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Dr. Lauren Fins
Forest Resources Professor
University of Idaho
Project Leader
Dr. Fins received a grant from the U.S. Forest Service to conduct research on wilderness whitebark pine plant communities.
Monitoring Whitebark Pine, Blister Rust and Fuels in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area
Whitebark Pine Poster
Objectives
Preliminary Results 2005-2006-2007
Activity Plans for 2008-2009
The whitebark pine ecosystem provides valuable and crucial habitat for many wildlife species, including birds, squirrels and bears. Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) is a slow-growing, long-lived forest tree species found in the subalpine zones of southwestern Canada and the western United States. Across the species’ range, whitebark pine populations have been declining steadily as a result of several factors: the introduced fungus Cronartium ribicola which causes white pine blister rust, infestations of mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), and successional replacement by subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa). Across the species’ range, researchers are studying whitebark pine ecosystem dynamics, including the role of wildland fire. Our project involves the assessment of whitebark pine populations in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area.
The study was launched in 2005 to provide information on fuel loadings, forest health, disease incidence, mortality and reproduction. These results may be used to complement existing research and restoration initiatives on whitebark pine.
Ben Hoppus
Lead Field Researcher 2007-2008
Masters Candidate
Forest Resources Department
College of Natural Resources
University of Idaho
Professor: Dr. Lauren Fins
First Year 2005 Report
First year preliminary results indicate that blister rust and incidence of mountain pine beetle attack were not related to slope or aspect, but unburned sites and plots with higher densities of whitebark pine had higher levels of blister rust. Within populations, elevation was negatively correlated with blister rust infection and plots with more and larger lodgepole pines had higher levels of mountain pine beetle attack. The amount of coarse woody debris was related to habitat series, with the highest levels in mixed subalpine types. Summary 2005
Catherine Roberts. Assistant 2005
Jodie Krakowski, Lead Field Researcher 2005
Plans for 2006
We plan to establish plots and collect first-year data in several additional whitebark pine populations, return to plots established in 2005 to re-assess infection and mortality, and, if available, collect cones/seeds for rust screening and genetic conservation. In 2007, we will return to all previously established plots to assess changes in infection and mortality, collect cones (if available) in areas where we were unable to collect in prior years, and conduct statistical analyses of infection levels, changes over time, fuel loadings and fire risk as a function of fuels.
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