Whitebark Pine Conservation Program 2015 Annual Report

Beck, Jennifer

This report outlines the activities that were completed in 2014 as part of the Crater Lake National Park Whitebark Pine Conservation Program. Major activities of Crater Lake National Park’s Whitebark Pine Conservation Program in 2015 supported the Park’s goals and objectives for conserving and restoring whitebark pine. Annual Collection tree monitoring detected two new mortalities of Collection trees, no new white pine blister rust infection, three new mountain pine beetle attacks, and one new dwarf mistletoe infection. One hundred eighty-one trees of management importance were treated with verbenone to help ward off attack by the mountain pine beetle. Due to a dearth of whitebark pine cones Park-wide, no new cone collections were made in 2015 but the presence of late-summer conelets indicates cone collection will again be possible in 2016. Results from the Park’s long-term monitoring plots indicate that whitebark pine is continuing its decline within plot areas, as mature whitebark pine have been reduced by 28.3% from 2003 – 2015. The leading mortality agent of whitebark pine within plot areas continues to be the mountain pine beetle. The Park’s four whitebark pine restoration plantings were monitored with survival rates ranging from 73.4 – 87.9% three to six years after planting. Planning is underway for the Park’s next whitebark pine restoration outplanting, scheduled for 2016.