Whitebark Pine Restoration January 21, 2005 Ecological Restoration in Wilderness - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Whitebark Pine Restoration January 21, 2005 Ecological Restoration in Wilderness

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Whitebark Pine Restoration January 21, 2005 Ecological Restoration in Wilderness – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Whitebark Pine Restoration January 21, 2005 Ecological Restoration in Wilderness


1
Whitebark Pine RestorationJanuary 21, 2005
Ecological Restoration in Wilderness
Shawn T. McKinney Department of Forest
Management College of Forestry and
Conservation University of Montana
2
Presentation 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

3
Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis)
4
Whitebark Pine Distribution
(From Little (1971) accessed via
http///climchange.cr.usgs.go)
5
Co-evolution with Clarks nutcracker (Nucifraga
columbiana)
6
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7
Keystone Species
8
Pioneer
9
Nurse Tree
10
Habitat
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Food Resource
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13
R2 0.65
No. management trappings
(Modified from Mattson et al. 2001)
Percent freq. in Sept-Oct. feces
14
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15
Presentation 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

16
Problem Background
  • Two main threats to whitebark pine
  • white pine blister rust
  • fire exclusion

17
White pine blister rust(Cronartium ribicola)
18
(Modified from Kendall 1999, accessed via
www.whitebarkfound.org)
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Fire exclusion
20
Successional replacement
Loss of regeneration opportunities
21
Presentation 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

22
Restoration
  • Based on the presence of genetic resistance (1
    5)
  • Requires the creation of favorable seedling
    establishment sites through disturbance processes

23
Genetic Resistance
Phenotypically resistant
Infected with blister rust
24
Disturbance
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.

26
1) Nursery Production
27
2) 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

29
Presentation 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

30
Research 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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Sampling Design
34
Methods
  • 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.

38
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