Return of the giants: Restoring white pine ecosystems by breeding and aggressive planting of blister rust-resistant white pines

Abstract

In 1883, when the Northern Pacific Railroad made its way through northern Idaho, western white pines dominated the moist, mid-elevation, mixed-species forests of the Inland Northwest between 2,000 and 6,000 feet. These majestic trees often lived to 350 years but could reach the ripe old ages of 400 and even 500 years. They were an integral part of the most productive forests in the region, providing habitat for a highly diverse mixture of organisms, from the smallest microbes to lichens, higher plants, and animals.

Citation

Fins, Lauren; Byler, James; Ferguson, Dennis; Harvey, Al; Mahalovich, Mary Francis; McDonald, Geral I.; Miller, Dan; Schwandt, John; Zack, Art. 2001. Return of the giants: Restoring white pine ecosystems by breeding and aggressive planting of blister rust-resistant white pines. Station Bulletin 72. Moscow, ID: University of Idaho, Wildlife and Range Experiment Station. 21 p.