Porcupine feeding patterns: selectivity by a generalist herbivore?

1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (12) ◽  
pp. 2107-2111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc A. Snyder ◽  
Yan B. Linhart
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Feeding Selectivity ◽  
Feeding Patterns ◽  
Generalist Herbivore ◽  
Erethizon Dorsatum ◽  
The North ◽  
Individual Trees ◽  
Monoterpene Composition

The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) is a feeding generalist, but can feed primarily on phloem of the ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) during winter months in areas of the Rocky Mountains where ponderosa pine occurs in nearly pure stands. This pine is highly variable both in resin monoterpene composition and at the allozyme level. Porcupines can girdle branches or whole trees when eating phloem, and in the process often damage or kill the trees. Trees that had been fed upon (target trees) differed biochemically and genetically from adjacent trees that had not been fed upon (nontarget trees). Target trees had lower levels of the monoterpene limonene in the xylem oleoresin than matched nontarget trees, and there was a significant negative association between levels of limonene and the amount of phloem removed from individual trees. Target trees differed only slightly from nontarget trees in allele frequencies at two of nine polymorphic loci tested. When the feeding patterns of porcupines were compared with those of a previously studied mammal that feeds primarily on the phloem of ponderosa pine, Abert's squirrel (Sciurus aberti), the level of feeding selectivity was found to be far less pronounced in the porcupine.

Prediction of delayed mortality of fire-damaged ponderosa pine following prescribed fires in eastern Oregon, USA

2006 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter G. Thies ◽  
Douglas J. Westlind ◽  
Mark Loewen ◽  
Greg Brenner
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Experimental Unit ◽  
Full Model ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Blue Mountains ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Individual Trees

Prescribed burning is a management tool used to reduce fuel loads in western interior forests. Following a burn, managers need the ability to predict the mortality of individual trees based on easily observed characteristics. Astudy was established in six stands of mixed-age ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) with scattered western junipers at the south end of the Blue Mountains near Burns, Oregon, USA. Stands were thinned in either 1994 or 1995. Three treatments, a fall burn, a spring burn, and an unburned control, were randomly assigned to 12-ha experimental units within each stand. Prescribed burns occurred during mid-October of 1997 or mid-June of 1998 and were representative of operational burns, given weather and fuel conditions. Within each experimental unit, six 0.2-ha plots were established to evaluate responses to the burns. Ponderosa pine plot trees (n =3415) alive 1 month after the burns were evaluated and observed for four growing seasons. Nine fire damage and tree morphological variables were evaluated by logistic regression. A five-factor full model and a two-factor reduced model are presented for projecting probability of mortality. Significant variables in the full model included measures of crown, bole, and basal damage.

scholarly journals Late Holocene expansion of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa ) in the Central Rocky Mountains, USA

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 778-790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jodi R. Norris ◽  
Julio L. Betancourt ◽  
Stephen T. Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Late Holocene ◽  
Central Rocky Mountains

scholarly journals Ponderosa Pine Growth Response to Soil Strength in the Volcanic Ash Soils of Central Oregon

2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert T. Parker ◽  
Douglas A. Maguire ◽  
David D. Marshall ◽  
Pat Cochran
Keyword(s):  
Tree Growth ◽  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Volcanic Ash ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Soil Strength ◽  
Individual Trees ◽  
Volcanic Ash Soils

Abstract Mechanical harvesting and associated logging activities have the capacity to compact soil across large portions of harvest units, but the influences of compaction on long-term site productivity are not well understood. Previous research in central Oregon has shown that volcanic ash soils compact readily under both compression and vibration loads, resulting in long-term alteration in soil density and a decline in tree growth. In this study, soil strength (SS) and tree growth were assessed in areas subject to repeated timber harvesting with the objective of quantifying the relationship between ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Laws.) growth and SS. Two thinning treatments (felled only versus felled and skidded) in 70- to 80-year-old ponderosa pine stands were replicated at three sites in 1991. Subsequent 5-year growth in diameter, height, and volume of residual trees were assessed with respect to SS measured by a recording penetrometer. Felled and skidded plots had 44% higher SS values than felled-only plots (P = 0.05). Although no treatment effect on growth was detected at the plot level, diameter, height, and volume growth of individual trees within plots declined significantly as average SS within a 30-ft zone of influence increased from approximately 800 to 2,500 kPa. Results show the potential use of SS measurements for monitoring impacts of harvesting operations on tree growth.

RHYACIONIA BUSHNELLI (LEPIDOPTERA: TORTRICIDAE) DAMAGED TIPS WITHIN PONDEROSA PINE: DISTRIBUTION AND SAMPLING UNIVERSE

1982 ◽  
Vol 114 (5) ◽  
pp. 403-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Ellen Dix ◽  
Daniel T. Jennings
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Accurate Estimate ◽  
Seed Source ◽  
Geographic Regions ◽  
Individual Trees

AbstractWithin individual trees in an 8-year-old provenance planting of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum Engelm.) in central Nebraska, the infestation of tips by the western pine tip moth (Rhyacionia bushnelli Busck) generally decreased with increasing tree height and varied with whorl and seed source. Trees from Eastern Plains sources were taller and had fewer infestations than trees from three other geographic regions. Sampling tips on whorls 3 through 6, 4 through 6, or 4 through 7 all give an accurate estimate of damaged tips per tree in trees less than or equal to 3.0 m high.

Role of selection versus historical isolation in racial differentiation of ponderosa pine in southern Oregon: an investigation of alternative hypotheses

2001 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 1127-1139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank C Sorensen ◽  
Nancy L Mandel ◽  
Jan E Aagaard
Keyword(s):  
Transition Zone ◽  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Cold Hardiness ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
The North ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Alternative Hypotheses ◽  
Highly Correlated

Continuous populations identified as Pacific and North Plateau races of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa P. Laws. ex C. Laws.) are parapatric along the crest of the Cascade Range in southern Oregon. A 3-year common-garden study of bud phenology and seedling vigor was performed to estimate the nature and magnitude of differentiation between races, to characterize the transition zone between them, and to relate responses between and within races to topography and climate. Principal component (PC) analyses identified two significant character complexes, PC-1 (phenological traits) and PC-2 (size traits), that explained 73% of the geographic race-related variation. The races were differentiated in two regards. First, PC-1 scores, which were highly correlated with frost-free season and summer-winter temperature differential, displayed a sharp discontinuity in the transition zone. Second, PC-2 scores were significantly correlated with physiographic and climatic variables in the North Plateau but not in the Pacific race, even though these variables had greater ranges in the latter. The data supported a narrow, adaptive transition between races for a complex of traits probably related to cold hardiness, and provided evidence that plant vigor traits were more closely adapted to environments in the North Plateau than in the Pacific region, possibly as a consequence of past climatic-stress selection in the former and competitive-stress selection in the latter.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Physical Barriers to Protect Ponderosa Pine Seedlings from Pocket Gophers

1999 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 164-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Pipas ◽  
Gary W. Witmer
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Seedling Mortality ◽  
Pocket Gophers ◽  
Thomomys Talpoides ◽  
Pine Seedlings ◽  
Physical Barriers ◽  
Growth Of Seedlings ◽  
Medium Weight ◽  
Better Than

Abstract A 2 yr study on the Rogue River and Mt. Hood National Forests in Oregon evaluated physical barriers for protection of Pinus ponderosa seedlings against damage by Thomomys talpoides. Seedlings protected with one of three weights of: (1) plastic mesh tubing (Vexar®) or (2) sandpapertubing (Durite®) were evaluated against control seedlings. On the Rogue River sites, Vexar® seedlings had the highest survival (62.6%), followed by the controls (59.1%), then Durite® seedlings (17.9%). Gophers were the primary cause of death for the Vexar® seedlings, versus desiccation for the Durite® seedlings. On the Mt. Hood sites, heavyweight Vexar® seedlings had the highest survival (35.4%), medium-weight Durite® seedlings the lowest (2.7%). Seedling mortality caused by gophers was highest for controls (70.2%), followed by light-weight (62.2%) and heavy-weight (53.9%) Vexar® treatments. Overall survival was low (Rogue River = 42%, Mt. Hood = 19.8%). Growth was greatest for the control seedlings but only significantly greater than growth of Durite® seedlings on the Rogue River sites. Growth of seedlings was not compromised by the Vexar® tubing. Although neither type of tubing was highly protective, Vexar® tubes performed better than Durite® tubes. West. J. Appl. For. 14(3):164-168.

scholarly journals Adjudicating Perspectives on Forest Structure: How Do Airborne, Terrestrial, and Mobile Lidar-Derived Estimates Compare?

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2297
Author(s):  
Jonathon J. Donager ◽  
Andrew J. Sánchez Meador ◽  
Ryan C. Blackburn
Keyword(s):  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Absolute Error ◽  
Forest Monitoring ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Structural Configurations ◽  
Individual Trees

Applications of lidar in ecosystem conservation and management continue to expand as technology has rapidly evolved. An accounting of relative accuracy and errors among lidar platforms within a range of forest types and structural configurations was needed. Within a ponderosa pine forest in northern Arizona, we compare vegetation attributes at the tree-, plot-, and stand-scales derived from three lidar platforms: fixed-wing airborne (ALS), fixed-location terrestrial (TLS), and hand-held mobile laser scanning (MLS). We present a methodology to segment individual trees from TLS and MLS datasets, incorporating eigen-value and density metrics to locate trees, then assigning point returns to trees using a graph-theory shortest-path approach. Overall, we found MLS consistently provided more accurate structural metrics at the tree- (e.g., mean absolute error for DBH in cm was 4.8, 5.0, and 9.1 for MLS, TLS and ALS, respectively) and plot-scale (e.g., R2 for field observed and lidar-derived basal area, m2 ha−1, was 0.986, 0.974, and 0.851 for MLS, TLS, and ALS, respectively) as compared to ALS and TLS. While TLS data produced estimates similar to MLS, attributes derived from TLS often underpredicted structural values due to occlusion. Additionally, ALS data provided accurate estimates of tree height for larger trees, yet consistently missed and underpredicted small trees (≤35 cm). MLS produced accurate estimates of canopy cover and landscape metrics up to 50 m from plot center. TLS tended to underpredict both canopy cover and patch metrics with constant bias due to occlusion. Taking full advantage of minimal occlusion effects, MLS data consistently provided the best individual tree and plot-based metrics, with ALS providing the best estimates for volume, biomass, and canopy cover. Overall, we found MLS data logistically simple, quickly acquirable, and accurate for small area inventories, assessments, and monitoring activities. We suggest further work exploring the active use of MLS for forest monitoring and inventory.

scholarly journals Germination, Establishment, and Mortality of Naturally Seeded Southwestern Ponderosa Pine

2003 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. Stein ◽  
Diana N. Kimberling
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Mortality Factors ◽  
Seedling Mortality ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Northern Arizona ◽  
Lepidopteran Larvae

Abstract Information on the mortality factors affecting naturally seeded conifer seedlings is becoming increasingly important to forest managers for both economic and ecological reasons. Mortality factors affecting ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) seedlings immediately following natural germination and through the following year were monitored in Northern Arizona. The four major mortality factors in temporal order included the failure of roots to establish in the soil (27%), herbivory by lepidopteran larvae (28%), desiccation (30%), and winterkill (10%). These mortality factors were compared among seedlings germinating in three different overstory densities and an experimental water treatment. Seedlings that were experimentally watered experienced greater mortality than natural seedlings due to herbivory (40%), nearly as much mortality due to the failure of roots to establish in the soil (20%), less mortality due to winterkill (5%), and no mortality due to desiccation. The seedling mortality data through time were summarized using survivorship curves and life tables. Our results suggest that managers should consider using prescribed burns to decrease the percentage of seedlings that die from failure of their roots to reach mineral soil and from attack by lepidopteran larvae. West. J. Appl. For. 18(2):109–114.

Holocene climate recorded by magnetic properties of lake sediments in the Northern Rocky Mountains, USA

The Holocene ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 479-484
Author(s):  
Daniel P Maxbauer ◽  
Mark D Shapley ◽  
Christoph E Geiss ◽  
Emi Ito
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Magnetic Properties ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Magnetic Minerals ◽  
Holocene Climate ◽  
Northern Rocky Mountains ◽  
The North ◽  
Lake Bottom ◽  
Northern Rockies

We present two hypotheses regarding the evolution of Holocene climate in the Northern Rocky Mountains that stem from a previously unpublished environmental magnetic record from Jones Lake, Montana. First, we link two distinct intervals of fining magnetic grain size (documented by an increasing ratio of anhysteretic to isothermal remanent magnetization) to the authigenic production of magnetic minerals in Jones Lake bottom waters. We propose that authigenesis in Jones Lake is limited by rates of groundwater recharge and ultimately regional hydroclimate. Second, at ~8.3 ka, magnetic grain size increases sharply, accompanied by a drop in concentration of magnetic minerals, suggesting a rapid termination of magnetic mineral authigenesis that is coeval with widespread effects of the 8.2 ka event in the North Atlantic. This association suggests a hydroclimatic response to the 8.2 ka event in the Northern Rockies that to our knowledge is not well documented. These preliminary hypotheses present compelling new ideas that we hope will both highlight the sensitivity of magnetic properties to record climate variability and attract more work by future research into aridity, hydrochemical response, and climate dynamics in the Northern Rockies.

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