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Whitebark Pine in the Greater Yellowstone: Current Conditions & the Future

Whitebark Pine in the Greater Yellowstone: Current Conditions & the Future. Nancy Bockino Grand Teton National Park. Photo – Jesse Logan. Kamloops Area, July 2007 Photo: Kevin Buxton (Natural Resources Canada). Sustain the future resilience of whitebark pine ecosystems

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Whitebark Pine in the Greater Yellowstone: Current Conditions & the Future

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  1. Whitebark Pine in the Greater Yellowstone: Current Conditions & the Future Nancy BockinoGrand Teton National Park

  2. Photo – Jesse Logan

  3. Kamloops Area, July 2007 Photo: Kevin Buxton (Natural Resources Canada)

  4. Sustain the future resilience of whitebark pine ecosystems Fundamental to our conservation & restoration strategy is an understanding of the ecology, long-term patterns of succession & stand type variation in whitebark (adapted from Schoettle 2008)

  5. Lake Yellowstone Montana Blister Rust Infection is widespread (Reinhart et al. 2007 – Grizzly Bear Recovery Team) Idaho Wyoming

  6. Regional Rust Infection

  7. Beetle activity in whitebark pine is unprecedented (FHP; Logan et al. 2005; Gibson et al. 2007; Schwandt et al. 2007; Landenberger et al. 2003)

  8. Conditions – Research Sites 2006 Sylvan Pass Breccia Peak n = 1947 Teewinot Mt. Leidy

  9. Conditions – GTNP 2007 n = 452

  10. Current Conservation & Management • Surveys & Monitoring • Remote sensing mortality mapping • Updated whitebark pine distribution map • Citizen Scientist documentation • Forest Health & Protection aerial detection • Grand Teton Park extensive monitoring • Interagency rust monitoring • Grizzly bear team cone monitoring • Research • Climate & beetle phenology • Tree vigor & resistance • Nutcracker behavior • Blister rust life history • Regeneration dynamics • Active restoration strategies • Cone collections & rust screening • Pheromone protection • Plans for outplantings

  11. Is there hope for whitebark pine?

  12. Photo – Luke Bruner

  13. Essentials Of An Ecological Understanding Stand Variation • disturbance regimes • structure & composition • successional trajectories • regeneration dynamics

  14. Whitebark Evolved in An Unpredictable & Harsh Environment • Thick-shelled seeds • Large endosperm • Rapid growth • Bird dissemination • Facilitator & pioneer • Long-lived • Soil seed bank • Successful cone production in krummholtz

  15. Wild Cards • What is under the sea of red? • What drives recruitment & survivorship? • How long are seeds viable? • Where will the nutcracker go? • What is the role of lodgepole mortality? • How much impact will rust have on regeneration? • What effect will a loss of host trees have on blister rust? • How will population dynamics shift in relation to decreased and isolated seed sources?

  16. Regeneration On…. Tomback et al. 2001

  17. Concluding Thoughts • Whitebark is in a precarious situation • Landscape resilience depends on a mosaic of stand types • Whitebark are adapted to adverse conditions • Natural regeneration is occurring • High elevation & isolated residuals are seed source • Promote research that increases our ecological understanding

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