interagency whitebark pine health monitoring program for the greater yellowstone ecosystem...
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Interagency Whitebark Pine Health Monitoring Program for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Cooperating Organizations:
USDA Forest Service
Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee (GYCC)
Forest Health Protection
USDI National Park ServiceGreater Yellowstone Inventory and Monitoring Network
Yellowstone National ParkGrand Teton National Park
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway
USDI Geological SurveyInteragency Grizzly Bear Study Team
Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center
Montana State UniversityDepartment of Mathematical Sciences
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Cooperating Organizations:
USDA Forest Service
Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee (GYCC)
Forest Health Protection
USDI National Park ServiceGreater Yellowstone Inventory and Monitoring Network
Yellowstone National ParkGrand Teton National Park
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway
USDI Geological SurveyInteragency Grizzly Bear Study Team
Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center
Montana State UniversityDepartment of Mathematical Sciences
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Interagency Whitebark Pine Health Monitoring Program for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Acknowledgements and Credits:
USDI National Park Service
Dan ReinhartErin Shanahan
Rob DaleyRachel SimonsJohn Fothergill
USDI Geological Survey
Shannon PodruznyJonathan Ball
Acknowledgements and Credits:
USDI National Park Service
Dan ReinhartErin Shanahan
Rob DaleyRachel SimonsJohn Fothergill
USDI Geological Survey
Shannon PodruznyJonathan Ball
• “Keystone” species of the subalpine zone
• Valuable food source for a variety of wildlife species (more than 17 species)
• Major predictor of grizzly bear annual survival and reproduction
• Alters microclimates in the harsh subalpine zone
•Whitebark Pine
•Why is whitebark pine a vital sign for the Greater Yellowstone Network
•Whitebark Pine
•Why is whitebark pine a vital sign for the Greater Yellowstone Network
• To estimate the proportion of whitebark pine trees >1.4 m within the GYE infected with white pine blister rust and how it changes over time.
• To determine the relative severity of white pine blister rust infection in trees > 1.4 m in height.
• To estimate survival of individual whitebark pine trees > 1.4 m in height taking into account mountain pine beetle and blister rust infection.
Whitebark Pine Monitoring Metrics
Proportion of trees with blister rust
Relative severity of infection
Infection is indicated by a single canker or 3 canker indicators at the same spot
Severity is indicated by the number and location (truck or branch) blister rust cankers
Survival Indicated by lack of green needles
•Flagging•Flagging•Swelling•Swelling •Chewing•Chewing
•Whitebark Pine•Monitoring Objectives
•Whitebark Pine•Monitoring Objectives
Peer Reviewed and approved by IMR I&M coordinator in 2007
Greater Yellowstone Whitebark Pine Monitoring Working Group. 2007 Interagency Whitebark Pine Monitoring Protocol for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Version 1.0. Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee, Bozeman, MT.
•Whitebark Pine•Protocol Status
•Whitebark Pine•Protocol Status
Protocols are a key component of quality assurance helping to ensure that changes detected are actually occurring in nature and not simply a result of measurement differences
Protocols are a key component of quality assurance helping to ensure that changes detected are actually occurring in nature and not simply a result of measurement differences
•Target population
•All whitebark pine in the GYE
• Sample frame
•Stratified inside & outside the Grizzly Bear PCA
• Sampling units
•Stands 2.5 hectares or larger
•Target population
•All whitebark pine in the GYE
• Sample frame
•Stratified inside & outside the Grizzly Bear PCA
• Sampling units
•Stands 2.5 hectares or larger
Probabilistic sample designProbabilistic sample design
•Whitebark Pine•Monitoring background
•Whitebark Pine•Monitoring background
•150 stands surveyed
• 176 permanent transects
• 4,774 trees tagged
• Over 4000 miles hiked
•150 stands surveyed
• 176 permanent transects
• 4,774 trees tagged
• Over 4000 miles hiked
Plot establishment 2004-2007Plot establishment 2004-2007
•Whitebark Pine•Monitoring background
•Whitebark Pine•Monitoring background
•Whitebark Pine•Monitoring background
•Whitebark Pine•Monitoring background
•Representative of the population
•Estimates of blister rust infection can be calculated annually
•Can accommodate a split panel design
•Representative of the population
•Estimates of blister rust infection can be calculated annually
•Can accommodate a split panel design
Panel DesignPanel Design
•Table 1. Summary statistics for Greater Yellowstone
Ecosystem 2004-2006.
•Whitebark Pine•Status of blister rust in the GY E
•Whitebark Pine•Status of blister rust in the GY E
First time ecosystem wide resultsFirst time ecosystem wide results
•Proportion of trees with blister rust is .20
•Ratio of trees with blister rust infection varies across ecosystem
•84% of the cankers are on branches
• High levels of mountain pine beetle
•Proportion of trees with blister rust is .20
•Ratio of trees with blister rust infection varies across ecosystem
•84% of the cankers are on branches
• High levels of mountain pine beetle
Ratio of trees with blister rust infection
•Whitebark Pine•Status of blister rust
•Whitebark Pine•Status of blister rust
•Minor protocol amendment to include:• MPB indicators •Other agents contributing to mortality (fire, mechanical damage)
•Multi-agency training with Forest Health Protection entomologist held June 23
•In 2008 the USGS added 2-person crew to assist with transect monitoring
•Minor protocol amendment to include:• MPB indicators •Other agents contributing to mortality (fire, mechanical damage)
•Multi-agency training with Forest Health Protection entomologist held June 23
•In 2008 the USGS added 2-person crew to assist with transect monitoring
•Whitebark Pine•Status of Mountain pine beetle
•Whitebark Pine•Status of Mountain pine beetle
Objective: to estimate survival of whitebark pine trees > 1.4 m in height taking into account mountain pine beetle, etc.
Objective: to estimate survival of whitebark pine trees > 1.4 m in height taking into account mountain pine beetle, etc.
Proposed analysis of 2008 data
What proportion of the whitebark pine sample is now dead or recently dead?
Of the dead, what proportion were burned or appeared killed by MPB or Blister rust?
Examine the tree characteristics (e.g. DBH) of the dead trees
Proposed analysis of 2008 data
What proportion of the whitebark pine sample is now dead or recently dead?
Of the dead, what proportion were burned or appeared killed by MPB or Blister rust?
Examine the tree characteristics (e.g. DBH) of the dead trees
•Whitebark Pine•Mountain pine beetle
•Whitebark Pine•Mountain pine beetle
•Observer Variability•Observer Variability
•Data analysis (Huang 2006) show that :
•detection of blister rust cankers is different among observers
•A tendency toward increasing agreement over time.
•This indicates that training and experience may play a key role in obtaining consistent results.
•Whitebark Pine•Residual Issues
•Whitebark Pine•Residual Issues
•Whitebark Pine•Next steps
•Whitebark Pine•Next steps
1. Inclusion of a “recruitment” objective
Estimate the number of juvenile WbP trees that become cone producing trees
• Student driven research component using existing data set
• Design field & data analysis methods
• May need to modify sample frame to include recently burned stands (20 years or less)
1. Inclusion of a “recruitment” objective
Estimate the number of juvenile WbP trees that become cone producing trees
• Student driven research component using existing data set
• Design field & data analysis methods
• May need to modify sample frame to include recently burned stands (20 years or less)
•Whitebark Pine•Next steps
•Whitebark Pine•Next steps
1. IGBST applied for funding through the USGS Status & Trend program
Integrated analysis, modeling, and synthesis of the impacts of blister rust and mountain pine beetle mortality to whitebark pine in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
2. Analysis of 2008 data • Report to be published with IGBST
annual report
3. In 2009, continue with higher frequency panel revisits to document mortality from Mountain Pine Beetle
1. IGBST applied for funding through the USGS Status & Trend program
Integrated analysis, modeling, and synthesis of the impacts of blister rust and mountain pine beetle mortality to whitebark pine in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
2. Analysis of 2008 data • Report to be published with IGBST
annual report
3. In 2009, continue with higher frequency panel revisits to document mortality from Mountain Pine Beetle
Greater Yellowstone Network
•Greater Yellowstone Science Learning Center (GYSLC):
•http://www.greateryellowstonescience.org/
•Whitebark Pine topic page from GYSLC:
•http://www.greateryellowstonescience.org/topics/biological/vegetation/whitebarkpine
•Annual reports from the Interagency Whitebark Pine Monitoring Program• http://www.greateryellowstonescience.org/topics/biological/vegetation/whitebarkpine/projects/healthmonitoring
•https://science1.nature.nps.gov/naturebib/biodiversity/2008-9-9/ID660051_GYE_WBP_2007_Annual_Report.pdf
•Main Greater Yellowstone Network:
•http://www.nature.nps.gov/im/units/gryn/