Longevity of windthrown logs in a subalpine forest of central Colorado

1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 932-936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter M Brown ◽  
Wayne D Shepperd ◽  
Stephen A Mata ◽  
Douglas L McClain
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Subalpine Forest ◽  
Primary Study ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Central Rocky Mountains ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Cross Dating

The number of years since tree death for wind-thrown logs of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm.) and Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry) was used to examine the longevity of this component of coarse woody debris in an old-growth subalpine forest in the central Rocky Mountains. Death dates of downed logs were determined by dendrochronological cross-dating methods. We were able to determine death dates for 73 logs from both species, the oldest being a lodgepole pine dead 139 years ago. Sound lodgepole pine and Engelmann spruce logs lying on the ground persisted for many decades with a majority of their volume intact. No difference was seen in decay classes of logs collected from two primary study sites on opposite (north and south) exposures. There was also no significant difference in decay classes between the two species, although lodgepole pine logs were in general older than Engelmann spruce logs within any decay class. There was little decrease in the specific gravity of wood remaining in logs with time, although there was a corresponding greater loss of wood volume.

scholarly journals Recolonization of Substrates Burned in the 1988 Yellowstone Park Fires by Cryptogams (Lichens, Mosses, Fungi)

2001 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 113-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Eversman
Keyword(s):  
Vascular Plants ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Picea Engelmannii ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Seed Sources ◽  
Initial Return ◽  
Forested Areas ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
One Year

The fires of 1988 in Yellowstone National Park burned 1.1 million acres (1719.4 square miles) within the park boundaries, about 44.5% of the park. Six per cent of the area burned was meadow­grassland and 94% was forests. Most of the forested areas that burned were dominated by lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud), with smaller tracts of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco)), Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry) and whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelm.). The burns were mosaic in nature, leaving different sizes of areas severely burned, moderately burned and unburned, and adjacent patches of mostly ground fires, mostly canopy fires, both ground and canopy fires or unburned stands (Rothermel et al., 1994). Many park projects have documented recovery of vascular plants, especially lodgepole pine and the understory perennials (Anderson & Romme, 1991; Baskin, 1999; Foster, et al, 1999; Reed, et al ,1999; Tomback, et al, 2001; Turner et al, 1994, 1997). The conclusions were that lodgepole pine has regenerated itself, as expected, from seed sources in adjacent unburned patches. Herbaceous and shrubby understory regeneration has depended primarily on the plants that were present at the study sites before the fires, with regrowth from surviving underground parts as well as from nearby seed sources. This study investigates the initial return of non-vascular vegetation, lichens and mosses, all of which were presumably destroyed when their substrates were burned. None of the other Yellowstone studies included cryptogam observations. Studies concentrating on recolonizing cryptogamic crusts, including mosses, algae and lichens, on dryland soil after fires, have occurred in Utah (Johansen, et al, 1984) and Australia (Eldridge & Bradstock, 1994). Algae tended to return before lichens and mosses, especially during wet years, and after five years the lichens and mosses were recovering but not yet to pre-burn cover. Researchers have found that, on limestone, two lichen species colonized after four years. Thomas, et al. (1994) found that Ceratodon purpureus appeared to be insensitive to pH differences of burned peat surfaces and readily colonized ashed surfaces within one year after fire; Polytrichum piliferum was dominant after three years.

scholarly journals Potentials of Natural Tree Regeneration after Clearcutting in Subalpine Forests

2008 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juergen Kreyling ◽  
Andreas Schmiedinger ◽  
Ellen Macdonald ◽  
Carl Beiekuhnlein
Keyword(s):  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Tree Regeneration ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Tree Seedling ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Understory Plant

Abstract Regeneration of interior mountain forests still is not adequately understood, although these forests are subject to intensified use over the last decades. We examined factors influencing the success of natural tree regeneration after harvesting in the Engelmann spruce–subalpine fir zone of the Monashee Mountains, British Columbia, Canada. Distance from the forest edge was an important factor for regeneration; at distances exceeding 70 m from the forest edge only 50% of plots showed sufficient natural regeneration to meet stocking targets compared with 90% of plots closer to forest edges. Seedling density and growth were superior in the more protected southern portions of clearcuts. Seedling growth was less in plots containing high cover of downed woody debris. There was no relationship between understory plant diversity or composition and tree seedling regeneration. However, cover of fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) had a significant negative relationship with density but not growth of tree seedlings, particularly for lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia). Cover of fireweed decline substantially within the first 10 years after clearcutting. We conclude that natural regeneration of trees has potential to help achieve stocking targets and also to maintain natural diversity of tree species if spatial constraints, especially thresholds in clearcut size, are considered.

Blowdown and stand development in a Colorado subalpine forest

1989 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 1218-1225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas T. Veblen ◽  
Keith S. Hadley ◽  
Marion S. Reid ◽  
Alan J. Rebertus
Keyword(s):  
18Th Century ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Colorado Front Range ◽  
Subalpine Forest ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Front Range ◽  
Southern Rocky Mountains ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Shade Tolerant Species

Stand development of a subalpine forest in the Colorado Front Range following a ca. 15-ha blowdown was examined by analyzing tree population age structures and radial growth patterns. The stand studied was initiated by a fire at the start of the 18th century and was dominated by a dense population of lodgepole pine (Pinuscontorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm.) at the time of blowdown in 1973. Before the blowdown, the subcanopy was characterized by abundant subalpine fir (Abieslasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) and scarce Engelmann spruce (Piceaengelmannii (Parry) Engelm.). Comparison with an adjacent control stand, affected only slightly by the blowdown, indicates that new seedling establishment following the blowdown was slight. Instead, the response was dominated by the release of the subcanopy fir and spruce, resulting in acceleration of the successional replacement of lodgepole pine by these shade-tolerant species. Given the >300 years required for an old-growth fir and spruce stand to develop following catastrophic fire, the likelihood of a major canopy disturbance in the form of blowdown and (or) lethal insect attack is high and should be explicitly incorporated into general explanations of stand development of subalpine forests in the southern Rocky Mountains.

Ectomycorrhizas of regenerating stands of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta)

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 218-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
S M Bradbury ◽  
R M Danielson ◽  
S Visser
Keyword(s):  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Fruit Body ◽  
Weighted Average ◽  
Cenococcum Geophilum ◽  
Root Tips ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Pine Trees ◽  
Study Sites

The ectomycorrhizal community associated with regenerating lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Loud.) after clear-cutting in southwestern Alberta was investigated in 6-, 10-, and 19-year-old cut blocks and their adjacent 90-year-old undisturbed control stands. Twenty different mycorrhizal taxa were found in the 90-year-old undisturbed stands. Of these 20, 13 mycorrhizal taxa were found in the 6-year-old cut blocks, and 15 mycorrhizal taxa were found in both the 10- and 19-year-old cut blocks. The most common associate of all stand ages was Mycelium radicis atrovirens Melin (MRA), which overall colonized 29% (weighted average) of the root tips. Species or groups accounting for greater than 10% of the mycorrhizas in one or more age classes included Piloderma fallax (Karst.) Jül. (15% overall), Piloderma byssinum (Karst.) Jül. (11%), Cenococcum geophilum L. (8%), Russula-like (8%), Suillus brevipes (Pk.) Kuntze (5%), Suillus tomentosus (Kauff.) Sing., Snell & Dick (5%), and Lactarius deliciosus (L.:Fr.) S.F. Gray (2%). Although several mycorrhizal fungi exhibited significant differences in percent relative abundance of root tips colonized, when comparing cut blocks to their controls, there was no evidence to suggest that the suite of mycorrhizal fungi colonizing roots of young lodgepole pine trees was replaced by a different suite of mycorrhizal fungi in mature stands. Extensive fruit body collections, totalling 43 species of ectomycorrhizal fungi, throughout the study sites support this contention.Key words: Pinus contorta ectomycorrhizas, clear-cutting, second-rotation forests, succession.

Microhabitat comparisons of transpiration and photosynthesis in three subalpine conifers

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 963-969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory A. Carter ◽  
William K. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Photosynthetic Performance ◽  
Leaf Conductance ◽  
Forest Understory ◽  
Subalpine Forest ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Central Rocky Mountains

Differences in water and photosynthetic relations were compared for three codominant conifers (Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmaniï), subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) at microhabitats within a subalpine forest (central Rocky Mountains, U.S.A.) that were considered representative of different successional stages. Diumal measurements of photosynthesis, leaf conductance, and transpiration were taken at microhabitats considered early-successional (open), intermediate (forest gap), and late-successional (forest understory) environments to evaluate possible influences of gas-exchange physiology in observed distributional and successional patterns. Pine had greater water-use efficiency (photosynthesis/transpiration) in early- versus late-successional environments, primarily as a result of a lower leaf conductance and transpiration. Photosynthetic performance was similar among all three species at each respective microhabitat and increased as the openness of the microhabitat increased. Greater water-use efficiency may significantly improve the growth of pine over spruce and fir on more open, drier sites at lower elevation. Higher transpiration in spruce and fir may limit these species to higher elevation sites, to understory sites at middle elevations, and to moister open sites at lower elevations (e.g., riparian sites).

Protein and caloric content of lodge pole pine needles

1968 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 28-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Boag ◽  
J. W. Kiceniuk
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Pine Needles ◽  
Caloric Content ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
A Site

The level of crude protein and the caloric content of the needles of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) were investigated. Crude protein levels averaged 4.52 per cent of air-dry weight. No significant difference could be demonstrated in protein levels between samples taken,1) in May and November2) at 6,300 and 5,700 feet altitude, and3) from old and young trees growing on the same site.No evidence of changed protein levels was found in samples taken from trees growing on a site burned intensively 20 years previously. Caloric content of lodgepole pine needles averaged 4,973 calories per gram. Caloric values did not differ significantly between trees growing on the same and different sites.

Changes in litter and dead wood loads following tree death beneath subalpine conifer species in northern Colorado

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christof Bigler ◽  
Thomas T. Veblen
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Tree Mortality ◽  
Dead Wood ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Subalpine Forest ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
Climate Trends ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Northern Colorado

Litter and dead wood affect important processes in forest ecosystems such as nutrient and carbon cycling and are key influences on biodiversity and fire behavior. Increased tree mortality rates in western North America associated with climate trends and increased bark beetle activity highlight the need to better understand the dynamics of litter and dead wood following tree death. For eight old-growth stands in a subalpine forest landscape in northern Colorado (USA), we compared litter and dead wood loads beneath more than 200 dead and live Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.), subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.), and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon). The dynamics of litter and dead wood were analyzed using chronosequences of tree death dates over >100 years that we determined from tree rings. Immediately following tree death, high loads of litter accumulated, particularly for the biggest spruces, which accumulated 10 times more litter than live spruces (five times more for fir, two times more for pine). We estimated a higher decay rate of litter for spruce (half-life of four years) than for pine (15 years) and fir (19 years). The accumulation rates for dead wood following tree death were highly variable among trees, but maximum accumulation was attained during the first 50–60 years.

scholarly journals Decline of planted lodgepole pine in the southern interior of British Columbia

2010 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 484-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Jean Mather ◽  
Suzanne W. Simard ◽  
Jean L. Heineman ◽  
Donald L. Sachs
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Summer Precipitation ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Natural Occurrence ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Moisture Regimes

Lodgepole pine is extensively planted across western Canada but little is known about development of these stands beyond the juvenile stage. We quantified stocking status and damage incidence in sixty-six 15- to 30-year-old lodgepole pine plantations that had previously been declared free-growing in the southern interior of British Columbia. The stands were located in six biogeoclimatic zones: Engelmann Spruce-Subalpine Fir (ESSF), Montane Spruce (MS), Interior Cedar-Hemlock (ICH), Interior Douglas-fir (IDF), Sub-Boreal Spruce (SBS), and Sub-Boreal Pine-Spruce (SBPS). Free-growing standards were no longer met on 27% of plantations, with the worst performance (70% no longer free-growing) in the Interior Cedar-Hemlock forests. Natural regeneration was common but it was half the size of lodgepole pine. Biotic damage, especially hard pine stem rusts, was the dominant factor reducing free-growing densities. Stands were at greater risk of reduced stocking where summer precipitation was higher or soil moisture regimes were wetter and where stands had been broadcast-burned prior to planting or received secondary treatments of brushing or pruning. Reforestation policies that encourage widespread planting of lodgepole pine, particularly in areas where lodgepole pine has limited natural occurrence such as in the ICH zone, should be reconsidered given that health problems are extensive and are expected to increase with climate change.Key words: Pinus contorta, lodgepole pine, free-growing, stocking, forest health, damage, disease

scholarly journals Seed Stratification of Engelmann Spruce and Lodgepole Pine: The Effect of Stratification Duration and Timing of Surface-drying

1986 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 147-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuomi Tanaka ◽  
L. M. Harper ◽  
N. J. Kleyn
Keyword(s):  
Key Words ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Picea Engelmannii ◽  
Cool Temperature ◽  
Standard Temperature ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Surface Drying ◽  
Picea Engelmanni

Based on the speed and completeness of laboratory germination and nursery bed emergence, the present study showed that for both Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii [Parry] Engelmann) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl.): (1) longer stratification generally improved the rate, and in some cases completeness, of germination more so under a cool temperature (15 °C/5 °C) regime than under a warm, standard temperature (30 °C/20 °C) regime emphasizing its importance for early spring outdoor sowing under suboptimal germination temperatures, (2) for a given stratification period, surface-drying at the end of stratification was at least as effective as surface-drying prior to or during stratification, and (3) stratification periods of 6 weeks or longer were generally the most effective. A 6- to 8-week stratification with seeds surface-dried at the end of stratification is recommended for nursery sowing of both species. Key Words: stratification, pinus contorta, Picea engelmanni, laboratory germination, nursery bed emergence.

Stable isotope tracing of fertilizer sulphur uptake by lodgepole pine: foliar responses

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 493-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. T. Sanborn ◽  
R. P. Brockley ◽  
B. Mayer
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Isotopic Analysis ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Isotope Tracer ◽  
S Uptake ◽  
Stable S Isotopes ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Sulphur Uptake

A plot-scale fertilizer sulphur (S) stable isotope tracer study was established in 2001 in the Sub-Boreal Spruce biogeoclimatic zone in central interior British Columbia where S deficiencies are common in lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Wats.) stands. Treatments used operationally realistic applications of 300 kg N·ha–1 as urea and 100 kg S·ha–1 as either sulphate (SO4) or elemental S (S0). δ34S values of fertilizer S differed by >9‰ from pretreatment δ34S values of total S in foliage at the two study sites (5.2‰ and 8.2‰). These differences enabled quantification of fertilizer uptake using isotopic analysis of post-treatment foliar S. Addition of K2SO4 with δ34S of +17.5‰ increased foliar δ34S by 3.5‰ and 6.6‰ at the two sites, respectively, in the year after treatment, indicating fertilizer contributions >40% to foliar total S. For a S0 fertilizer application with a δ34S value of +19.3‰, foliar δ34S increases were smaller but steadily increased, resulting in an average tracer S uptake of ~20% over three years. These results confirmed the more rapid availability of S from SO4-based fertilizers and demonstrated the feasibility of field tracer experiments using stable S isotopes at natural abundance levels.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document