Proactive limber pine conservation strategy for the Greater Rocky Mountain National Park Area - an overview

Abstract

Ecological condition and context determine the likelihood of success of management interventions to mitigate impacts of white pine blister rust (WPBR) (Schoettle et al. 2019a). In populations heavily impacted by WPBR, the remaining seed trees may be too few to support natural regeneration even with management intervention. Likewise, rust pressure can be so high that it will overcome the expression of WPBR-resistance, reducing the efficacy of planting with resistant stock. Management has a low probability of successfully rebuilding a population under these conditions (Keane and Schoettle 2011); focusing less on these areas in favor of managing areas with less rust pressure may be a better investment. In threatened or less impacted populations, regeneration management, whether it be planting genetically resistant seedling stock, maintaining and augmenting the size of the pine populations, or generating a diverse mosaic of stand ages across a landscape, can provide and position young seedlings to begin to mature to help offset mortality of the reproductive overstory trees as the disease intensifies over time (Schoettle and Sniezko 2007).

Citation

Schoettle, Anna W.; Burns, Kelly S.; Cleaver, Christy M.; Verhulst, Brian; Connor, J. Jeff. 2020. Proactive limber pine conservation strategy for the Greater Rocky Mountain National Park Area - an overview. Nutcracker Notes. 38: 15-16, 30.