks — an important priority for predicting their impacts under climate change scenarios that project increases in outbreak frequency and extent.

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OBSERVATIONS ON A TRIAL OF BROADCAST BURNING TO CONTROL AN INFESTATION OF THE MOUNTAIN PINE BEETLE DENDROCTONUS PONDEROSAE

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/ent121521-6 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 121 (6) ◽

pp. 521-523 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

A.J. Stock ◽

R.A. Gorley

Keyword(s):

Pinus Contorta ◽

Mountain Pine Beetle ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Dendroctonus Ponderosae ◽

Management Plan ◽

Management Program ◽

Control Measures ◽

Direct Control ◽

Mountain Pine ◽

Pine Beetle

The mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopk., causes extensive mortality of lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm., throughout western North America (Van Sickle 1982). The Prince Rupert Forest Region, in the northwest of British Columbia, initiated an aggressive beetle management program in 1981. Logging of infested stands, and winter felling and burning of individual infested trees are the most common direct control techniques.The “Bristol Lake” infestation developed in the Bulkley Forest District, approximately 55 km northwest of Smithers, B.C., on a steep rocky ridge within the valley of Harold Price Creek. The area contained large volumes of mature lodgepole pine, and control of the infestation was therefore considered critical to the local beetle management plan, but the size (50 ha) and rough topography of the infested area precluded normal direct control measures.

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Mountain Pine Beetle Infestation: Cycling and Succession in Lodgepole Pine Forest

The UW National Parks Service Research Station Annual Reports ◽

10.13001/uwnpsrc.1981.2291 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 131-135

Author(s):

W. Romme ◽

J. Yavitt ◽

D. Knight

Keyword(s):

National Parks ◽

Yellowstone National Park ◽

National Park ◽

Pinus Contorta ◽

Mountain Pine Beetle ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Pine Forest ◽

Mountain Pine ◽

Pine Beetle ◽

Surrounding Areas

A research project was initiated in 1980 to study the effects of outbreaks of the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) on lodgepole pine forest (Pinus contorta Dougl. ssp. latifolia) in Yellowstone National Park and surrounding areas. This native insect apparently has long been associated with lodgepole pine, and reports of small numbers of beetles can be found in Park records as early as 1925. However, in the late 1940's and early 1950's major outbreaks began to occur on the Caribou and Targhee National Forests immediately to the west and southwest of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. An outbreak in Grand Teton National Park and the adjacent Teton National Forest began in the 1950's, with an explosive increase in 1961 followed by an eventual subsidence in the late 1960's. The first major outbreak in Yellowstone National Park began in the late 1960's in the Bechler and South Entrance areas, reaching a peak there in 1970 and later declining. Yearly aerial surveys conducted thereafter showed a steady northward movement of the outbreak through the western half of the Park at a rate of 1 - 5 km per year. By 1978 the peak outbreak was centered around West Yellowstone, with hundreds of infested trees per hectare. The outbreak is now moving north and east along the Madison and Gibbon Rivers, with the greatest beetle populations currently in the vicinity of Madison Junction.

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Balancing risks of disturbance from mountain pine beetle and western spruce budworm

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x09-014 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 39 (4) ◽

pp. 839-848 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

V.G. Nealis ◽

M.K. Noseworthy ◽

R. Turnquist ◽

V.R. Waring

Keyword(s):

Pinus Contorta ◽

Mountain Pine Beetle ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Spruce Budworm ◽

Douglas Fir ◽

Closed Field ◽

Western Spruce Budworm ◽

Mountain Pine ◽

Pine Beetle ◽

Population Processes

The effect of removing lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud.) and retaining Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) to reduce the risk of disturbance from mountain pine beetle ( Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopk.) in mixed conifer stands in southern British Columbia, Canada, on population processes influencing outbreaks of western spruce budworm ( Choristoneura occidentalis Free.) was evaluated in 10 paired (open vs. closed) field plots. Overall feeding damage to Douglas-fir was significantly, but only slightly, lower in open stands compared with closed stands. Although open plots tended to recruit more budworms, the losses resulting from the dispersal of spring-emerging budworms in search of feeding sites were significantly greater in open plots. The forest management benefits of these early season losses were mitigated, however, by more mortality of budworms from natural enemies, particularly diseases, in the closed plots during the budworm feeding period. These results are discussed in terms of compensating population processes and balancing objectives in forest pest management. In this case, selective harvesting of lodgepole pine as a mitigation strategy for the mountain pine beetle conserved the midterm timber supply potential represented by associated Douglas-fir even in the presence of an outbreak of the western spruce budworm.

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Species, elevation, and diameter affect whitebark pine and lodgepole pine stored resources in the sapwood and phloem: implications for bark beetle outbreaks

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/cjfr-2014-0063 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 44 (11) ◽

pp. 1312-1319 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Eleanor C. Lahr ◽

Anna Sala

Keyword(s):

Nutritional Quality ◽

Pinus Contorta ◽

Mountain Pine Beetle ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Large Diameter ◽

Small Diameter ◽

Whitebark Pine ◽

Mountain Pine ◽

Pine Trees ◽

Lodgepole Pines

Stored resources in trees reflect physiological and environmental variables and affect life history traits, including growth, reproduction, resistance to abiotic stress, and defense. However, less attention has been paid to the fact that stored resources also determine tissue nutritional quality and may have direct consequences for the success of herbivores and pathogens. Here, we investigated whether stored resources differed between two hosts of the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, 1902): lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Douglas ex. Loudon), a common host, and whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelmann), a more naïve host that grows at higher altitudes. Phloem and sapwood were sampled in small- and large-diameter trees at two elevations, and nitrogen, phosphorus, nonstructural carbohydrates, and lipids were measured. We found that concentrations of stored resources increased with elevation and tree diameter for both species and that whitebark pine had thicker phloem than lodgepole pine. Overall, stored resources were higher in whitebark pine such that small-diameter whitebark pine trees often had resource concentrations higher than large-diameter lodgepole pines. These results suggest that whitebark pine is of higher nutritional quality than lodgepole pine, which could have implications for the current expansion of mountain pine beetles into higher altitude and latitude forests in response to climate warming.

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EFFECTIVENESS OF TWO PINE OILS FOR PROTECTING LODGEPOLE PINE FROM ATTACK BY MOUNTAIN PINE BEETLE (COLEOPTERA: SCOLYTIDAE)

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/ent1171445-11 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 117 (11) ◽

pp. 1445-1446 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Charles E. Richmond

Keyword(s):

Bark Beetles ◽

Pinus Contorta ◽

Mountain Pine Beetle ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

The United States ◽

Western North America ◽

Residential Areas ◽

Pine Oil ◽

Mountain Pine ◽

Pine Beetle

The mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, is one of the most destructive bark beetles found on pine in western North America (McCambridge et al. 1979), particularly in forests of lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta Douglas var. latifolia (Furniss and Carolin 1977). The treatment registered in the United States for the protection of high-value trees in residential areas and recreational areas is 2% carbaryl applied to the bole of the tree with a hydraulic sprayer. Recently, pine oil, a derivative of paper pulp waste, was found to be an effective non-insecticidal repellent against several species of bark beetles (Nijholt et al. 1981).

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Leaf area – sapwood cross-sectional area relationships in repressed stands of lodgepole pine

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x87-036 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

pp. 205-209 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

M. G. Keane ◽

G. F. Weetman

Keyword(s):

Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Leaf Area ◽

Wood Density ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

Cross Sectional Area ◽

Sectional Area ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Density Profiles ◽

Individual Tree ◽

Individual Trees

To better understand the phenomenon of growth "stagnation" in high-density lodgepole pine (Pinuscontorta Dougl. ex Loud.), leaf area and its relationship with sapwood cross-sectional area were examined on both an individual tree and stand basis. Leaf areas of individual trees in a 22-year-old stand varied from 30.8 m2 (dominants in stands of low stocking) to 0.05 m2 (suppressed trees in stands of high stocking). Leaf area indices ranged from 13.4 to 2.3 m2 m−2 between low and high stocking levels, respectively. Over the same stocking range, the ratio of leaf area to sapwood cross-sectional area was reduced from 0.3 to 0.15 m2 cm−2. Intraring wood density profiles showed that ovendry density increased from 0.52 to 0.7 g cm−3 and the proportion of early wood decreased over a stocking level range of 6500–109 000 trees/ha. A reduction in hydraulic conductivity in the stems of stagnant trees, suggested by the greater proportion of narrow-diameter tracheids present, may lead to a greater resistance to water transport within the boles of trees from stagnant stands, leading to low leaf areas.

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