T
T
T
Treesearch

Protecting whitebark pines through a mountain pine beetle epidemic with verbenone-is it working?

Informally Refereed
Download (PDF 238 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/38205.pdf

Abstract

We initiated a multi-year project to protect individual cone-bearing whitebark pines (Pinus albicaulis) from mountain pine beetle (MPB), Dendroctonus ponderosae (Hopkins), attack with the anti-aggregating pheromone, verbenone (4,5,5-trimethylbicyclo [3.1.1] hept-3-en-2-one). Our objective was to protect trees through the course of the epidemic that began ca. 2000 in central Idaho. The study population was a subalpine stand of whitebark pine at 9,400 feet elevation near Clayton, ID. Associated conifer species included lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir and subalpine fir.

Parent Publication

Citation

Perkins, Dana L.; Jorgensen, Carl L.; Rinella, Matt. 2011. Protecting whitebark pines through a mountain pine beetle epidemic with verbenone-is it working? In: Keane, Robert E.; Tomback, Diana F.; Murray, Michael P.; Smith, Cyndi M., eds. The future of high-elevation, five-needle white pines in Western North America: Proceedings of the High Five Symposium. 28-30 June 2010; Missoula, MT. Proceedings RMRS-P-63. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 94-95.