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Abstract
The interplay of past management practices, higher temperatures, extended drought, and insectoutbreaks has resulted in unprecedented levels of tree mortality across the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains ofCalifornia. To characterize patterns in tree mortality, we collected repeated forest measurements on 255 variableradiusplots during 2015 and 2016. From initial measurements in spring 2015, sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) andponderosa pine (P. ponderosa) mortality increased from 30 percent to 80 percent by summer 2016. Incense cedar(Calocedrus decurrens) mortality remained relatively stable in 2015 but increased to 40 percent in summer 2016.There were positive relationships for live crown ratios and survivorship for both sugar pine and white fir (Abiesconcolor). In addition, there was a positive effect of diameter on survivorship for ponderosa pine in spring 2015;however, this relationship was reversed in summer 2016. Our results indicate that the effects of this mortalityevent were variable among species with initial survivorship positively related to tree size.
Parent Publication
Citation
Pile, Lauren S.; Meyer, Marc D.; Rojas, Ramiro; Roe, Olivia. 2018. Characterizing tree morality after extreme drought and insect outbreaks in the southern Sierra Nevada. In: Kirschman, Julia E., comp. 2018. Proceedings of the 19th biennial southern silvicultural research conference. e-General Technical Report SRS- 234. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 444 p. (pages 89-96).
