MOUNTAIN P INE BE ETLE

MANAGEMENTSTRATEGY

December 2007

ISBN No. 978-0-7785-6545-1 (Printed Edition)

ISBN No. 978-0-7785-6546-8 (On-line Edition)

Pub No. T/154

Alberta Sustainable Resource Development

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................... i1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 1 1.1 Forest Values at Risk ......................................................................... 4 1.2 Scope of the Document .................................................................... 5 1.3FactorsInfluencingMPBImpactandSpread ............................... 5 1.4FutureTrends .................................................................................... 52.0 PRIME OBJECTIVES ......................................................................... 63.0 CLIMATE SUITABILITY .................................................................. 64.0 MPB MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES ............................................. 7 4.1StatusandRiskofMPBSurvival .................................................... 7 4.2RiskofMPBImmigration ................................................................ 7 4.3AchievableObjectives ...................................................................... 85.0 MPB MANAGEMENT ZONES ........................................................ 8 5.1Leading-edgeZone ........................................................................... 8 5.2HoldingZone ..................................................................................... 8 5.3SalvageZone ...................................................................................... 96.0 ACTIONS TO REDUCE MPB SPREAD AND ATTACK ........... 9 6.1Levels1and2Treatments ............................................................... 9 6.2PineStrategy ...................................................................................... 9 6.3Pheromones ....................................................................................... 9 6.3.1DetectionandMonitoring ....................................................... 10 6.3.2ContainmentandConcentration ........................................... 10 6.3.3Anti-aggregationorRepellentPheromone(Verbenone) ... 10 6.3.4Insecticides ................................................................................ 11 6.4OtherMonitoringTechniques ...................................................... 11 6.4.1PopulationTrendForecastCalculation ................................. 11 6.4.2GreenTreetoRedTreeRatio .................................................. 117.0 DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM .................................................... 12APPENDIX .................................................................................................. 13REFERENCES ............................................................................................. 14

TAblE of CoNTENTS

Themountainpinebeetle(Dendroctonus ponderosae Hop-kins)(MPB)isthemostsignificantinsectagentattackingthematurepineforestsofwesternNorthAmerica.ItispresentlyatepidemiclevelsinBritishColumbia,whereitispredictedtokillupto80percentofmerchantablepineforestsby2013.

AlbertaSustainableResourceDevelopment(ASRD)hasmonitoredthepresenceofMPBinAlbertasince1977,asaconsequenceofrecurringeastwardshort-andlong-rangebeetleimmigrationsfromBritishColumbia,aswellassurvivalandexpansionsoflocalinfestationsprimar-ilyinthesouthwesternpartofthisprovince.Sincethelate1990s,however,MPBinfestationshavespreadandoccurredinnewareasinwest-centralandnorthwesternportionsoftheprovince,coincidentwithexpansionsincentralandnortheasternBritishColumbia.Changesinclimate,includingmoremoderatewintertemperatures,haveallowedMPBtosurvivefarthernorthandathigherelevations.Thishasincreasedtheriskofpopulationex-pansionandspreadintoAlberta’slodgepolepine,limberpineandwhitebarkpineforestecosystemsandhasraisednewthreatsofinvasionandspreadintotheborealjackpine forests.

Shouldtheoutbreakreachitsfullpotential,manyforestresourcesandsocio-economicvaluescouldbeatstake,includingwatersheds,forestecosystems,high-valueandsensitivesites(e.g.,geneticplantations,wildlifehabitats,permanentinventorysampleplotsandconservationareas)andstablelong-termfibresupplyforcommunitiesdepen-dentupontheseresources.Inaddition,theincreasedfuelloadofpine-killedstandscreatesthepotentialformorefor-estfiresthatarelarger,moreintenseandlesspredictable.

ThepotentialconsequencesofMPBinvasionandspreadintoAlberta’spineforestsmakedevelopmentandimplementationofcomprehensivemitigationmeasuresurgentandcomplex.Thisdocumentupdatesandexpandsthe2002 MPB Management Strategy for Alberta, incorporatingrecentscience-basedinformationandbeetleinfestationandspreadmodels.Itdefinestwoprimeprovincialobjectives:•ContaininfestationsandminimizespreadofMPBnorthandsouthalongtheeasternslopesofAlberta;and

•PreventthespreadofMPBeastwardintotheborealfor-estoflodgepole-jackpinehybridandjackpine.

ASRDbasesitsmanagementofMPBinAlbertaonthree

E XEC UTIVE SUMM ARY

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principles:assessingthecurrentstatusandriskofMPBspread;determiningimmigrationofbeetlepopulations;andpursuingachievableobjectives.Theseprinciplesdeterminebeetlemanagementpriorityzonesattheprovinciallevel.ThreeMPBmanagementpriorityzonesencompassallintensitylevelsofMPBinfestationanddeterminelevelsofmanagementandcontrolstrategies.ThethreezonesaretheLeading-edgeZone,theHoldingZoneandtheSalvageZone.

TheLeading-edgeZonehasthehighestpriorityandincludesareaswherebeetlepopulationsthreatentospreadalongtheeasternslopesandeastwardintotheborealfor-est.Inthiszone,infestationsarewidelyscatteredandsmallandmustreceiveaggressive,primarilyLevel1singletreetreatment,whichASRDwilllead.Themainobjectiveistotreat80percentormoreofprioritysiteswithsurvivingbeetlebroods,andtherebymaintainthebeetlepopulationatanendemiclevelorextinguishlocalpopulations.

TheHoldingZonehassignificantlymoreinfestedtreesspreadoverthelandscapewithlargerinfestedpatches.ThemainstrategyisaggressivecontrolwithprimarilyLevel2(blockorpatchharvestingofinfestations)treat-ment,supplementedwithLevel1treatmentasneces-

sary.TheprimeobjectiveforthiszoneistoensureMPBpopulationsremainstaticfromyeartoyear.Thisrequirestheannualcontrolof50to80percentofprioritysiteswithsurvivingbeetlebroods.ASRDwillworkwithforesttenureholderstodefineareasandcompartmentsforactiveLevel2treatmentoveratwo-yearperiod.ASRDrealizesthatthe50to80percenttargetmaynotbeachievableintheentireholdingzone,thereforeitmaybesubdividedinto“active”and“inactive”areasandthetargetwouldbeapplicabletotheactiveareaonly.

Areas or compartments with 50 per cent or more of trees attackedandkilledbythebeetle,andwhereLevels1and2treatmentswouldbeineffective,fallintotheSalvageZone.ManagementtacticswillnotdirectlycontributetotheMPBcontrol.Instead,themaingoalistomanageforotherforestmanagementobjectivessuchastimber,watershedprotectionandwildfirefuelmanagement.

ThisdocumentdescribestheMPBissueinAlberta,definesthestrategyandoffersvarioustacticsandmethodstomonitor,assessandpredictMPBpopulationlevelsandtrendsasabasisforcontrolstrategies,includingtheappli-cationofattractantandanti-aggregationpheromones.

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1.0 INTRODUCTIONThemountainpinebeetle(Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins)(MPB)isindigenoustoNorthAmericanpineforestsandisthemostdestructiveinsectofmaturepine.OutbreaksofthisbeetlehaveoccurredperiodicallyinthepastinthesoutherninteriorofBritishColumbiaandhaveextendedintosouthernAlbertaduringtwoperiods:1941-1944inBanffNationalPark(HoppingandMathers,1945)and1977-1986(AlbertaForestry,LandsandWild-life,1986).Currently,mountainpinebeetleinfestationsinBritishColumbiaareunprecedentedinbothsizeofareaaffectedandthemassivedestructiononforestsoverthelandscape.TheBritishColumbiaMinistryofForestsandRangehasprojectedthat80percentoftheprovince’smerchantablepineforestscouldbekilledby2013,includ-inghalfbythesummerof2007(British Columbia Action Plan, 2006-2011).Recentclimatechangestudiesindicateapotentialincreaseintherangeofhabitatsuitableforbeetlebrooddevelopment,bothinlatitudeandelevation.Con-sequently,predictionsarethattheMPBwillbecapableof

significantlyexpandingitsrange(Carrolletal.,2006).

TheMPBhasremainedendemicintheCrowsnestPasstotheUnitedStatesborderareaofAlbertasincethelastout-breakinthe1980s.AlbertaSustainableResourceDevelop-ment(ASRD)hasmonitoredthepopulationinthesouth-ernRockiesannuallysince1977.However,thepresenceofMPBwasconfirmedforthefirsttimeonbaitedtreesinwest-centralAlbertain1992(CerezkeandBrandt,1993),andmonitoringsincethenhasindicatedasteadyincreaseandspreadinsouthwestern,west-centralandnorthwest-ernpartsoftheprovince,coincidentwithMPBexpansioninBritishColumbia.ThispromptedASRDtoundertakeannualdetectionandmonitoringsurveys,developman-agementguidelinesandimplementcontrolstrategies.

In2006,thenumberofnewinfestationsrosesharplyinAlberta,asaresultofalong-distancedispersalofbeetlesfromoutbreakareasinBritishColumbia.ThisflightextendedtherangeofMPBsome300kilometreseastof

theB.C.-Albertaborder,andindicatesthehighpotentialforMPBspreadoccurringwithinasingleflightperiod(Jackson,2006).BritishColumbiaprojectsthatinfestationswillincreasesubstantiallyoverthenextfourtofiveyearsintheeasternpartsofthatprovince,providingacontinuedthreatofinvasionintoAlberta.Whilelodgepolepine,ponderosapineandwesternwhitepinearetheprincipalhostsforMPBinwesternCanada,allnativepinesincludingjackpine,lodgepole-jackpinehybrids,whitebarkpineandlimberpine,aswellasexoticspeciessuchasScotspine,aresusceptibletoattack(SafranyikandCarroll,2006).

ThesuddenpopulationexpansionandspreadofMPBintoAlberta’spineforestsmakesdevelop-mentandimplementationofMPBmitigationmeasuresurgentandchallenging.AtriskareextensiveareasoflodgepolepineecosystemsintheLowerandUpperFoothillssub-regionsthatincludeAlberta’smajorwatersheds(Map1).Theseareassupporthighlysusceptiblepinefor-estsandareclimaticallysuitabletoMPBsurvivalandexpansion(Map2).Otherhigh-riskareasin-cludethejackpineforestsofcentralandnorthernAlbertathatcontinueeastwardtotheMaritimeProvinces(Map3).

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ImplementationofmanagementstrategiestoprotectAlber-ta’spineforestsagainstMPBinvasionandspreadrequiresthecooperationofmanystakeholders.Thisdocumentupdatesandexpandsthe2002 MPB Management Strategy to betterreflecttheimpendingMPBthreat,itspotentialriskstoprovincialresourcesandnewstrategicdirections.

1.1 Forest Values at Risk ASRDconsidersvaluesatriskwhenestablishingMPBmanagementpriorities.Intheeventofaworstcaseout-breakinAlberta,suchasiscurrentlyoccurringinB.C.,upto80percentofmaturepinecouldpotentiallydie.Whilesomepinestandsmaycompletelydieduringoutbreaks,theaveragemortalityinmaturestandsoverthelandscapeis30to45percent(SafranyikandCarroll,2006).Thislevelofdamagewouldseverelyinterferewithsustainable

watershedsandlandscapepreservationanddisruptwoodfibreallocationsandsupply.Manycommunitiesdepen-dentonforestryandotherforestresourceswillfeelthesocio-economicimpactofseveredamagetopinestands.

OnAlberta’seasternslopes,pinemakesupabout50percentofforestsintheUpperFoothillsand20percentofforestsintheLowerFoothillssub-regions.Losingupto80percentofmaturepineinthesesub-regionswouldhavedetrimentaleffectsonwatersheds,fibresupplyandcommunities.IfMPBreachesanoutbreaklevel,thereareanumberofresourcesandhigh-valuesitesatriskinclud-ingwatershedareas,forestecosystems,wildlifehabitats,riparianareas,specialconservationareas,high-valuetreegeneticinstallations,permanentinventorysampleplots,provincialparksandrecreationareasandstablelong-term

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fibresupplyareasandharvestlevels.Theincreasedfuelloadofpine-killedstandscreatesthepotentialformorefor-estfiresthatarelarger,moreintenseandlesspredictable. Intheborealmixed-woodregion,ontheotherhand,pinecomprisesaboutfourpercentofforests.Therefore,theeffectsofaMPBoutbreakonwatershedsandfibresup-plyinthisareaarelikelytobelessthaninareasfarthersouth.HoweverMPBisanewdisturbanceagentinthesehabitats,andunknownandunpredictableecologicalim-pactscanbeexpected.Thereareconcerns,bothfederallyandprovincially,ofapotentialeastwardspreadofMPBthroughtheborealjackpineforeststoeasternCanada.ThispotentialspreadremainsoneofAlberta’stopMPBmanagementprioritiesalongwithwatershedandfibresupplyprotection.

OtherareasandforestvaluesatriskfromaMPBoutbreakincludeprotectionofhigh-valuegenetictreeplantations,experimentaltreeplantingtrialsandseedorchards,per-manentsampleplotstomeasuregrowthandyield,specialconservationareassuchasthelimberpineandwhitebarkpineecosystems,sensitivewildlifehabitats,riparianareas,ProvincialParksandrecreationareas,campgroundsandother tourist facilities.

1.2 Scope of the DocumentThisdocumentoutlinesamanagementstrategyforthemitigationofMPBimpactsinAlberta.It:• describesprimeobjectivesinASRD’sresponsetotheMPBsituationinAlberta;

• establishesguidingprinciplesforthatresponse;• establishesmanagementprinciplestoimplementthoseguidingprinciples;

•definesprioritymanagementzones;and•describestacticstomitigatethespreadandimpactofapotentialMPBoutbreak.

1.3 Factors Influencing MPB Impact and SpreadASRDhascalculatedaStandSusceptibilityIndex(SSI)fortheprovince’spineforestsbasedontheShoreandSafranyik(1992)standsusceptibilityandriskratingmodel.Thismodel,adaptedforAlberta,incorporatesaclimatesuitabilityfactor(ShoreandSafranyik,1992;Carrolletal.,2006)thatprovidesarelativemeasureofthelikelihoodofdamagefromapopulationofattackingbeetles.Aprovin-cialmapdetailingSSIclassesofpineforests(McGill,2006)

providestheinitialframeworkforjudgingthepotentialforspreadofestablishedinfestations,byshowingthedis-tributionandproximityofforestsinsimilarSSIclasses.

Twoimportantfactorscontributetothebeetle’spotentialforspreadandtosomeextentitsrateofannualspread.Thefirstisthelocallyproducedbeetlepopulation,whosespreadpatternintosurroundingtreesandstandsissome-whatpredictable.Thesecondisthelong-rangedispersalofadultbeetlesaidedbywindcurrents,whosedropoutpatternintopinestandsislargelyunpredictable.TreeselectionbythesebeetlesislikelytoberandomoverthelandscapeandmaynotnecessarilycoincidewithhighSSI-valuestands.

Thereisstrongevidencethatclimatechangeisinfluenc-ingthesurvivalandspreadofMPB.Historically,coldtemperatureextremesandfluctuationslimitedbeetlepopulations.Intheabsenceofcoldwintertemperatures,overwinteringbeetlebroodsaremorelikelytosurvive.Warmersummertemperaturesenhancebeetledevelop-ment,whilehotdrysummersfavorbeetledispersalandsuccessfulattackandallowbeetlestospreadmorereadilyintohigherelevationsandmorenorthernlatitudes.Drysummerconditionsmayalsoinducedroughtstressintrees,makingthemmoresusceptibletoattack.

SuccessfulsurvivalofMPBinthecentralandnorthernlatitudesoftheprovinceincreasestheriskforitspotentialspreadthroughoutthelodgepole-jackpinehybridzoneandeastwardintothewidelydistributedjackpineforests.Forestclimaticsuitabilitymapsindicatingfavorablehabi-tatconditionsforthebeetleforAlbertaandotherprov-incessuggestthatmuchoftheborealforestwillbecomeclimaticallysuitableforthebeetleinthenearfuture(Car-rolletal.,2004;Carrolletal.,2006;Tayloretal.,2006).

1.4 Future TrendsBritishColumbiaprojectsthatinfestationsoftheMPBinthePeaceRiverDistrictofBritishColumbiawillincreaseandintensifyoverthenextfourtofiveyears(BritishCo-lumbiaMinistryofForestandRange,ForestHealthReport2006).Italsoprojectssimilarintensificationandexpan-sionsforareasfarthersouth,inYohoNationalParkandtosomeextentinthesoutheasternpartofB.C.Alberta’sMPBmanagementstrategymustrecognizethethreatoflong-andshort-rangeeasterlydispersalofbeetlesandnewinfestations these areas pose.

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2 .0 PR IME OBJECTIVESAlberta’sMPBmanagementstrategyhastwoprimeobjec-tivesasitseekstoreducetherisksposedbyMPB:• containinfestationsandminimizethespreadoftheMPBnorthandsouthalongtheeasternslopesofAl-berta;and

•preventthespreadofMPBeastwardintotheborealforestsoflodgepole-jackpinehybridandjackpine.

ThegoalistosustainAlberta’spineforestsandthefollow-ingoutcomes,amongothers:

•minimalimpactonwatershedareassupplyingwaterformajorcitiesandprairiecommunities,tomaintainqual-ityandquantityofwaterflow;

•protectionofforestfibreresourcesinAlberta,tomain-tainlong-termsustainablefibresupply;

•minimaleffectsongeneticsandtreeimprovementseedorchardsandfieldtrials,sothatthesesitescanmaintaintheirvaluesforfutureyears;

•maintenanceofaMPB-freebufferalongtheeasternedgeofborealjackpineforestadjacenttoSaskatchewan,toreduceriskofeastwardspread;and

• conservationofpineforestecosystemsofspecialimpor-tancesuchasstandsofwhitebarkpineandlimberpine.

3 .0 C LIM ATE SUITABILIT Y ThroughouttheinfestedareasmappedinAlberta,ASRDexpectsclimatesuitabilityconditionstofluctuate,result-inginvariableratesofoverwinteringbeetlebroodsur-vival.ThedepartmenthasdevelopedastrategytomonitorsurvivalrateswithinbroadclimaticzonesbycalculatingaseriesofpopulationtrendforecastssuchasR-valuesandbeetlesurvivalrates.Becausethewest-centralandnorthwesternAlbertaclimate,ingeneral,islesssuitableforthebeetle,therateofspreadintheseareasmaybelessthaninareasfarthersouthorintheinteriorofBC.InareasofhigherelevationsuchasinWillmore-KakwaInterpro-vincialParkandportionsoftheSwanHillsarea,MPBmayrequiretwoyearstocompleteitslifecycledevelopmentratherthantheusualoneyearperiod.

Inareasofinfestationcausedbylong-rangedispersalofbeetles,manyattackedtreesareunlikelytohavesufficientbeetlenumberstokillthetree,resultingin“stripattacks”andmany“pitchouts.”Thesetreesmaybedifficulttolocate,andsomemayhelpsustainlocalpopulations.How-ever,itismorelikelythatmanyofthesesiteswillbeunabletoexpandbecauseofclimaterestrictionsandwillbecome“beetlesinks”wheretherearenotenoughbeetlestosuc-

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cessfullycolonizenewtrees.ASRDmayneedtoidentifysuchsitestoexcludethemfromcontroloperations.

Inareaswhereinfestationsdevelopfromlocallyproducedpopulations,thepatternoftreeattackoftendiffersfromthatinareasinfestedthroughlong-rangedispersal.Theseareasoflocallyproducedpopulationsorendemicinfesta-tionscansuddenlyspreadwithouttheadditionofbeetlesfromoutsideareas.Thereforecontinuousmonitoringisnecessarytodetectanysuddenratesofincrease.

4 .0 MPB M ANAGEME NT PR INC IPLESThreeprinciplesgovernAlberta’sapproachtoMPBman-agement:assessingcurrentstatusandriskofMPBspread;determiningtheriskofMPBimmigration;andpursuingachievableobjectives.Theseprinciplesdeterminethebeetlemanagementpriorityattheprovinciallevel.MPBmanagementpriorityzonesdefinethelevelofmanage-mentandcontrolstrategies.

4.1 Status and Risk of MPB SurvivalCurrentMPBdistributionandinfestationstatus,popula-tiontrendandbroodsurvivalaredeterminedbythreemainsourcesofinformation,includingaerialandgroundreconnaissancesurveysdata,cumulativeeffectsofmortal-ityfactorsandbeetleoverwinteringsurvival.

Accumulativeeffectsofcoldtemperaturescanbemoni-toredfromOctoberandthroughoutthewinter.Anadvan-tageofthisinformationisthataccumulativeeffectscanbe

forecastedimmediatelyafterlowtemperatureeventsandareavailableforprioritizingcontrolactivitiesthroughoutthe winter operations.

TheoverwinteringsurvivalcanbemeasuredusingmethodssuchaspopulationtrendincludingR-valuecalculations.R-valuereflectstheoverwintersurvivalofthebeetles’lifestagesandtakesintoaccounttheeffectsofcoldwintertemperatures,parasitismandpredationbyvariousinsectsandwoodpeckers.TheR-valueisthere-foreanexpressionofthelevelofpopulationexpectedtoemergeanddisperselocallytoattacknewtrees.Itdoesnotreflectadditionalbeetlesthatpotentiallyarrivefromlong-distancedispersal.ThreelevelsofR-valuesarerecognizedthatindicatewhetherthepopulationisdeclining(R-valuesof2.5orless)orlowrisk,atastaticlevel(R-valuesbetween2.6and4.0)ormoderaterisk,orincreasing(R-values>4.0).HighR-valuesofgreaterthan4.0indicateahighbeetleriskforexpansionandspread.TheR-valuesmaybecor-relatedonaprovince-widebasiswithbroadclimatezonesandbecrucialfordelineatingMPBzonesfordifferentmanagementlevelsandprioritizationofcontrolstrategies.

4.2 Risk of MPB ImmigrationImmigrationofMPBintoneworpreviouslyattackedstandsmayresultfromshort-rangedispersalfromnearbyinfestedstandsorlong-rangedispersalfrominfestationslocatedseveralhundredkilometersaway.

Estimatesofshort-rangedispersingbeetlesandtheirspreadpatternarelargelybasedonaerial/groundsurveydataandcalculatedpopulationtrends.Spreadingseveralkilometersalongavalleyordrainagebasinisacommonshort-rangedispersalpattern.However,thepopulationsize,dateofdispersalanddrop-outpatternovertheland-scapeforlong-rangedispersingbeetlesareunpredictable.Thelong-rangedispersaleventthatcausedwidespreadtreeattacksinwest-centralAlbertain2006couldrecurinthefuture.Theprobabilityofalong-rangedispersaleventduringagivenyearinAlbertaisbasedoncurrentbeetlepopulationassessmentsinadjacentareasandweatherpat-ternsduringbeetleflight.

Theprobabilityofalong-rangedispersaleventduringthenextseveralyearsisfairlyhighinwest-centralandnorthwesternAlbertawhilemajorinfestationspersistincentralandnortheasternB.C.,withthehighestriskinareasadjacenttotheborder.Incontrast,thecurrentriskof

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long-rangedispersalofbeetlesfromB.C.intosouthwest-ernAlbertaislowtomoderate.

4.3 Achievable ObjectivesASRDshouldonlyimplementoperationstomeetdesiredobjectivesandlevelsofcontrol.Intheory,tosuppressabeetlepopulationwemustcontrolmorethantherateofincrease,thatis,thecombinedrateofincreasefromimmi-grationandnaturalincreaseinthelocalpopulation.Dur-ingtheearlyyearsofanoutbreak(theendemic-incipientphase),thepopulationcanincreasefive-foldperyear.Tosuppressthepopulationinthissituation,itisnecessarytotreat80percentormoreofinfestedtrees.

Ifcontroloperationstreat50to80percentofinfestedtrees,theMPBpopulationwillremainstatic.If,however,controloperationscannotachievetheminimum50percenttarget,thentheMPBpopulationwilllikelycontinuetoincreaseandkillsusceptiblepinetreesinthestandregardlessofthelevelofcontroltreatment.Therefore,itisimportanttofocusonareaswherecontrolobjectivesareachievable.

Forpracticalpurposes,thetargetpercentageoftreessuccessfullytreatedisaproportionofnewinfestedgreentreesdetectedinanarea.Acertainproportionofinfestedgreentreesarenotassociatedwithredfadertrees,anddetectionofthesetreesisnotareasonableexpectation.

5.0 MPB M ANAGEME NT ZONESASRDbasesitsoverallmanagementofMPBinfestationsandoutbreaksintheprovinceonthedesignationofthreeMPBmanagementpriorityzones,definedastheLeading-edgeZone,theHoldingZoneandtheSalvageZone.ASRDwillestablishanddefinethezoneseachyearasthebasicframeworkforMPBmanagementintheprovinceandupdatethemasnecessary.TheDepartmentwillidentifyprioritysitesforcontroltreatmentswithintheLeading-edgeandHoldingZonespriortothecontroloperationsbasedonthethreemanagementprinciples.

5.1 Leading-edge ZoneThiszonehasthehighestpriority.Itincludesareaswherebeetlepopulationsthreatentospreadalongtheeasternslopesandeastwardintotheborealforest.Infestationcon-trolisthroughaggressiveLevel1treatment,supplementedbyLevel2treatmentwhereapplicable(seeSection6.1fordescriptionofLevels1and2treatments).Themainobjec-

tiveintheleading-edgezoneistoreduceandmaintainMPBpopulationsandspreadtoanendemiclevel.Thisrequirestheannualtreatmentof80percentormoreoftheidentifiedprioritysiteswithsurvivingbeetlebrood.

5.2 Holding ZoneASRDdefinesthiszoneashavingsignificantlymoreinfestedtreesovertheforestedlandscape,withgenerallylargerinfestedpatchesthanintheLeading-edgeZone.ASRDwillfinalizetheboundariesofthezoneinthefallaftercompletionoftheseasonalMPBaerialandgroundsurveys,infestationassessmentsandcontroloperations.Controleffortswillbeaggressive,primarilyusingLevel2treatment,withsupplementalLevel1treatment.

Theobjectiveforthiszoneistoensurebeetlepopulationsremainstatic.Toachievethis,controlof50to80percentofprioritysitesisnecessary.ASRDwillworkwithforestindustriestodefineactiveholdingareasorcompartmentsforLevel2treatmentoveratwo-yearperiodtomeetthetarget.Thedepartmentwillbaseprioritiesonthenumberofinfestedtrees,thesusceptibilityratingofthestand,theconnectivityofthestandtootherhighlysusceptiblestandsandpopulationtrends.ThecombinedLevels1and2treatmentsmust,however,achievetherequired50to80percentcontrolduringeachofthetwoyearsintheplan-ningscheduletoholdMPBpopulationsconstant.

Insomecompartmentsorharvestingblocks,the50to80percenttargetmaynotbeachievableoverthetwo-yearperiodbecauseofinaccessibility,sizeofarea,volumesbeyondthecapacitytotreatorprocess,largeunexpectedinfluxesofMPBorthepresenceofrestrictedareassuch

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aswildlifehabitat,riparianareasorspecialconservationareas.ASRDmaycategorizesuchareasasinactiveholdingareasandmonitorthem.Thedepartmentwillassesstheseareasannuallytodeterminethefeasibilityofachievingthecontroltargetandwhethertheproportionoftreesat-tackedislikelytoexceed50percentinthefollowingyear.Itwillconsiderforsalvageareaswheretheproportionofattackedtreesislikelytoexceed50percent.

5.3 Salvage ZoneASRDdefinestheSalvageZoneasastandorcompart-mentthathas50percentormoreofitstreesattackedandkilledbyMPB,orwheretheproportionattackedandkilledislikelytoreachorexceed50percentwithinoneyear.Suppressionorholdingactionwouldbeineffectiveinsubstantiallyreducingbeetlepopulationsandsubsequentdamage.ASRDwillreviewareasconsideredforSalvageZonedesignationonastand-by-standbasisoratacom-partmentlevel.

ThemainobjectiveinthetimberharvestinglandbaseistosalvagethestandaffectedbyMPBandtherebyminimizethemerchantablevolumethatmightotherwisebelost.However,intheSalvageZoneASRDensuresthatotherforestvaluesareprotectedincludingwatershedprotec-tion,ecosystemrestoration,non-hostspeciesretention,mid-termtimbersupplyprotectionandwildfireandfuelmanagement.Significanteffortshouldfocusonreducingthelikelihoodofsevere,difficulttocontrolforestfires.Ingeneral,salvagingbeetle-killedstandsdoesnotmitigateMPBpopulationsandspreadinanysignificantwayandisnotacontrolstrategy.Prescribedfireisonetooltohelpmanagebeetle-killedtreesinthiszone.

Duringtheincipient-to-outbreakphaseofbeetleinfestation,controltreatmentsintheholdingandleading-edgezonesaremoreimportantthanthesalvageofbeetle-killedtrees.Therefore,ASRDwilldirectharvestoperationstowardLevel2treatmenttomaximizecontrolinsteadofsalvage.

6 .0 ACTIONS TO RE DUC E MPB SPRE AD AND AT TAC K6.1 Levels 1 and 2 TreatmentsLevel1treatmentinvolvessingleormultipletreeremovalfromsmallinfestationpatcheswithfollow-updebarking,burningorgrindingtodestroythebeetlebroods.Subse-quenttreebaitingwithattractantpheromonesatthesite

mayfurtherreduceandconcentrateresidualbeetles.Level1treatmentmaybetheonlystrategyapplicabletocertainhigh-valuesitessuchassensitivewildlifehabitats,ripar-ianareasandotherprotectedareas.

Level2treatmentinvolvesharvestinginfestedtreesinpatchesconsideredtoolargeforsingle/multiple-treetreat-ment.Timingofthemillingprocessisimportant,asithaspotentialtoincreaseMPBspreadriskifdoneduringcertaintimesofyear.Post-harvestpheromonebaitingofthesitemayberequiredtomopupresidualbeetles.

Priortoharvestingandbeetleflight,thescheduledharvestareasmaybegrid-baitedtocontainandconcentratebee-tles.Insomeareas,ASRDmayrecommendacombinationofLevels1and2treatments,withorwithoutthedeploy-mentofpheromones,toachievetheprescribedtargetforeachmanagementzone.

6.2 Pine StrategyLargeareasofpineforestsinwesternandwest-centralAlbertashowhighsusceptibilityandareclimaticallysuitableforMPBsurvivalandexpansion.Overtime,thedepartmentiscommittedtoreducingthesizeofhighsusceptiblepineforestsandreducingtheriskofpotentialenvironmental,socialandeconomicimpactsoffutureoutbreaks.Thiswillbeachievedthroughmanagementplanningbyforestindustrywiththegoalofreducingthenumberofhighlysusceptiblestandsto25percentoftheanticipatedlevelover20years.Prescribedburnswillalsobeimplementedinkeyareastoreducethenumberofhighlysusceptiblestands.

Anotherpurposeofthepinestrategyistochangethestandageclassstructureoverthelandscape,andtherebyenhanceresistancetoMPBattackandspread.Removinghighlysusceptiblestandscanwidenthegapbetweenadja-centsusceptiblestands,makingitmoredifficultforbeetledispersalandlikelyslowingtherateofspread.Thistacticmaybemosteffectiveinareaswheresusceptiblestandsarealreadysparse.

6.3 PheromonesMPBpheromonesaremostlyspeciesspecificandhaveanumberofusefulapplicationsinMPBmanagementprograms,dependinguponwhetherattractantorrepellentpheromonesaredeployed.

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6.3.1 Detection and MonitoringAttractantpheromonebaitsattachedontotreesorinLindgrenfunneltrapsarepositionedatdesignatedloca-tionswithintheforesttodetectthepresenceofthebeetleandthetimingofitsflightperiodandareameasureofbeetleactivitieswithinthearea.Asanexample,baitedtrapsplacedadjacenttohigh-valueplantationsandseedorchardshaveindicatedtheflightperiodandallowedprecisetimingofinsecticideapplicationaimedatadultbeetles.Usingbaitsinagridpatterncoveringalargegeographicalareasupportsmonitoringandplottingofbeetlesimmigratingthroughlong-distancedispersal.Useofbaitedfunneltrapsmayreducetheriskoftreeattacks.

6.3.2 Containment and ConcentrationAggregationpheromonebaitscanmaximizetheeffectivenessofcontroloperations.Whenbaitsareplacedonlarge-diameteruninfestedpinetrees,beetlesarecontainedandconcentratedlocally.Thisisparticu-larlyusefulifinfestedtreescannotbecontrolledbeforebeetleflight.Thesebaitscanbeusedtwoways,gridbaitingandspotbaiting.

Gridbaitingisusefulwheresanitationharvestingisthese-lectedcontroltactic.Areasslatedfortreatmentcanbegrid-baitedpriortoactualtreeremovalorburningtocontainandconcentratebeetleswithintheblock.Thistacticshouldbeahighprioritywherethereisathreatofbeetlesinfestingadjacentstandsormigratingtonewareas.Baitsarepositionedina50metrespaced-gridpatternthroughouttheareapriortobeetleflight.Attackedtreesmustberemovedandpro-cessedwithinayear,priortobeetleemergence.Follow-uptreebaiting/treatmentaroundtheperimeterofcutblockscanalsodetect,containandconcentrateanyresidualbeetlestosomeextent.

SpotbaitingusedinconjunctionwithLevel1controltreat-mentsiseffectiveincontainingandeliminatingsmallinfestations.Thebaitsarestrategicallyplacednexttoinfestedtrees(onebaitforeveryfiveinfestedtrees).Spotbaitingiseffectivewhenpopulationsaresmallandonlyisolatedfadingtreesarepresent.Thebaitedtreesmustbecontrolledpriortothenextbeetleflight.

6.3.3 Anti-aggregation or Repellent Pheromone (Verbenone)Verbenonehashadlessapplicationforbeetlemanagementthanattractantpheromones.Itsmainuseisforprotecting

high-valuetreessuchasornamentalsorseedorchardtreesfromattacksbyMPB.ASRDconsiderssomeofitsusesexperimental,althoughithasbeenwidelytestedinanumberofsingle-tree,plantationandforestsituations.Itssuccessislimitedbecauseitmayonlybeappliedwhenpopulationsarerelativelysmallandinahighdosage(e.g.,atanemissionrateofupto50mg/dayperpouch).Itmayhelpprotecttreesinseedorchards,otherplantationsandcampgroundsandprotectorreduceattacksonvaluedpinespeciessuchaswhitebarkpineorlimberpine.Inthesesituations,placingVerbenonethroughoutthestandinagridpatternwith15metrespacingisrecommended.

6.3.4 InsecticidesOnlycarbaryl(tradenameSevin)iscurrentlyregisteredinCanadaforusetoprotecttreesagainstMPBattacks,andprimarilyforuseonhighvaluetreesincampgroundsorotherlandscapedsitesandinseedorchardplantations.Itisappliedinawaterbaseatlowdosagerates(e.g.,twopercentactiveingredient)tothelowerstemoftreestobeprotected.

6.4 Other Monitoring Techniques6.4.1 Population Trend Forecast CalculationASRDusespopulationtrendforecaststoassistindirect-ingcontrolstrategiesforLevels1and2treatments,tohelpsetprioritiessitesfortreatmentanddefinebeetle

managementzonesandareaswherenotreatmentisnecessary.

ASRDnormallycalculatespopulationtrendforecastinlatespring(usuallyMayorearlyJune)usingbarksamplescol-lectedfromtreesinfestedthepreviousyear.ASRDexamineseachbarksampletorecordthenumbersofbroodsurvivingoverwinter,whichmayincludeallstagesofthelifecycle(eggs,larvae,pupaeandadults).Anumberofinfestedtrees,usu-ally15to20withineachinfestationarea,aresampledtoderiveanoverallestimateoftheMPBpopulationstatus.Basedonthenumberoftreessampled,thenumberoflivebroodobservedandthenumberofadultgalleriesinitiatedonthebarksamples,anaveragepopulationtrendratio(R-value)iscalculated.

SamplesarealsotakenfromthelowerstembelowR-valuesamplingtodetermineanyresidualbeetlepopulationthatmayhavebeenprotectedfromsnow.

Populationtrendforecastcalculationscanalsobederivedduringthewintermonthsfollowingaseverecoldspelltoindicatewhetheraparticularcoldtemperatureeventaffectedbroodsurvival.

6.4.2 Green Tree to Red Tree RatioAgreentoredratiovalueisatraditionalmeasurethatcomparesgreentreesattackedduringthecurrentyearwithredfadertreesattackedoneyearearlier.ASRDcalculatestheratiointhefall,afterbeetleflight,bycountingthenumberofnewgreenattackedtreesandcomparingthatwiththenumberofredfadertreesforeachinfestationarea.Theratiovaluesassumeaone-yearlifecyclefortheMPBandindicatebeetlepopulationtrendsandrateofspread,whereavaluegreaterthan1.0suggestsanexpandingpopulation.Theratiovaluemayincludethegreenattackedtreesthatreceivedadditionalbeetlesfrombothshort-rangeandlong-distancedispersal.Therefore,thegreentoredratioindicatestheoverallpopulationtrendinanygivensite.

WhereMPBrequirestwoyearstocompleteitslifecycle,thegreentoredterminologyhaslessmeaning,since

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attackedtreesremaingreenforalongerperiod.Inthiscasetheratiovaluemaymorecorrectlyexpressnewattackstooldattacks,butdoesnotindicateannualpopulationtrends.

7.0 DEC IS ION SUPPORT S YSTEMCurrentunderstandingofMPBsurvival,populationforecast,dispersalandspreadpotentialwillbeusedinthedecision-makingprocesstoprioritizeinfestationpatchesfortreatments.Thedecisionsupportsystemincorporatespopu-lationforecastinformation,greentoredratio,beetlesur-vival,standsusceptibilityandaspreadpotentialratingfordispersaltoadjacentornearbystands.ThespreadpotentialratingsconsiderMPBdispersalbehavior,rateofdispersal,climaticvariablesrelatingtodispersalandthevulnerabilityofadjacentstandsforsuccessfulattackandspread.

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Thesebiologicalfactors,combinedwiththemanagementzones,allowSRDtosetaprioritycategorytoallbeetlesitesintheCrownforest.Prioritiesareclassifiedasextreme,high,moderate,lowandverylow.Essentially,thepriorityrankingassignsariskofspreadofeverybeetlesite.Thesepriorityrankingsprovidethebasisforresourceallocationandlevel2planning.

June

•EstablishtentativeBeetleManagementZonesbasedonR-value,riskofbeetleimmigrationandthevaluesatrisk.

•Conductaerialdetectionofearlyfadersindroughtyearorindrysites.

•DeploybaitsforthedispersaldetectionandspotbaitingforcontainmentforhighR-valuesites.

•Deploybaitsforcontainmentgridbaitinginthesched-uledcutblockstobeharvestedinthecomingwinter.

July

•MonitorbeetleflightthroughJulyandAugusttodeterminepeakfightperiods.

August

•Evaluatelongdistancedispersaldetectionresultstode-terminetheextentofcurrentsummer’sflightandattackdensity.

•Conductaerialoverviewsurveystoassesstheextentofpreviousyear’sflight(redattack).

•ConductwalkthroughreconnaissancesurveysofrepresentativesitesineachtentativeBeetleManagementZone.

•RevisetentativeBeetleManagementZoneboundaryusingreconnaissancesurveyresultsandachievablecontroltargets.

September

•Conductheli-GPSsurveysintheLeadingEdgeZoneandinHoldingZonewheretheLevel1treatmentisimplemented.

•NegotiatewiththeforestcompaniesoperatingintheLeadingEdgeandHoldingZonestodeterminethelevelofLevel2treatmentthatcanbeimplementedineachcompartment.

•Ensurethatallcontainmentgridbaitblocksareincludedintheharvestplan.

• FinalizetheBeetleManagementZonesbasedontheindustrycommitmentandavailableSRDresourcestomeetthecontroltargets.

•DevelopaplanforeachBeetleManagementZonedescribinghowtoachievethecontroltargetineach

APPE NDIX

Zone,andestimatethecostsandresourcesrequiredforimplementingeachplan.

•Reviewandapproveeachplan.•DevelopLevel2harvestplans.•Collectalltheattractantpheromonebaitsdeployedinthefield

• StartmonitoringMPBcoldhardinessandreportmajorkillingeventsthroughoutfall,winterandspring.

October-November

• Implementgroundsurveyandcontrolprograms.•Adjustsurveyandcontrolactivitiesifamajorkillingeventoccurs.

December

•Reviewtheprogressoftheprogramandmakeadjust-mentsifrequire.

•Adjustsurveyandcontrolactivitiesifamajorkillingeventoccurs.

•Reviewtheprogressofcompanies’harvestoperationsforLevel2treatmentsandmakeadjustmentifrequired.

January-March

•Adjustsurveyandcontrolactivitiesifamajorkillingeventoccurs.

•Ensureallcontainmentgrid-baitedblocksareharvested.

April

•Adjustsurveyandcontrolactivitiesifamajorkillingeventoccurs.

May

•ConductR-ValuesurveyinearlyMaytoforecastthebeetlepopulationemerginginthecomingsummer.

•Ensurethecontroltargetsareachievedandpreparetheyear-endMPBoperationsreport.

•Reviewthereportandevaluateperformanceofeachoperation.

EXAMPLE OF PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE

The following actions are implemented by SRD Forestry Division and Forest Industry Stakeholders:

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AlbertaForests,LandsandWildlife,ForestService.(1986).MountainPineBeetlecontrolprogram1980-1986,asuccessstory.Edmonton,AB.

AlbertaSustainableResourceDevelopment.(2002). MountainPineBeetleManagementStrategy.Edmonton,AB.

BritishColumbiaMinistryofForestsandRange.(2006)BritishColumbiaForestHealthReport.2006[Electronicversion].Victoria,BC:Author.Retrievedfromhttp://www.for.gov.bc.ca/ftp/HFP/external/!publish/Aerial_Overview/2006/Aer_OV_final.pdf

BritishColumbiaMinistryofForestsandRange.(2006).MountainPineBeetleActionPlan2006-2011.Victoria,BC.

Carroll,A.L.,Taylor,S.W.,Régnière,J.,andSafranyik,L.(2004).EffectsofclimatechangeonrangeexpansionbythemountainpinebeetleinBritishColumbia.InT.L.Shore,J.E.BrooksandJ.E.Stone(Eds.),MountainPineBeetleSymposiumChallengesandSolutions,October30-31,2003,Kelowna,BritishColumbia(pp.223-232).Victoria,BC:NaturalResourcesanada,CanadianForestService,PacificForestryCentre.

Carroll,A.L.,Régnière,J.,Logan,J.A.,Taylor,S.W.,Bentz,B.J.andPowell,J.A.(2006).Impactsofclimatechangeonrangeexpansionbythemountainpinebeetle.Victoria,BC:NaturalResourcesCanada,CanadianForestService,PacificForestryCentre.

Cerezke,H.F.andBrandt,J.P.(1993).ForestinsectanddiseaseconditionsinAlberta,Saskatchewan,Manitoba,andtheNorthwestTerritoriesin1992.(Inf.Rep.NOR-X-332).Edmonton,AB:ForestryCanada,NorthwestRegion,NorthernForestryCentre.

Hopping,G.R.andMathers,W.G.(1945).ObservationsonoutbreaksandcontrolofthemountainpinebeetleinthelodgepolepinestandsofwesternCanada.ForestryChronicles(Vol.21[2],pp.98-108).

Jackson,P.(2006).Radarobservationandaerialcaptureofmountainpinebeetle,inflightovertheRockiesinsummer2006-InterimReport.PrinceGeorge,BC:NaturalResourcesandEnvironmentalStudiesInstitute,UniversityofNorthernBritishColumbia.

McGill,A.(2007).MountainPineBeetleSusceptibilityMap(StandSusceptibilityIndexwithClimaticFactor).Edmonton,AB:AlbertaSustainableResourceDevelopment,ForestryDivision,ForestHealthSection.

Safranyik,L.andCarroll,A.L.(2006).Thebiologyandepidemiologyofthemountainpinebeetleinlodgepolepineforests.InL.SafranyikandW.R.Wilson(Eds),Themountainpinebeetle:ASynthesisofbiology,management,andimpactsonlodgepolepine(pp.3-66).Victoria,BC:NaturalResourcesCanada,CanadianForestService,PacificForestryCentre.

Shore,T.L.andSafranyik,L.(1992).Susceptibilityandriskratingsystemsforthemountainpinebeetleinlodgepolepinestands(Inf.Rep.BC-X-336).Victoria,BC:CanadianForestService,PacificForestryCentre.

Taylor,S.W.,Carroll,A.L.,Alfaro,R.I.,andSafranyik,L.(2006).ForestclimateandmountainpinebeetleoutbreakdynamicsinwesternCanada.InL.SafranyikandW.R.Wilson(Eds.),Themountainpinebeetle:Asynthesisofbiology,management,andimpactsonlodgepolepine(pp.67-94).Victoria,BC:NaturalResourcesCanada,CanadianForestService,PacificForestCentre.

RE FE RE NC ES

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Photos provided by: Hideji Ono, Bart McAnally, Brooks Horne, BCMOFR and SRD