Can whitebark pine be saved?

• Published in: Phytopathology Vol. 100; no. 6; p. S166
• Main Authors: Goheen, E M, Schwandt, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.06.2010
• Subjects: Cronartium ribicola; Dendroctonus ponderosae; Pinus albicaulis; North America
• ISSN: 0031-949X

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis), a five-needled pine of mountainous regions in western North America, is considered a keystone species in the fragile high elevation ecosystems it inhabits. The future of whitebark pine is of substantial concern due to the species acute vulnerability to the non-native fungus Cronartium ribicola (cause of white pine blister rust), its susceptibility to infestation by mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) which may kill trees that harbor natural resistance to blister rust, its risk of being destroyed in large and intense wildfires, its likelihood of being replaced by fire intolerant species due to fire exclusion, and the potential impacts of warming temperatures at high elevations. Implementation of a conservation and restoration program to protect and enhance existing populations, provide regeneration opportunities, and increase the proportion of trees with natural resistance to white pine blister rust can reverse this trend. Restoration projects underway include: rust surveys and monitoring to determine host status, collecting and storing whitebark pine seed, identifying and testing trees for natural resistance to white pine blister rust, planting blister rust-resistant seed or seedlings, using silvicultural methods to reduce competing vegetation and create planting sites, encouraging natural regeneration, and treating blister rust-resistant trees to prevent beetle attacks.