Spruce Bark Beetle Ecology Project, Chitina River Valley, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
(Barnes) Allen J and Wesser S. Spruce Bark Beetle Ecology Project, Chitina River Valley, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. 1997-1999. National Park Service
Monitoring long term effects of spruce bark beetle infestation on landscapes, forest structure and and forest composition. A widespread epidemic of spruce bark beetles (Dendrocotonus rufipennis (Kirby)) resulted in the infestation of mature white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) on 100,000 ha within the boundaries of WRST between 1989 and 1999 (Wesser and Allen 1999). Little was known at this time about the effects of spruce bark beetles on forest composition and landscape in the Copper River Basin. The objectives of the study were to: map the vegetation and infestation within the park; describe the forest structure and changes within the infested area; predict the risk of infestation, and develop a plan for monitoring the long-term effects of beetle infestation on landscapes, forest structure and composition. Two monitoring components were initiated in 1999: (1) Twenty-six forest inventory plots established during the 1997 or 1998 field season were relocated and marked for future monitoring, and (2) historic photos of 24 sites along the McCarthy Road were selected for monitoring and re-photographed.
- Type
- Project
- Authors
- (Barnes) Allen, Jennifer; Wesser, Sara
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- WRST
- Keywords
- Bark Beetle, forest pests
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Infestations and Disease | Insect Pests , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Forest/Woodland Communities
Program
Products
- Stand and landscape level analyses of a spruce bark beetle (DENDROCTONUS REFIPENNIS (Kirby)) infestation within Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve
- Adaptability of Tree Seedlings for Forest Restoration in South-Central Alaska
- Response of northern red-backed vole (Clethrionomys rutilus) populations to a major spruce beetle infestation in the Copper River Basin, Alaska
- Densities of breeding birds and changes in vegetation in an Alaskan boreal forest following a massive disturbance by spruce beetles
- WRST Vegetation and Beetle Infestation -1998
- Nesting Ecology of Boreal Forest Birds Following a Massive Outbreak of Spruce Beetles
- Stand and landscape level effects of a major outbreak of spruce beetles on forest vegetation in the Copper River Basin, Alaska
- Short-Term Demographic Response of the Red-Backed Vole to Spruce Beetle Infestations in Alaska
- Spruce Bark Beetle Long-term Monitoring Plots in Wrangell - St. Elias National Park And Preserve,Alaska