Whitebark Pine in Region 6Background, Status, & Restoration

Andy BowerArea Geneticist – western WashingtonOlympic NF

Regional Silviculture MeetingBend, OR

November 16, 2010

WBP Distribution

Whitebark Pine 101

• Only north American stone pine– Cones that do not open when ripe– Wingless seed

• Seed dispersed by Nutcrackers• Caches of multiple seed results in clumpy

growth structure

• Proposed for ESA listing – in 12 month review

Clark’s Nutcracker

Clumpy growth structure

Threats

•Mountain Pine Beetle

•White Pine Blister Rust•Successional replacement•Climate change

Region 6WBPRestorationStrategy

Key Actions Prescribed

• Collect seed for gene conservation and rust resistance screening

• Assess stand conditions in priority management units • Develop plans for planting seedlings in priority management

units • Continue a rust screening program with emphasis on seed

zones in grizzly bear areas • Treat for mountain pine beetle in high risk management

units • Develop an approach for planting seedlings in designated

wilderness areas

Region 6 ex situ gene conservation plan

• 20 collection areas• Minimum of 25 trees

per collection area

• Min. 30 cones per tree– 800 seed for ex situ

gene conservation• 500 to ARS NCGP in Ft.

Collins, CO• 300 held in storage at

Dorena GRC

Collection Area

Seed Zone

Conservation Areas

# Seedlots >700 seed available

pre-2009

Goal met?

# Seedlots collected

2009

# Seedlots >700 seed available

Goal met?

# Seedlots collected

2010

Goal met?

Olympic mtns. 1 101 10 NO 0 10 NO 19 YESOkanagan NF 2E 202, 203, 204, 205 0 NO 16 13 NO 26 YES

Wenatchee NF 2W 206, 207 12 NO 0 12 NO 27 YESWenatchee NF 2W 208 1 NO 0 1 NO 24 YESBonaparte mtn. 3 301 0 NO 19 19 NO 0 NO

Kettle Crest 3 302 1 NO 17 18 NO 0 NOSelkirk mtns. 3 303 0 NO 0 0 NO 6 NO

Mt. Rainier-Mt. Adams 4 401, 402, 404, 405 24 NO 0 24 ALMOST 4 YES

Mt. Hood 5 501 18 NO 7 25 YES 9 YES

Central OR Cascades 5 502, 503, 504 25 YES 26 49 YES 8 YES

Newberry Crater 5 505 4 NO 26 26 YES 9 YESWallowa mtns. 6 601 0 NO 25 21 ALMOST NO

Umatilla NF 6 602, 603 49 YES 5 51 YES YESMalheur NF 6 604 7 NO 28 27 YES YES

Central OR Cascades 7 701 0 NO 23 16 NO** NO

Southern OR Cascades 7 703 7 NO 20 19 NO 22 YES

Mt. Ashland 7 704 *Yamsay Mtn. 8 801 0 NO 11 9 NO ~12 YESFremont NF 8 802 0 NO 19 19 NO ~25 YES

Warner mtns. 8 803 0 NO 24 21 ALMOST 0 NO

Gene Conservation Cone Collections

Gene Conservation Cone Collections

Target Met?YesAlmostNoWBP RangeCone collection site

Accomplishments – 2009-2010

• 464 seedlots from over 50 locations for gene conservation

• 62 permanent monitoring plots at >25 different locations

• ~100 site surveys• Verbenone treatments on Fre-Win• Seed planting trials on Mt. Bachelor & Mt.

Hood

WBP Planting Projects

• 2009: “Opportunistic” planting projects on Fre-Win, Des, and GP

• 12,000 seedlings on 37 acres on Mt. Hood NF• 2010: 50 accessions added to DES preservation

arboretum• 2011: ~3000 seedlings on 5 ac. On Black Butte• Long term rust validation planting on Davis

Mtn. and 2nd replicate• 2012: – 1000-2000 seedling from resistant families

being grown for outplanting on DES

Permanent Plots

• 181 plots on Malheur NF installed mostly in 2004 some in 2009

• 200 plots on WAW NF – 100 in Eagle Cap, 100 in Elkhorns

• 78 plots on DES, WIL, MAL, COL, OKA-WEN in 2008

• 62 plots in 2009 in OR and WA• 3 on Mt. Hood plus elsewhere?

Permanent Plot Data – K. Chadwick and C. Jensen

• Blister rust infection, regeneration, WBP stand density and mortality are highly variable especially in Oregon

• Density – Avg: 350 wbp/acre (0-1442)• Mortality (WPBR & MPB) – 19% (0-77%)• WPBR – Avg: Cent OR: 25% (0-86) Malheur: 55% (35-71%) Oka-Wen: 56% (33-71%)

Perm. Plot Results

• Advanced regeneration was through out all plots, leaving us hopeful in the face of MBP

• We have two non-natives changing these stands, Balsam Woolly Adelgid in subalpine fir and Whitepine blister rust.

• Database to house region 6 data, across all land ownerships is currently being developed.

• Now have regional protocol for installation and damage codes

Genetic Diversity Testing

Molecular Markers 4 marker types 88 populations

Seedling Traits 92 Families 50 locations

Population Structure

• Isozymes – – 2 population

“groups”

• cpDNA – – 3 population

“groups”

Date of needle flush

Conclusions:Molecular markers

• Average levels of genetic diversity overall• Genetic diversity lower in Olympic

populations• Olympic populations genetically

differentiated from “main” range• Limited genetic structure in non-Olympic

populations

Conclusions:Quantitative traits

• Significant genetic variation among and within populations

• Olympic populations not differentiated based on quantitative traits

• Local adaptation driven by winter temperature

• Population differentiation greater than “selectively neutral” molecular markers

Conclusions

• Info from molecular markers and quantitative traits is complimentary but incomplete independently

• Olympic populations need special attention• Seed should not be moved into/out of

Olympics• Seed can be moved within N. Cascades and

SW Washington/Oregon, but probably not into/out of NE Washington and E. Oregon