24th congress for conservation biology, canada 2010
DESCRIPTION
Regeneration and growth of Lodgepole Pine stands Following Mountain Pine Beetle Attack in Central British ColumbiaTRANSCRIPT
1Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program (UNBC) | Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris Hawkins04/10/23
Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris HawkinsMixedwood Ecology and Management Program
University of Northern British Columbia, BC
Regeneration and growth of Lodgepole Pine stands Following Mountain Pine Beetle Attack in
Central British Columbia
2Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program (UNBC) | Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris Hawkins04/10/23
Introduction
The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) (MPB) the most damaging biotic disturbance agent in mature lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) in BC.
The MPB typically attacks - larger trees with diameter at breast height > 20 cm and trees
above 60 years old- but younger tree (age even < 20 years) also attack if mature
trees are not available
The current infestation of lodgepole pine by the MPB in BC:
- over 9.0 million hectares - around 635 million m3 of mature pine killed in BC to the end of 2007
- predicted more than 800 million m3 mature pine will be killed bythe end of 2013
3Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program (UNBC) | Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris Hawkins04/10/23
MPB infestation in BC : 2003-2013
Routledge 2004
4Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program (UNBC) | Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris Hawkins04/10/23
Loss of mature pine in BC during the year of 1999 to 2013
Hawkins 2006
Mountain pine beetle infestation and projection (Hawkins 2010)
Projected: 80%/ 70% of mature pine killed by 2013/2017
5Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program (UNBC) | Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris Hawkins04/10/23
Change in the landscape
6Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program (UNBC) | Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris Hawkins04/10/23
Reasons for regeneration study
Regeneration and rates of growth (release) in MPB attacked stands are important because:
- forecasting the long-term prospects of these stands
- selecting stands for silvicultural treatments to improve yield
- forecasting impacts to hydrology, habitat, and vegetation types
7Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program (UNBC) | Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris Hawkins04/10/23
Factors affecting regeneration
Factors affecting the growth and development of regeneration after MPB outbreak:
- overstory structure
- moisture content of the soil - availability of seedbed substrates
- dominancy of mosses on forest floor- proximity and abundance of parent seed trees
NB:further investigations on factors influencing the establishment of regeneration are required as different research findings found different results (Dhar and Hawkins , submitted)
8Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program (UNBC) | Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris Hawkins04/10/23
Regenerative species composition in MPB attack stands
The most common shade tolerant species
The most common shade intolerant species
1) Lodgepole pine ((Pinus contorta Dougl. Ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) 2) Trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), or3) Paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh)
1) Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirbel] Franco), 2) Hybrid spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss x P. englemanii Parry)3) Subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa [Hook.] Nutt.)
9Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program (UNBC) | Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris Hawkins04/10/23
Regeneration density and distribution
Recent investigations on regeneration and their basic attributes for MPB attacked stands in BC
Geographic Area and BEC No. of Samples
Age sampled
Density Distribution Data holder
Northern Interior 35 - low patchy Coates 2008Flathead area, 22 70 low patchy
Pantage Creek (SBS dw2) 12 28 high wideStatland 2008
Takysie Lake (SBS dk) 15 79 high wide
SBSdw3, SBSmc3,SBSdk 50 - high - Delong et al. 2008
IDF, SBPS and SBS zone 56 - high - Zumrawi et.al. 2008
MSxk2, MSdm3, IDFdk1, IDFdk2 167 - moderate clumpy Vyse 2008
MS , Merritt 28 - high clumpy Nigh et al. 2006
Lakes TSA, SBSdk 302 100+ low sparse Rakochy 2005
SBS 6 subzones, 525 60-250 low variable Balliet et al. submitted
SBSdk, SBSmc, SBSdw, SBSmc 500 80 variable - Burton & Brooks 2008
10Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program (UNBC) | Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris Hawkins04/10/23
Regeneration density in different investigations
St-1= Burton and Brooks (2007); St-2= Coates et al. (2006); St-3= Nigh et al. (2008); St-4= Balliet et al. (submitted); St-5= Vyse et al. (2009); St-6= Burton (2006)
Investigations
Abundance of regeneration reported in different investigation
11Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program (UNBC) | Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris Hawkins04/10/23
Regeneration study Statland (2008)Regeneration study Hawkes (2008)Regeneration study Vyse(2008)
Regeneration study Hawkins (2006)Regeneration study Hawkins (2006)Regeneration study Vyse (2008)
Regeneration distribution in different investigations
12Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program (UNBC) | Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris Hawkins04/10/23
Health of regeneration
The health of regeneration mostly influenced by:
Abiotic: • soil moisture content• falling branches and stems
Biotic: • browsing by animals • mistletoe infestation
Regeneration health in MPB attacked stands • Health of advanced regeneration in Pantage Creek and Takysie
Lake were of good to medium quality (Statland 2008) • 50 % of advanced regeneration was healthy following MPB attack
in the SBSdk (Rakochy 2005) • Regeneration in central British Columbia was healthy and vigorous
at the time of assessment (Balliet and Hawkins, submitted)
13Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program (UNBC) | Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris Hawkins04/10/23
Change of MPB attacked forest in 25 years time
19832008
Hawkes 2008
14Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program (UNBC) | Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris Hawkins04/10/23
Models
SORTIE-ND PrognosisBC Hybrid
Processed-based approach Empirically-based functions Combination of SORTIE-ND and PrognosisBC
Strength:1.It lies in ability to parameterize sub-models (growth, mortality, recruitment) using field data.2.A distinct strength of SORTIE-ND is the liberty with which new predictive equations can be added to the freely available source code
Strength:1). The extensive use of PSP data to calibrate the
growth equations to even and complex stands 2). The use of site and climate factors (e.g., slope
aspect, elevation) to adjust model predictions 3). The ability to accept a tree-lists from a variety
of inventory formats4) It lies in empirical growth Models calibrated
using permanent sample plots.
Strength:1.It combines the strengths of SORTIE-ND and PrognosisBC
Major Limitation: 1)Physiological approach to modeling growth tends to sacrifice precision2)Less clear, 3)and tree-lists in SORTIE-ND are not updated to match tree lists in PrognosisBC
Major Limitation:1.natural regeneration sub-model is required in PrognosisBC
2.There is no any well suited sub model and 3)PrognosisBC content longer list than SORTIE-ND
Major Limitation: 1) high variability between measured and observed regeneration 2)could not apply toa wider set of starting stand conditions,3) poor result
15Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program (UNBC) | Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris Hawkins04/10/23
Knowledge gap
There are a number of important gaps in our knowledge relating to factors affecting advanced regeneration and residual trees of MPB attacked stands.
a) Secondary stand structure- Predict ecological degradation - Predict factors which directly influence the survival ability - Predict substrate and abiotic conditions favourable for germination- Compare the germination and growth amongst different biogeoclimatic subzones- Predict the release response of competing, non crop tree vegetation
b) Management- Set priorities for which stands to target for management activities- Determine the economic health of secondary stand structure - Develop the most cost efficient management activities- Determine the management strategy to reduce the risk of future MPB outbreaks
16Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program (UNBC) | Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris Hawkins04/10/23
Knowledge gap
e) Knowledge management- Determine the effective processes of knowledge transfer from one region to another- Describe the influence of human intervention on the current MPB outbreak
c) Modeling- Incorporate forest health issues into stand level modeling- Identify limitations of models and modify them for more accurate prediction- Incorporate the impact of climate change into models for better prediction
d) Climate change- Forecast the impact of climate change on stand development- Determine the impact of climate change on current preferred and acceptable species- Establish permanent sample plots to track changes over of forest- Collect different climatic factors to predict MPB dispersal more accurately - Determine the impact of global warming on MPB survival, virulence, and distribution
17Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program (UNBC) | Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris Hawkins04/10/23
Acknowledgements
For financial support: FSP project G095048
The authors would like to thanks all participants, who shared their presentations during the workshop, and the field tour discussion groups
Amalesh Dhar, Mixedwood Ecology and Management ProgramUniversity of Northern British Columbia3333 University WayPrince George, BC, Canada V2N 4Z9Email: [email protected]: +1-250-960-5778
18Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program (UNBC) | Amalesh Dhar, Nicole Balliet, Chris Hawkins04/10/23
Thank you