Response of dwarf mistletoe-infested ponderosa pine to thinning: 2. Dwarf mistletoe propagation.

Lewis F. Roth; James W. Barrett

doi:10.2737/PNW-RP-331

Treesearch

Response of dwarf mistletoe-infested ponderosa pine to thinning: 2. Dwarf mistletoe propagation.

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Lewis F. Roth, James W. Barrett

Year:

1985

Type:

Research Paper

Station:

Pacific Northwest Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2737/PNW-RP-331

Source:

Res. Pap. PNW-RP-331. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 32 p

Download (PDF 702 KB)

Download (PDF 702 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/25234.pdf

Abstract

Propagation of dwarf mistletoe in ponderosa pine saplings is little influenced by thinning overly dense stands to 250 trees per acre. Numerous plants that appear soon after thinning develop from formerly latent plants in the suppressed under-story. Subsequently, dwarf mistletoe propagates nearly as fast as tree crowns enlarge but the rate differs widely among trees. The greatest increase is in the lower third of the tree crown. Parasite abundance had no measurable effect on height growth during 21 years following thinning, and height growth was faster than ascent of the parasite in the crown. Dominant trees that had 28 percent of crown length above the highest dwarf mistletoe plant in 1956 had 62 percent above in 1974.

Keywords

thinning effects, parasites (plant), dwarf mistletoe, pre-commercial thinning, ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa, pathology (forest)

Citation

Roth, Lewis F.; Barrett, James W. 1985. Response of dwarf mistletoe-infested ponderosa pine to thinning: 2. Dwarf mistletoe propagation. Res. Pap. PNW-RP-331. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 32 p