Warmer Temps killing up to 80% of White Bark Pine:

[amborin]

Losing Our Forests: NRDC Sues to Protect Iconic Whitebark Pine
Unique High Elevation Trees Threatened by Warming Climate

CHICAGO - February 25 - The Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit yesterday seeking federal action to protect the whitebark pine, an imperiled tree species critical to the health of the high elevation mountain country of the Northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest. The lawsuit was filed against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to make a ninety-day finding on NRDC's petition to list the whitebark pine as an endangered species.

"Within the past few years, certain regions have seen an 80 percent die-off of whitebark pine trees," said Rebecca Riley, endangered species attorney with NRDC. "This unique and wide-ranging tree is iconic and critical to the American West and it is under attack. The Fish and Wildlife Service needs to move quickly to protect this vanishing species."

Whitebark pine is found at high elevations throughout western North America, but it is particularly important in the Northern Rockies and high Sierras of California. Threatening these trees is a "perfect storm" of problems, including an unprecedented outbreak of mountain pine beetles due to warming temperatures and the infestation of a non-native fungus, white pine blister rust.

Scientists regard the tree as a "foundation species" because it creates the conditions necessary for other plants and animals to get established in harsh alpine ecosystems. Whitebark pine supports the growth of other plant and tree species, providing habitat, food, and shelter for wildlife such as grizzly bears, squirrels, and many bird species. The tree's branches block wind and slow snowmelt, regulating spring runoff and providing a steady supply of water for rivers and streams in the critical late summer season.

"What happens to whitebark pine will have sweeping effects on the entire high mountain forest ecosystems of the Northern Rockies," said NRDC senior wildlife advocate Louisa Willcox. "Of particular concern is the future of Yellowstone's threatened grizzly population, which relies on the high-fat seeds of whitebark pine as a primary food source. Fewer whitebark pine seeds lead to higher numbers of grizzly bear deaths and lower reproductive success among females."

The rate of the whitebark pine tree's disappearance has increased significantly in recent years and raised concern from the scientific community. Fire suppression, white pine blister rust, and climate-driven mountain pine beetle outbreaks all threaten the ability of the tree to serve its important role in maintaining the health of the ecosystems where it lives.

"Growing at the highest elevations of any trees in the West, the whitebark pine has survived everything nature has to throw at it: lightening strikes, 80 mile an hour winds, rock and ice, and frigid winter temperatures," said NRDC senior wildlife advocate Louisa Willcox. "But the tragedy is that it may not be able to survive what we are throwing at it now: a warming climate and invasive disease."

Until recently, harsh winters have helped protect whitebark pine, by keeping mountain pine beetles (which are the size of a grain of rice) at lower elevations, where beetles have coevolved with other pine species such as lodgepole. North America's high elevation ecosystems are some of the fastest warming areas on the planet. Those warmer winter temperatures have allowed beetles to flourish at higher elevations and vigorously attack whitebark pine, which lack the defenses of lower elevation forests. Additionally, the extreme cold snaps that used to limit the insects' breeding have not been present for many years. Decades of drought, blister rust, and a non-native invasive fungus species have killed more than 50 percent of whitebark pines in the Northern Rockies over the last four decades. In certain areas, between 80-100 percent of the remaining trees are infected with blister rust or beetles and will die.

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/02/25-12

[BeFree]

1. Problem for flora

Fauna can move as the needs to adapt evolve.

Plants, otoh, move at a snails pace and can be overcome by climate change.

Of course, everything will evolve to adapt, and some will evolve right into dust. The changes will occur. The question is will the world be a better place or will it be worse? Will we have more diversity, or will be be narrowing evolution down into just a few adaptable species?

[mike_c]

2. we did some WBP studies in my lab a few years ago...

...in the Snowbank Mtns in Idaho. That was about ten years ago, but mortality of mature trees was well advanced even then. Mountain pine beetle attacks were frequent, and usually successful. I'd estimate about thirty percent of the mature trees at that time were dead or dying, but up to 60-80 percent in some stands, and the trend did not look good. Blister rust infection was widespread, maybe even 100 percent (we got that info from the forest service silvaculturists we worked with). I'm betting most of those stands are either replaced by sub-alpine firs, or tree-line lowers a bit in places, unless the lodgepoles push further upward as the climate changes.

It's a tragedy though. White bark pine is such a beautiful alpine tree species, and it's an important component of alpine food webs.

[BeFree]

3. High altitudes

The last time I looked, higher altitude air sampling stations - RMNP, for one, were reporting a trend of air pollution rising ever higher over the last @ 30 years.

It may not be just the heat, but also higher CO2 and pollutants that the trees can't adapt too, but the bugs are loving?

[mike_c]

4. it's definitely a complicated picture....

The beetles are so successful because the trees are stressed and fire is largely excluded-- which ultimately exacerbates tree stress. Warmer climate allows the beetles to finish more life cycles, and it also exacerbates tree stress-- and WBP lives in a marginal environment anyway, so it doesn't take much.

Blister rust-- well, I don't know what to say. Like all the other stressors, blister rust just heaps more stress on the already marginal trees, making it difficult or impossible for them to successfully fend of mountain pine beetle attacks. And those attacks depend upon mass population pressure for success, so the beetle populations are favored by the weather and all those stressed out potential host trees. It really is a perfect storm of awfulness for WBP.

[BeFree]

5. That's my point

And fire at high elevations is a rare factor. At least the kinds of fires that would kill off all the bugs.

The trees are first being stressed from the increased pollution levels.

And the bugs may like increased pollution? Certainly they like the trees defenses being lowered.