Research Report: Will whitebark pine not fade away? Insight from Crater Lake National Park (2003–2009)
Murray M. 2010. Research Report: Will whitebark pine not fade away? Insight from Crater Lake National Park (2003–2009). Park Science. 27(2):64–67
Populations of whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) are under threat from nonnative blister rust disease (Cronartium ribicola), mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), and climatic change throughout most of its range. Whitebark pine provides habitat for dozens of high-mountain plant and animal species and is a uniquely picturesque tree for thousands of visitors in the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountains every year. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, supports the most extensive lakeside population of this species known. Findings acquired through annual monitoring indicate that healthy whitebark pine trees are declining by about 1% annually since 2003. Combined with a nearly one-third reduction in whitebark pine since the estimated spread of blister rust to Crater Lake in the 1930s, a continued downward trajectory indicates a significant loss of the species. Measures to protect and restore whitebark pine can include developing blister rust resistance, outplanting disease-resistant seedlings, and applying beetle deterrents.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Murray, Michael
- Units
- CRLA , NRSS
- Keywords
- Blister Rust, Climate Change, Crater Lake National Park, Forest Health, Monitoring, Mountain pine beetle, PWR-toolkit, vegetation, Whitebark Pine