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WhitebarkPineDiana F TombackUniversity of Colorado DenverNational WhitebarkPine Summit Missoula MT Nov 79 2017White Calf Mountain Glacier National Park MTView Blackfeet ReservationGlacier National Pa ID: 880902

whitebark pine seeds 000 pine whitebark 000 seeds restoration national species communities park region mountain forest seed nutcrackers trees

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1 Introduction to Whitebark Pine Diana F.
Introduction to Whitebark Pine Diana F. Tomback University of Colorado Denver National Whitebark Pine Summit, Missoula, MT, Nov . 7 - 9, 2017 White Calf Mountain, Glacier National Park, MT View: Blackfeet Reservation Glacier National Park, MT — overlooking Blackfeet Reservation Mission: 501 (c)(3) science - based organization dedicated to prom

2 oting the conservation of whitebark pin
oting the conservation of whitebark pine ecosystems through: • Education • Restoration and management • Research and development Established in 2001. Volunteer director and board. Visit us at www.whitebarkfound.org • Ecosystem services • Historical and traditional significance • Threats, status, and trends • How dependence on a bird

3 complicates restoration • Definition
complicates restoration • Definition of restoration • Conservation and restoration: call to action • Summary statements Willmore Wilderness Park, Alberta, Canada • Taxonomy • Distribution • Ecology • Foundation and keystone roles Outline of presentation Banff National Park, AB Whitebark Pine across its range Wind River Mountains, W

4 Y Sierra Nevada, CA Crater Lake NP, Cas
Y Sierra Nevada, CA Crater Lake NP, Cascades, OR Taxonomy: Pinus albicaulis Engelm . Formally described by George Engelmann in 1863 Family Pinaceae Genus Pinus Subgenus Strobus : “White” pines or “soft” pines, haploxylon Section Quinquefoliae Subsect. Strobus - “five - needle pines” (revised)* • * subsect. Strobus from combine

5 d subsects. Strobus and Cembrae Gernan
d subsects. Strobus and Cembrae Gernandt et al. 2005; Syring et al. 2007 • Phylogeny unresolved for many five - needle white pines. • Hao et al. (2015) — “…ancient and relatively recent introgressive hybridization events…particularly in northeastern Asia and northwestern North America.” Whitebark pine range • Upper subalpine and

6 treeline forest zones. • Western U.
treeline forest zones. • Western U.S. and Canada. • 37 o to 55 o N lat. • 107 o to 128 o W long. • Elevation: 900 - 3,660 m • Estimated areal coverage: Keane et al. 2012, Table 4.1 - ca. 5,770,000 ha - ca. 14,252,000 acres 2,758,000 419,000 1,805,000 119,000 669,000 0 500,000 1,000,000 1,500,000 2,000,000 2,500,000 3,000,000 Norther

7 n (Region 1) Rocky Mountain (Region 2) I
n (Region 1) Rocky Mountain (Region 2) Intermountain (Region 4) Pacific Southwest (Region 5) Pacific Northwest (Region 6) Range area (ha) Whitebark Pine Area within U.S. Forest Service Regions Total estimated area ~ 5,770,000 ha 48% 7% 31% 2% 12% Northern (Region 1) Rocky Mountain (Region 2) Intermountain (Region 4) Pacific Southwest (Region 5) Pac

8 ific Northwest (Region 6) Data from Kean
ific Northwest (Region 6) Data from Keane et al. 2012, Table 4.1 Whitebark Pine Area by Government Jurisdiction Total estimated area ~ 5,770,000 ha 0 500,000 1,000,000 1,500,000 2,000,000 2,500,000 3,000,000 Forest Service Wilderness (all agencies) National Park Service Private and State Lands Native American Tribal Lands Bureau of Land Management

9 Other (misc.) Range area (ha) 47% 10% 1%
Other (misc.) Range area (ha) 47% 10% 1% 1% 3% 38% 0% Forest Service National Park Service Bureau of Land Management Native American Tribal Lands Private and State Lands Wilderness (all agencies) Other (misc.) Data from Keane et al. 2012, Table 4.1 Whitebark pine community types • Successional communities on favorable sites, upper subalpine zone.

10 • Climax communities on exposed upper
• Climax communities on exposed upper subalpine sites. • Treeline communities on cold sites in the alpine treeline ecotone. Beartooth Plateau, WY Banff National Park, AB Grand Teton NP, WY Community types vary with site conditions: successional communities Whitebark pine is an early seral species Competitive replacement by shade - tol

11 erant species Some whitebark pine per
erant species Some whitebark pine persists into late seral community Fire or other disturbance renews early seral communities Productive sites Blackfeet Reservation, MT Climax or self - replacing communities Continuous but sparse regeneration over time Whitebark pine co - dominates or dominates the community Arid, wind - swept sites, nu

12 trient - poor soils Crater Lake NP, OR W
trient - poor soils Crater Lake NP, OR Whitebark Pine treeline communities • At upper forest edge -- alpine - treeline ecotone . • Krummholz (dwarf) and flagged growth forms • Dominant component of treeline communities on dry, windswept slopes. • Prevalent along eastern slopes, e.g., Rocky Mountains, Cascades, Sierra Nevada. • Whiteb

13 ark pine is often a tree island “init
ark pine is often a tree island “initiator.” Glacier NP, MT Clark’s Nutcracker is the primary seed disperser for whitebark pine Jasper National Park Coevolved mutualism Adaptations of whitebark pine for seed dispersal by nutcrackers • Large, wingless seeds. • Cones remain closed after seeds ripen: obligate mutualism. • Horizonta

14 lly - oriented cones on upswept branches
lly - oriented cones on upswept branches. • Seeds adapted for caching: viable for several years under soil. Don Pigott Seed dispersal by nutcrackers Nutcrackers • May carry 100 or more whitebark pine seeds in their throat pouch . • Place seeds in caches of 1 to 15 seeds. • Bury seed caches 1 to 3 cm under substrate. • Carry seeds from

15 a few meters to �32 km. • �
a few meters to �32 km. • �Store 35,000 whitebark pine seeds per year per bird. • Retrieve caches using highly accurate spatial memory. Unretrieved caches germinate, leading to regeneration. Seed dispersal by nutcrackers determines: • The distribution of whitebark pine on the landscape — elevation and topography. • Wh

16 ere whitebark pine grows locally — nut
ere whitebark pine grows locally — nutcracker cache site selection and environmental suitability. • Rise of treeline with climate change — because nutcrackers cache seeds above tree limits. Tomback and Linhart 1990 Tomback 2001 Tomback 2005 Seed dispersal by nutcrackers results in: • The “tree cluster” growth form — from multi - s

17 eed caches. • Fine - scale population
eed caches. • Fine - scale population genetic structure. • Watershed and regional population structure. Yosemite National Park, CA Mammoth Mtn., CA Mammoth Mtn., CA Stanley Glacier, Kootenay NP, BC, CA • Wide spectrum of community types. • 7 recognized SAF cover types. • High elevation wildlife habitat, shelter, and nest sites. • Seed

18 s provide wildlife food. Whitebark pine
s provide wildlife food. Whitebark pine Keystone species Promotes biodiversity Seeds as a wildlife food: birds Birds: 8 families Songbirds : • Corvids • Chickadees • Nuthatches • Crossbills • Cassin’s finches • Pine grosbeaks Other birds : • Woodpeckers • Grouse Google.com visitwesterniowa.com Ibc.lynxed.com Imgarcade.com Seeds a

19 s a wildlife food: small mammals Small M
s a wildlife food: small mammals Small Mammals: 2 families many species, examples: • Pine squirrels • Chipmunks • Deer mice • Red - backed voles S. McKinney greatlakesecho .org http://www.bentler.us/eastern - washington/animals/mammals/rodents/douglas - squirrel - lodgepole - pine - cone.jpg Seeds eaten by carnivores Large Mammals: 2 famili

20 es • Grizzly and black bears (Seeds
es • Grizzly and black bears (Seeds obtained from pine squirrel middens.) • Red fox S. Wirt Wildlifeanimalz .blogspot.com animalsadda.co, P. Hartop Whitebark pine communities as wildlife habitat Birds of prey: • Great horned owls • Red - tail hawks • Goshawks • Cooper’s hawks • Peregrine falcons Ungulates: • Bighorn sheep • M

21 ountain goats • Bison • Elk • Mule
ountain goats • Bison • Elk • Mule deer • Moose Misc. • Pine martens • Weasels • Snowshoe hares • Pika • Marmots • Coyotes • Wolves • Mountain lions • Canada lynx • Wolverines Wind River Mtns ., WY Yellowstone National Park, WY J. Myers Willmore Wilderness Park, AB, CA Whitebark pine Foundation species (Dayton 1972) “â

22 €¦ a single species that defines much of
€¦ a single species that defines much of the structure of a community by creating locally stable conditions for other species and by modulating and stabilizing fundamental ecosystem processes. ” Defines ecosystem structure and function • Early establishment after disturbance. • Fosters community development through mitigation of harsh condi

23 tions and facilitation. • Nurse tree o
tions and facilitation. • Nurse tree on harsh sites (facilitation). • Tree island initiator (facilitation). Grand Teton National Park Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Services • High elevation forests and treeline communities redistribute and retain snow. • Shade from these forests slows summer snowmelt, regulating downstream flow. • Roots sta

24 bilize soil, reducing soil erosion. •
bilize soil, reducing soil erosion. • Trees stabilize snow, reducing avalanche hazard. Wind River Mtns ., WY Blackfeet Indian Reservation, MT Role of treeline communities in snow redistribution and retention (Fig. 6 from Tomback et al. 2016) Historical and spiritual significance Whitebark pine and Clark’s nutcracker not known to European set

25 tlers until the Lewis and Clark Expediti
tlers until the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 1803 - 1806. • September 6, 1805: Expedition (Clark) observed “ whitebark pine” within a high elevation mixed coniferous forest, as the men struggled to cross the Bitterroot Mountains into Idaho during an early season snowstorm. • August 22, 1805: Clark first observed the Clark’s nutcracker.

26 He wrote a brief description . “I Sa
He wrote a brief description . “I Saw to day Bird of the wood pecker kind which fed on Pine burs its Bill and tale white the wings black every other part of a light brown, and about the Size of a robin. ” • May 28, 1806: Lewis shot a nutcracker on the return trip. He described it in some detail. The specimen later was formally named for

27 Clark by Alexander Wilson. There is an
Clark by Alexander Wilson. There is an especially powerful symbolism associated with trees: • Whitebark pine signifies endurance, stoicism, timelessness to mountain visitors. Traditional and cultural significance ( Moerman 1998, 2009) Provisioning services: Native American/First Nations use of whitebark pine as a food resource Seeds • Cook

28 ed in hot ashes or roasted, eaten or sto
ed in hot ashes or roasted, eaten or stored. • Dried seeds mixed with serviceberries & stored. • Ground to make mush. Inner bark as food • Roasted or raw. • Probably under - reported for all pines. D. Pigott Threats, status, and trends Henderson Mtn., Custer Gallatin NF, MT The four major threats to whitebark pine • Cronartium ribicola â

29 €” fungal pathogen that causes white pi
€” fungal pathogen that causes white pine blister rust. • Mountain pine beetle ( Dendroctonus ponderosae ) outbreaks. • Altered fire regimes — successional replacement from fire exclusion actions. • Climate warming — driving bark beetle outbreaks, drought stress and mortality, larger, more frequent, and severe fires. https://imgur.com/

30 gallery/OPa7e https://en.wikipedia.org/w
gallery/OPa7e https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_pine_beetle White Pine Blister rust (WPBR): an exotic disease naturalized to North America • Accidental introduction(s) to the Northwest around 1910. • First detected in PNW in1921. • Conditions (pine hosts, alternate host Ribes spp., and climate) highly favorable to its spread. • Conti

31 nues to spread geographically and inten
nues to spread geographically and intensify locally. • Now in regions once believed to be too cold, warm, or dry. • Spread facilitated by wave years . U. S. distribution of WPBR U S Forest Service, Forest Health Protection Key points concerning WPBR Geils et al. 2010, Benedict 1981, Kendall and Asebrok 1998 • All age classes vulnerable

32 to WPBR, seedlings to mature trees. •
to WPBR, seedlings to mature trees. • Sporulating cankers in branches kill branches and reduce cone production and photosynthetic biomass; cankers in stems usually kill trees. • Whitebark pine populations are very susceptible; frequency of genetic resistance varies geographically. Effort to control early in process through removal of altern

33 ate host Ribes spp. USDA Office of Bli
ate host Ribes spp. USDA Office of Blister Rust control created in 1916; later administered within the U.S. Forest Service. • Cultivated currant ( Ribes nigrum ) banned. • Cost of Ribes removal in 1916 was 0$0.42/acre. • Federal funds were $400,000/ yr from 1916 - 1939. • Ribes control began around 1924 in the West. Later, fungicides tri

34 ed. • Realization that the program was
ed. • Realization that the program was non - effective in the West by the 1940’s. • Yellowstone among the last regions to apply control, 1945 - 1978. • Most extensive disease control effort in American forestry: Total cost of effort was about $100 million. (about $60 million in the West). • $150 million in 1994 dollars 0% Estimated percen

35 t blister rust infection across each r
t blister rust infection across each region in Mountain Pine Beetle 20 year outbreak Mountain pine beetle MPB mortality in whitebark pine • Major losses of mature, cone - bearing trees over two decades. • Loss of trees resistant to WPBR . • Some research shows preference by MPB for trees weakened by WPBR. • Outbreak still active: dim

36 inishing in Rockies, active in Pacific
inishing in Rockies, active in Pacific distribution. Whitebark Pine Mortality from MPB 1997 - 2016 45,891 85,257 91,037 218,121 679,372 939,450 1,088,748 - 200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000 1,000,000 1,200,000 NV CA OR WA ID MT WY 1997 - 2016 Cumulative Whitebark Pine MPB Footprint: Total 3,147,876 Acres (~25% range) 0 5000 10000 150

37 00 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000 45000 1
00 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000 45000 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Whitebark Pine MPB ADS Acres by Year 1997 - 2016 California Nevada Oregon Washington 0 50000 100000 150000 200000 250000 300000 350000 400000 450000 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

38 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Whit
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Whitebark Pine MPB ADS Acres by Year 1997 - 2016 Idaho Wyoming Montana Fire exclusion leads to advancing succession • Aggressive fire exclusion since early 20 th century. • Altered fire regimes have led to successional replacement of whitebark pine in several regions. ( Warwell et al. 2007) Climate change

39 and whitebark pine • Predictions ba
and whitebark pine • Predictions based on Species Distribution Models (Bioclimatic Envelope Models): WP upwards and northwards. • We do need to consider climate change in restoration actions. We need to add cc mitigation to restoration: • Rely on resilience in established whitebark pine. • Find local refugia. • Use genetic div

40 ersity. McKinney and Tomback 2007, McKin
ersity. McKinney and Tomback 2007, McKinney et al. 2009, Barringer et al. 2012 Combined data: McKinny et al. 2009 Barringer et al. 2012 Probability of nutcracker visitation vs. cone production: Consequences of an obligate mutualism Summary points: • Nutcrackers are energy - sensitive foragers. • As whitebark pine health declines, cone pro

41 duction declines. • Leads to dispropor
duction declines. • Leads to disproportionate loss of seeds to pre - dispersal seed predation (red squirrels and nutcrackers). • The probability of nutcracker stand visitation declines rapidly below ~1000 cones per ha (but at a landscape scale). This is why genetic resistance in whitebark pine cannot spread without management intervention.

42 • In July 2011, whitebark pine was na
• In July 2011, whitebark pine was named a Candidate Species for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Cited: blister rust, mountain pine beetles, fire exclusion, climate change. • In June 2012, whitebark pine was listed as endangered in Canada under the Species at Risk Act with the same factors cited. • Whitebark pine, the high el

43 evation keystone and foundation species,
evation keystone and foundation species, is declining rapidly from a convergence of threats. • There is no evidence to indicate that in the few areas where whitebark pine is relatively healthy, it will stay healthy. WPBR is spreading = fact. • The loss of whitebark pine has immense implications for high elevation biodiversity and ecosystem se

44 rvices — and our country’s natural h
rvices — and our country’s natural heritage. What do we stand to lose? Hope: Whitebark pine restoration • Speed up natural selection by developing and planting blister - rust resistant seedlings. • Replace the seed dispersal services of nutcrackers. • Protect against MPB; reset succession; mitigate climate change. Rob Mutch The overa

45 rching goal of whitebark pine conserva
rching goal of whitebark pine conservation and restoration is to develop and sustain healthy and resilient whitebark pine communities in the face of current and future challenges. The National Whitebark Pine Restoration Plan We have the knowledge and the tools: • This restoration plan will take more than a year to assemble. • It can provi

46 de a blueprint for restoration that acc
de a blueprint for restoration that accommodates change and new information. • It can guide restoration until the job is done . Two key statements (see Restoration Management Actions for Whitebark Pine Ecosystems: Best Management Practices) • Cronartium ribicola , infectious only to five - needle white pines and its alternate hosts, is curre

47 ntly and potentially the most persistent
ntly and potentially the most persistent and widely distributed threat to whitebark pine populations, affecting seedlings, saplings and mature trees. The combination of WPBR and MPB reduces seed production and accelerates population losses. • In stands where genetic resistance has increased through planting, direct seed sowing, or natural rege

48 neration, and trees reach maturity, pot
neration, and trees reach maturity, potentially nutcrackers will spread resistance by caching seeds in adjacent areas and to distances as great as 30 km. This concept is fundamental to devising a core area restoration plan. Thanks to • Gregg DeNitto , Annalisa Ingegno - R1 Forest Health Protection • Jeanine Paschke - Forest Health Assessm

49 ent & Applied Sciences Team, Ft. Collin
ent & Applied Sciences Team, Ft. Collins • Bob Keane, Molly Retzlaff - Missoula Fire Sciences Lab • Leslie Weldon, David Gwaze , and others in the USFS WO for support of the national restoration plan concept. • WPEF BOD members for their help and support. • Many research colleagues and students over the years. Thanks to you all for yo