Fairy Lake Rx Burn Monitoring

1. Fairy Lake Rx Burn Monitoring 160 acre Rx burn unit implemented in fall 2004 • Stated objectives: • Mimic light to moderate ground fire • To minimize the mortality of mature whitebark pine (<5%) • To create cache habitat • To reduce competition between from subalpine fir, spruce, and Douglas fir

2. Fairy Lake Rx Burn Monitoring • Burn Characteristics • Patchy; consumed areas that had been previously slashed • Some stand replacement crown fire • Stand Characteristics • 8000-8500 feet elevation • 30-55 % slope • 160-210 aspect (south) • Fuel model 10 • Blister Rust present pre-burn; no evidence of MPB

4. 10 treatment and 5 control plots • Stand Exams on 1/300 acre plot; Veg composition on 1/100 acre plots • BAF 10 to tally trees in the plot • Ground cover on 100 points • MPB and Blister Rust assessed on 100 trees in treatment and control areas • Both PIAL and PIFL were present on the site and were combined for the purpose of analysis Methods

5. Averages for • # (BAF 10) trees in the plot • % of total trees represented by 5-needle pines • % of 5-needle pine trees that were dead Results

6. Results

7. Averages for • % bare ground in plot • % of 100 trees that had MPB activity • % of 100 tres that had Blister Rust • % of Blister rust trees that were dead Results

8. Results

9. Control Treatment

10. Discussion • No significant differences between treatment and control. Fire was the primary mortality agent in treatment plots and Blister Rust in control plots. More small trees left in control. • Fire did not seem to create cache habitat – grasses and forbs came back quickly. Also, not enough cones being produced to entice nutcrackers. We observed woodpeckers in the stand, not nutcrackers; maybe too soon to tell, but not likely to see WBP or Limber regeneration • Ribes was present on all control plots but only one treatment plot; however blister rust levels are severe in both the control and the treatment area • Overall levels of MPB are moderate. Slightly higher MPB occurrence in treatment may be related to fire weakened trees attracting beetles

11. Effects of fire (and possible secondary effects of fire on mtn pine beetles) were outweighed by the effects of blister rust • Burn did not meet objectives • 5-needle pines will likely be replaced by Abla in this stand Conclusions

12. Recommendation Plant whitebark and/or limber pine In this Rx burn unit as soon as seedlings are available