Time series analysis of limber pine (Pinus flexilis) health in the U.S. Rocky Mountains in response to white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola) and bark beetles
type: CreativeWork
description: From 2004-2007, 106 permanent limber pine monitoring plots were established and measured throughout the U.S. Rocky Mountains (MT, WY, CO) to characterize health trends in response to white pine blister rust (WPBR) and bark beetles (including mountain pine beetle, "MPB", and Ips spp., "Ips") over time. These plots were subsequently measured in 2011-2013 and again in 2016-17 to form a time series analysis of limber pine health. Data were gathered on 8,206 monumented trees (4,176 limber pine) and included measurements on various stand, ground cover, and landscape characteristics over the three time intervals. The overall percentage of live trees infected with WPBR was 29.4% in 2004-07 and 25.7% in 2016-17, with incidence decreasing in parts of Wyoming (Pole Mountain, Laramie Peak), increasing in southern Colorado (Sangre de Cristo Mountains), and stable in other subregions. However, of limber pines that were healthy during the first measurement, 22.2% were declining/dying and 21.1% had died by the end of the study period due to WPBR and/or bark beetle damages. Due to this, it is likely that new WPBR infections are occurring as the large number of live, infected trees dying during the survey may have masked newly infected trees in incidence calculations. In heavily WPBR-infected areas such as Pole Mountain, Wyoming, 65% of live trees were infected (in 2004-07), and of trees that began the study as healthy, 23% were declining or dying and 38% had died by the end of the study period (2016-17). Additionally, WPBR severity increased significantly from the beginning of the study with 4 previously uninfected sites gaining WPBR infections, 29 sites advancing to 'moderately infected' and 5 sites becoming 'heavily infected'. The overall average number of cankers per tree (3.5) was stable, but the number of infected limber pine with a canker in the lower 1/3 of the stem (18%) increased significantly (+4.2%, P = 0.001). When examining all limber pine in the study, 8%, 3% and 3% we…
abstract: From 2004-2007, 106 permanent limber pine monitoring plots were established and measured throughout the U.S. Rocky Mountains (MT, WY, CO) to characterize health trends in response to white pine blister rust (WPBR) and bark beetles (including mountain pine beetle, "MPB", and Ips spp., "Ips") over time. These plots were subsequently measured in 2011-2013 and again in 2016-17 to form a time series analysis of limber pine health. Data were gathered on 8,206 monumented trees (4,176 limber pine) and included measurements on various stand, ground cover, and landscape characteristics over the three time intervals. The overall percentage of live trees infected with WPBR was 29.4% in 2004-07 and 25.7% in 2016-17, with incidence decreasing in parts of Wyoming (Pole Mountain, Laramie Peak), increasing in southern Colorado (Sangre de Cristo Mountains), and stable in other subregions. However, of limber pines that were healthy during the first measurement, 22.2% were declining/dying and 21.1% had died by the end of the study period due to WPBR and/or bark beetle damages. Due to this, it is likely that new WPBR infections are occurring as the large number of live, infected trees dying during the survey may have masked newly infected trees in incidence calculations. In heavily WPBR-infected areas such as Pole Mountain, Wyoming, 65% of live trees were infected (in 2004-07), and of trees that began the study as healthy, 23% were declining or dying and 38% had died by the end of the study period (2016-17). Additionally, WPBR severity increased significantly from the beginning of the study with 4 previously uninfected sites gaining WPBR infections, 29 sites advancing to 'moderately infected' and 5 sites becoming 'heavily infected'. The overall average number of cankers per tree (3.5) was stable, but the number of infected limber pine with a canker in the lower 1/3 of the stem (18%) increased significantly (+4.2%, P = 0.001). When examining all limber pine in the study, 8%, 3% and 3% we…
author: Leddy, K. A., author
author: Stewart, Jane E., advisor
author: Abdo, Zaid, committee member
author: Sloan, Dan, committee member
author: Schoettle, Anna, committee member
author: Liber, Howard, committee member
language: eng
language: English
keywords: forest health management, mountain pine beetle, white pine blister rust, limber pine, forest health, Rocky Mountains
date published: 2018
date modified: 2026-07-27T19:13:00Z
provider: Colorado State University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Colorado State University. Libraries

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/10217/191362

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.25675/3.018417