Bark Beetles• SPRUCE BEETLE • RED TURPENTINE BEETLE • WESTERN PINE BEETLE • ROUNDHEADED PINE BEETLE MOUNTAIN PINE BEETLE • PINE ENGRAVER BEETLES • DOUGLAS-FIR BEETLE • CEDAR BARK BEETLES • FIR ENGRAVER Beetle• WESTERN BALSAM BARK BEETLE

Mt Pine Beetle Mortality

Root Disease• Armillaria Root Disease • Annosus Root Disease• Laminated Root Rot• Schweinitzii Root & Butt Rot• Blackstain Root Desease• Tomentosus Root Disease• Pini or Red Ring Rot• Cedar Laminated Butt Rot (Phellinus)• Cedar Brown Pocket Rot• Red Belt Fungus• Quinine Conk• Indian Paint Fungus• Pouch Fungus *Photo: Terrie Jain, RMRS

Lockman, Bush, Barber; R1 Numbered Report 16-07 May 2016

Mistletoes• Lodgepole pine • Douglas-fir• W. Larch

Douglas-fir

Western Larch

White Pine Blister Rust

WPBR Canker Aeciospores

When WP was “King”

Understanding individual tree ecology helps us to make decisions on how to alter:• Tree Establishment• Forest Structure• Species Composition

Individual Tree Ecology

Shade Tolerance By Species

INTOLERANTINTERMEDIATETOLERANT

Wester

n Hem

lockWe

sternR

edceda

rSub

alpine

Fir

Engelm

ann spr

uceDou

glas-fir

Wester

n Larch

Lodgep

[ole Pin

eWh

itebark

Pine

Ponder

osa Pin

e

Grand

Fir

White

Pine

Reforestation-Revegetation Climate Change Primer, R1 USFS, 2013

Tree Establishment – Seedbed NeedsOrganic Seedbed (Needle Litter/Duff)Douglas-fir, western white pine, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, western redcedar, western hemlock, grand firMineral SoilDouglas-fir, western white pine, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, western larch, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pineBurnedDouglas-fir, western white pine, subalpine fir, western larch, ponderosa pine, whitebark pine, lodgepole pine

Drought Tolerance By Species

TOLERANTINTERMEDIATEINTOLERANT

Wester

n Hem

lockWe

sternR

edceda

rSub

alpine

Fir

Engelm

ann Spr

uce

Douglas

-fir

Wester

n Larch

Lodgep

[ole Pin

ePon

derosa

Pine

Grand

Fir

White

Pine

Reforestation-Revegetation Climate Change Primer, R1 USFS, 2013

Tree Establishment – DroughtFirst Year Survival of Planted Seedlings

R1 seedling survival from Reforestation-Revegetation Climate Change Primer, R1 USFS, 2013

Fire Tolerance By Species

HIGHLOWVery Low

Western HemlockWestern RedcedarSubalpine Fir Engelmann Spruce

Douglas-firWestern Larch

Lodgepole Pine

Whitebark PinePonderosa Pine

Grand Fir

White Pine

MODERATE

RMRS-GTR-292 table 3.9

Insect and Disease Tolerance by Species

RMRS-GTR-292: table 3.1Early Seral --------------------------------------------------------Late Seral

Ponderosa W. Larch Lodgepole White Pine Douglas-fir E. Spruce Grand Fir Subalpine FirStem Decay Pini X X X X X X X X

Schwinitzii X

Root Disease Armallaria X X XLaminated X X XAnnosus X X X X X X

Defoliator Spruce budworm X X X

Bark Beetles X X X X X X X

Changes from Historic Conditions due to Timber Harvest, Invasive Species and Fire ExclusionFire Frequency • Reduced frequency increases fuel loadings and forest densification decrease spatial and species heterogeneity

• Larger, more severe firesSpecies Composition and Pattern• Decrease of fire adapted shade intolerant species • Increase of less fire adapted shade tolerant species• Decrease in patch size, mosaic more susceptible to large fire growth• Decrease in amount of old growth

Changes from Historic Conditions continued…Insects & Disease-• Loss of 5 needle pines due to white pine blister rust and bark beetles on 10 million acres in R1• Loss of size class and species diversity increases susceptible hosts • Species shift to shade tolerant species; more susceptible to root disease, defoliators • MPB increasing in whitebark pine at higher elevations

Definition of SilvicultureSilviculture is the art and science of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, and quality of forest vegetation for the full range of forest resource objectives.

What Management Action to Take?• Respond to objectives established in forest planning and through the NEPA process• Must follow law, regulation and policy• Limited by ecological capability of the site

Flathead NF Forest Plan Management Objectives• Increase area dominated by shade-intolerant, resilient, long-lived tree species (WP, PP, WL, WBP)• Maintain the existing proportion of old growth forest across the forest • Reduce hazardous fuels within WUI • Mimic or approximate natural succession and disturbance processes • Maintain forests dominated by subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce within lynx habitat and provide winter snowshoe hare habitat.

Develop Target Stands to Meet Objectives

Flathead NF Habitat Type Groups Habitat Types FNF Target Stands

Warm DryMOD WARM/DRY

Var 1: WUI Var 2: Winter Range

Warm Moist (not yet developed)

Cool Moist –Moderately

Dry

Cool & Moist420, 421, 422, 460, 461, 462, 470, 620, 621, 622, 623, 624, 625, 660, 661, 662, 670, 680, 740, 832

COOL & WET/MOIST

Var 1: Lynx habitatVar 2: Non-lynxCool & Wet 410, 440, 480, 610,

630, 650, 651, 653Cool &

Moderately Dry450, 640, 663, 690, 691, 692, 710, 720, 731, 920, 930 (not yet developed)730, 732

Cold (not yet developed)

Stage Vegetation Structure Downed Wood

Snags/Acre Except LPP type

Successional Size Class Age Trees per Acre

Species Comp.

BA/ac Averagedbh

CanopyClosure

Tons/ac CWD >9”

15”+ 20”+

Early Seedling/Sapling 1-40 250-800 ≥ 70%

WP/WL/ES N/A <5” <30%10-60 2-4 1-2 Overstory*

(Seedling/Sapling)

80+ 3-10 TPA 15”+ DBH

WL/WP Preferred 20-40 15”+ <10%

Mid Small Tree 30-70 150-350 ≥ 60% 50-80 5-10” 25-40% 10-60 2-4 1-2 Overstory* (Small Tree) 120+ 3-10 TPA 15”+

DBH WP/WL Preferred 20-40 21”+Medium Tree 70-100 50-250 ≥ 60% WP/WL 60-100 10-15”

25-45%Overstory* (Medium Tree) 150+ 3-10 TPA 15”+

DBH WP/WL Preferred 20-40 21”+Mid to Late Large Tree 100-170 >10” DBH 50-

100 ≥50% WP/WL 60-120 15+ 25-45% 30-60 2-4 1-2Late Large Tree

170-300>10” dbh 30-

150 At least 8 TPA

≥ 21” DBH≥ 40% WP/WL 60-200 15”+ 30%+ >15 2-4 1-2

Final ThoughtsFor your cool/moist and moderately dry conifer forest management discussions, remember to consider:• Limitations of the site- habitat type, biophysical setting• Regeneration and growth needs of individual species• Susceptibility to Disturbances- Early Seral vs Late Seral• Disturbance regimes that created historically resilient forests• Incorporating heterogeneity into the stand and landscape

The End