View this email in your browser

Whitebark pine photo credit: Cyndi Smith

ABSTRACTS

The Abstract deadline is today- we look forward to seeing your submission.

This deadline is for both oral presentations and posters. Exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis, but we need to create the H5II program soon and need the abstracts to organize the schedule of presentations.

Need a short extension?- Please contact Bob Keane (bob.keane@whitebarkfound.org) regarding oral presentation extensions and Alina Cansler (acansler@uw.edu) for poster extensions.

REGISTRATION

Registration is open and on-going- We encourage you to register soon. Check out the special rates for WPEF members and Students!!!! The conference will feature a strong science and management program, exhibits, networking, and social interactive events to make it a fun and informative conference.

Scholarships are still available for students, managers, and scientists who may be limited by the cost of registration. Please submit your short statement by July 15 (see website for details). We are appreciative of Society of American Foresters for supporting the student scholarships.

SPONSORS

We are grateful for support from sponsors of the H5II conference. We will be featuring them during the Conference and hope you also express your appreciation.

Thank you- American Forests, Society of American Foresters, National Forest Foundation, Montana Native Plant Society, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, The Nature Conservancy Montana, The Nature Conservancy Idaho, Crater Lake Institute, Northern Rockies Fire Sciences Network, Dr. Cathy Cripps, John and Janet Tagney Charity, Charles and Cynthia Bacon, Horizon Credit Union.

Interested in being a Sponsor- we would love your support. All sponsorship options give opportunities for high visibility with conference professionals on our website and during the virtual conference. Details on the conference website.

Recent Study Focuses on Climate-Driven Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreaks in Whitebark Pine

In this study the authors “investigated whether (whitebark pine) survivors were genetically and chemically different from a living cohort of trees that escaped predation due to a smaller size and estimated genetic diversity”. They also “examined how growth rates and climate sensitivity varied between beetle-killed and surviving trees”. The results suggest that when faced with a variety of additional stressors, such as climate change and blister rust, a complex constellation of factors may be at play in determining beetle survival in a semi-naїve species such as whitebark pine. As a management consideration, the authors suggest that the maintenance of genetic diversity should be a top priority and caution that where planting is done, care should be taken in sourcing seed, as wide variation in genetic makeup and terpenoid profiles was noted, even among populations in close geographic proximity.

The citation is: Six DL, Trowbridge A, Howe M, Perkins D, Berglund E, Brown P, Hicke JA and Balasubramanian G (2021) Growth, Chemistry, and Genetic Profiles of Whitebark Pine Forests Affected by Climate-Driven Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreaks. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change 4:671510. https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2021.671510

Researchers Investigate whether Whitebark Pine Can Tolerate Warmer and Drier Conditions if Seedlings and Saplings are not Competitively Excluded by other Conifer Species

This study, conducted in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), investigated the warm-dry sensitivity of small size class whitebark pine from lower treeline to the subalpine. A new genetic technique was employed to distinguish non-cone bearing whitebark pine from limber pine. The authors conclude that competitive exclusion may not be the primary mechanism limiting whitebark pine’s low elevation distribution and that the regeneration of whitebark has shifted upward somewhat, perhaps in response to observed warming in the GYE.

The citation is: Hansen, A. J., A. East, R. E. Keane, M. Lavin, K. Legg, Z. Holden, C. Toney, and F. Alongi. 2021. Is whitebark pine less sensitive to climate warming when climate tolerances of juveniles are considered? Forest Ecology and Management 493:119221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119221

Is the Fate of Whitebark Pine in the Beak of Clark's Nutcracker?

Follow the link below to a National Park Service article that summarizes the relationship between whitebark pine and Clark’s nutcracker. Also included are updates on relevant research ongoing in several western national parks, links to research papers, and several marvelous photos of whitebark and the nutcracker.

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/whitebark-pine-and-clarks-nutcracker-mutualism.htm

Extraordinary Great Basin Bristlecone Pine Photo Credit: Quinn Lowrey