Sierra Nevada Network high elevation white pine monitoring: 2014 annual report

Nesmith, Jonathan

White pine tree species in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI) and Yosemite National Park (YOSE) are vulnerable to several stressors including invasive pathogens, native pests, and climate change, and have been recognized as a high priority vital sign for SIEN. Currently, populations of whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) and foxtail pine (P. balfouriana), as well as their respective plant communities, are in better ecological condition in the Sierra Nevada compared to populations in the Cascades and Rocky Mountains (Millar et al. 2012). However, the observed steeply declining trends in white pine populations in the northern Cascades and Rocky Mountains, coupled with the identification of key stressors in SIEN parks, is a significant cause for concern about the future status of these ecologically valuable communities. Monitoring white pine forest community dynamics will allow for early detection of downward trends and identify the potential need for management intervention. White pine monitoring in SIEN is being closely coordinated with monitoring of white pine in other networks (limber pine [P. flexilis] in the Upper Columbia Basin Network [UCBN]; whitebark pine in the Klamath Network [KLMN]), using a common monitoring protocol. Thus, information from this monitoring project will contribute meaningfully to the broader regional assessment of the status and trends of white pine species across western North America. This report documents the results of the 2014 field season, which is the third year of monitoring in SEKI and YOSE. The 2014 goal was to establish the third of three rotating panels (panel 3) for each species-park population: YOSE-whitebark pine, SEKI-whitebark pine, and SEKI-foxtail pine. Each panel consists of 12 permanent 50 x 50 m (2,500 m2) plots that were randomly selected for each of the three populations. Thus, there will be a total of 36 whitebark pine plots in YOSE, 36 whitebark pine plots in SEKI, and 36 foxtail pine plots in SEKI. Data from plot surveys will be used to characterize white pine forest community dynamics in SEKI and YOSE, including changes in tree species composition, forest structure, forest health, and demographics.

Sierra Nevada Network high elevation white pine monitoring: 2014 annual report

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