Title: Whitebark Pine Restoration January 21, 2005 Ecological Restoration in Wilderness
1Whitebark Pine RestorationJanuary 21, 2005
Ecological Restoration in Wilderness
Shawn T. McKinney Department of Forest
Management College of Forestry and
Conservation University of Montana
2Presentation Outline
- Introduction
- Distribution and Ecology
- The case for restoration
- Causes of Decline
- White pine blister rust
- Fire exclusion
- Restoration Strategies
- Natural Regeneration
- Nursery Production
- Case Study - Glacier National Park
- Discussion
3Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis)
4Whitebark Pine Distribution
(From Little (1971) accessed via
http///climchange.cr.usgs.go)
5Co-evolution with Clarks nutcracker (Nucifraga
columbiana)
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7Keystone Species
8Pioneer
9Nurse Tree
10Habitat
11Food Resource
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13R2 0.65
No. management trappings
(Modified from Mattson et al. 2001)
Percent freq. in Sept-Oct. feces
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15Presentation Outline
- Introduction
- Distribution and Ecology
- The case for restoration
- Causes of Decline
- White pine blister rust
- Fire exclusion
- Restoration Strategies
- Natural Regeneration
- Nursery Production
- Case Study - Glacier National Park
- Discussion
16Problem Background
- Two main threats to whitebark pine
- white pine blister rust
- fire exclusion
17White pine blister rust(Cronartium ribicola)
18(Modified from Kendall 1999, accessed via
www.whitebarkfound.org)
19Fire exclusion
20Successional replacement
Loss of regeneration opportunities
21Presentation Outline
- Introduction
- Distribution and Ecology
- The case for restoration
- Causes of Decline
- White pine blister rust
- Fire exclusion
- Restoration Strategies
- Natural Regeneration
- Nursery Production
- Case Study - Glacier National Park
- Discussion
22Restoration
- Based on the presence of genetic resistance (1
5) - Requires the creation of favorable seedling
establishment sites through disturbance processes
23Genetic Resistance
Phenotypically resistant
Infected with blister rust
24Disturbance
25 Restoration Strategies
- Nursery Production
- Locate phenotypically resistant trees.
- Cage, collect, grow, and outplant resistant
seedlings.
- Natural Regeneration
- Rely upon nutcracker seed dispersal from
proximate stands.
261) Nursery Production
272) Natural Regeneration
28 Costs and Benefits
- Nursery Production
- High seedling mortality
- Expensive in time and money
- Known resistance
- Can target specific areas
- Natural Regeneration
- Cant control location or resistance
- Slow
- Cheap
29Presentation Outline
- Introduction
- Distribution and Ecology
- The case for restoration
- Causes of Decline
- White pine blister rust
- Fire exclusion
- Restoration Strategies
- Natural Regeneration
- Nursery Production
- Case Study - Glacier National Park
- Discussion
30Research Questions
- Do some areas of whitebark pine habitat act as
seed sources and others seed sinks? - Can habitat models be used to predict cone
survival (i.e. regeneration potential)?
31 Objectives
- Quantify the factors that affect predispersal
cone survival (regeneration potential). - Develop predictive models for regeneration
potential. - Identify specific restoration areas with high
potential for natural seed dispersal versus those
that would require planting.
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33Sampling Design
34Methods
- Dependent Variable cone survival
- (Ci (Ci Cf) / no. days 45 days) / Ci
(calculation gives the proportion of cones
surviving 45 days of predation pressure)
35 MethodsEnvironmental
factors, structure, and composition measured at
site, tree, 5m and 11.3m plot levels.
- Tree and stem density
- Species composition
- Cone density
- Seed predator occurrence
- Canopy cover
- Slope, aspect, elevation
- Ground cover
- DBH, ht, crown width
- WPBR infection
- Crown kill
- Mortality
- Distance to opening gt30m diameter
36 Results
- Four factors are the best predictors of cone
survival and thus regeneration potential. - Percent canopy cover
- Percent bare ground
- Tree density
- Site slope
37 Preliminary Conclusions
- Focus planting in burns adjacent to areas with
low slope, high tree density, closed canopies,
and dense ground cover. - Resistant trees growing on steep slopes, with
open canopies, low tree density, and a high
percentage of bare ground will be the ones that
contribute most to natural regeneration.
38Questions?