Poster Session #1: UC Ballroom
Resin duct density and flow as a function of fire damage in Ponderosa pine
Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Ray Callaway
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Biological Sciences
Abstract / Artist's Statement
Fire has shaped the ecosystems of the intermountain west for centuries. The effects of fire on Pinus ponderosa stand structure and soil nutrient cycling have been extensively studied. However, the effect of fire on the physiological defenses of P. ponderosa is not thoroughly understood. One function of these defenses is to repel attacks from biotic disturbance agents such as bark beetles. The primary mechanism by which P. ponderosa repels a bark beetle attack is the secretion of resin through ducts located in the sapwood. There has been no study to date that examines whether resin duct density and flow are a function of fire damage. The goal of my project is to elucidate whether fire injury level influences resin duct density and resin flow. Core samples were collected from P. ponderosa stands in the Blue Mountain Recreational Area outside of Missoula, MT where a fire occurred in 2003. The sample size consisted of 27 trees with two cores taken from each tree. The control group consisted of 8 trees that had not been burned by the 2003 fire. For each individual tree, core samples were collected from different geographical aspects. The cores samples provided data on resin duct density as well as tree age and growth rate. These data sets were compared to the fire injury level among the samples to find any correlations. Fire injury data was assessed based on crown scorch percentage and cambial kill percentage. The findings of this study will aid in the understanding of how fire affects the physiological defenses of P. ponderosa and help better inform forest managers working to strengthen stands against bark beetle attacks.
Resin duct density and flow as a function of fire damage in Ponderosa pine
UC Ballroom
Fire has shaped the ecosystems of the intermountain west for centuries. The effects of fire on Pinus ponderosa stand structure and soil nutrient cycling have been extensively studied. However, the effect of fire on the physiological defenses of P. ponderosa is not thoroughly understood. One function of these defenses is to repel attacks from biotic disturbance agents such as bark beetles. The primary mechanism by which P. ponderosa repels a bark beetle attack is the secretion of resin through ducts located in the sapwood. There has been no study to date that examines whether resin duct density and flow are a function of fire damage. The goal of my project is to elucidate whether fire injury level influences resin duct density and resin flow. Core samples were collected from P. ponderosa stands in the Blue Mountain Recreational Area outside of Missoula, MT where a fire occurred in 2003. The sample size consisted of 27 trees with two cores taken from each tree. The control group consisted of 8 trees that had not been burned by the 2003 fire. For each individual tree, core samples were collected from different geographical aspects. The cores samples provided data on resin duct density as well as tree age and growth rate. These data sets were compared to the fire injury level among the samples to find any correlations. Fire injury data was assessed based on crown scorch percentage and cambial kill percentage. The findings of this study will aid in the understanding of how fire affects the physiological defenses of P. ponderosa and help better inform forest managers working to strengthen stands against bark beetle attacks.