Whitebark pine in the national parks of the Pacific states: An assessment of population vulnerability
Jules ES, van Mantgem PJ, Iberle BG, Nesmith JC, Rochefort RM. 2020. Whitebark pine in the national parks of the Pacific states: An assessment of population vulnerability. Northwest Science. 94(2):129-141
Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) is a long-lived tree found in high-elevation forests of western North America that is declining due to the non-native white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola) and climate-driven outbreaks of mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae; MPB). The National Park Service established a monitoring program for whitebark pine in seven parks, including Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Lassen Volcanic, Crater Lake, Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades National Parks. Using these data, we summarized stand structure, presence of blister rust, and MPB prevalence to provide a baseline for future monitoring. Next, we used a stochastic, size-structured population model to speculate on future trends in the seven national park populations under conditions of increased MPB activity and ongoing blister rust infection observed in Crater Lake. We found that blister rust infected 29 to 54% of whitebark pine in all the parks except the two southernmost, Sequoia & Kings Canyon and Yosemite, where infections rates were 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively. The proportion of dead trees in Sequoia & Kings Canyon and Yosemite was low (0 to 1%), while they ranged from 10 to 43% in the other parks. Model projections suggested an average population decline of 25% in the parks over the next century using Crater Lake conditions, declines which are possible if blister rust continues to spread and climate change results in a significant increase in the frequency or severity of MPB outbreaks. Overall, our study describes conditions at seven western parks and illustrates potential rates of whitebark pine decline if pest outbreaks and/or blister rust infections worsen.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Jules, Erik; van Mantgem, Phillip; Iberle, Benjamin; Nesmith, Jonathan; Rochefort, Regina
- Units
- CRLA , KLMN , LAVO , MORA , NOCA , OLYM , SEKI , SIEN , YOSE
- Keywords
- Cascade Mountain Range, high-elevation forest monitor, Inventory and Monitoring Program, matrix model, mountain pine beetle, National Park Service, NCCN synthesis report, Pacific Northwest, Pinus albicaulis, Sierra Nevada, subalpine vegetation monitoring, white pine blister rust, whitebark pine
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Infestations and Disease | Insect Pests , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Infestations and Disease | Plant Diseases , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Forest/Woodland Communities
See also
- Monitoring white pine (Pinus albicaulis, P. balfouriana, P. flexilis) community dynamics in the Pacific West Region - Klamath, Sierra Nevada, and Upper Columbia Basin Networks
- Whitebark and Foxtail Pine in Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks: Initial Assessment of Stand Structure and Condition
- Whitebark Pine in the Northern Cascades: Tracking the Effects of Blister Rust on Population Health in North Cascades National Park Service Complex and Mount Rainier National Park
- Alpine and subalpine vegetation monitoring protocol for the North Coast and Cascades Network