| Report Documents
|
|
|
| |
| Map Plotfiles
|
-
No files of this type available
|
| |
| Data Files
|
-
No files of this type available
|
| |
| Digital Map Files
|
-
No files of this type available
|
| |
| Image Document
|
-
No files of this type available
|
| |
| Video Files
|
-
No files of this type available
|
| |
|
All Documents
|
|
|
| Contact
|
|
-
If you have any questions on the information presented, or require additional report data or attachments, please contact the Report Contact
|
|
|
This project aided in whitebark pine recovery through the following means: planting seedlings grown from potentially rust resistant parent trees, collecting additional seed, improving whitebark pine seedling production practices, identifying regional health trends, and by initiating work to determine how local Clark's Nutcrackers are utilizing whitebark pine forests and aiding in its recovery.
|
Author: R. Moody, K. Wright
|
Old Reference Number: COA-F17-W-1292
|
Old Reference System: FWCP Fish Wildlife Compensation Program - Coastal
|
Date Published: Mar 2017
|
Report ID: 53125
|
Audience: Government and Public
|
Whitebark pine is an endangered keystone species of high elevation ecosystems. It is an important food source of many species of wildlife, most notably the Grizzly Bear and Clark's Nutcracker (primary seed disperser). It is a blue-listed species in British Columbia and listed as endangered under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). It is endangered due to several agents including the introduced white pine blister rust caused by the fungus Cronartium ribicola, mountain pine beetle, fire, and climate change. The most effective means for whitebark pine recovery is through promoting the regeneration of blister rust resistant seedlings via planting.
This project aided in whitebark pine recovery through the following means: planting seedlings grown from potentially rust resistant parent trees, collecting additional seed, improving whitebark pine seedling production practices, identifying regional health trends, and by initiating work to determine how local Clark's Nutcrackers are utilizing whitebark pine forests and aiding in its recovery.
The most concrete action this project addressed was blister rust and fire impacts by planting putatively resistant seedlings in burned areas to expedite recovery on these sites. Putatively resistant seedlings are potentially rust resistant seedling that have not been confirmed through testing, but are suspected due to parent tree traits. It takes 40 years for a whitebark pine to produce cones, the sooner they are planted on these denuded sites the sooner they will begin functioning in the ecosystem.
This project aligns with action items in the Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy - Implement relevant restoration activities suggested in the strategy namely restoring compensatory habitat away from human activity to lower mortality risk; and restoring important forage such as whitebark pine. These actions also align with the provincial Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy and the Statimc Resource Management Plan. Whitebak pine is an important food for grizzly bears in the region.
Michael Girard, an instructor at Vancouver Island University and a conifer growing consultant toured the Split Rock greenhouse facility on May 7, 2016. He noted that the seedlings are grown under a stressful environment and practices must be implemented to reduce stress related to: 1) high temperatures, 2) vapor pressure, 3) moisture stress, and 4) nutrient stress. Recommended practices included: 1) utilizing shade cloth, 2) misting, 3) use of an ammonium based fertilizer, and 4) extending photoperiod to 12-20 hours. A full version of the report is included in Appendix 1.
In September 2016, 2250 whitebark pine seedlings were planted in a burned area on Porcupine Ridge, in the Larochelle Drainage west of Lillooet. A total of 7.5 ha, of the originally planned 13.5 ha, was planted for a total planted density of 300 seedlings/ha (Figure 4). The entire area was not planted as the number of seedlings available for planting was lower than originally projected.
|
Report Type
Subject
| |
Mammals - Grizzly Bear: Ursus arctos |
| |
Region - Thompson-Nicola |
| |
Terrestrial Information - Restoration |
| |
Vegetation - Plant Species at Risk |
| |
|
|
