Analyzing the relative density of Whitebark pine cones in the cascade mountains

Document Type

Poster

Event Website

https://source2022.sched.com/

Start Date

16-5-2022

End Date

16-5-2022

Keywords

Biology, Ecology, sustainability

Abstract

Our study pertains to the mutualistic relationship between endangered whitebark pine (WBP) and its sole mechanism of seed dispersal, the Clark’s nutcracker. This obligate mutualism is essential for reproduction of WBP, which relies on Clark’s nutcrackers to break their cones open and introduce the seeds to a new location. Nutcrackers carry as many as 100 seeds at a time in a sublingual pouch in order to cache them just below the soil surface at thousands of different locations and at distances of up to 20 miles away from the original tree. WBP populations are currently endangered due to the combined effects of climate change, introduced blister rust (a fungal pathogen), altered fire regimes, and attack by mountain pine beetles. Decline in WBP populations may alter or endanger their mutualistic relationship with Clark’s nutcrackers and may be monitored through estimating cone densities of WBP trees. Our research focuses on quantifying relative densities of cones in WBP and Ponderosa pine stands through analysis of 2021 data collected using three different methods: distance transects, distance point counts, and simple belt transects. This analysis will provide useful insight into the efficacy of these methods in providing reliable data for future cone counts (depending on how close the estimated values are across counting methods) and will be used analyze the effect of WBP cone density on the incidence of Clark’s nutcracker visitation at different locations.

Faculty Mentor(s)

Alison Scoville

Department/Program

Biological Sciences

Additional Mentoring Department

Biological Sciences

Additional Mentoring Department

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Additional Mentoring Department

Funding from Central OUR Grants

Streaming Media

Link to Audio/Video File

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Analyzing the relative density of Whitebark pine cones in the cascade mountains

Our study pertains to the mutualistic relationship between endangered whitebark pine (WBP) and its sole mechanism of seed dispersal, the Clark’s nutcracker. This obligate mutualism is essential for reproduction of WBP, which relies on Clark’s nutcrackers to break their cones open and introduce the seeds to a new location. Nutcrackers carry as many as 100 seeds at a time in a sublingual pouch in order to cache them just below the soil surface at thousands of different locations and at distances of up to 20 miles away from the original tree. WBP populations are currently endangered due to the combined effects of climate change, introduced blister rust (a fungal pathogen), altered fire regimes, and attack by mountain pine beetles. Decline in WBP populations may alter or endanger their mutualistic relationship with Clark’s nutcrackers and may be monitored through estimating cone densities of WBP trees. Our research focuses on quantifying relative densities of cones in WBP and Ponderosa pine stands through analysis of 2021 data collected using three different methods: distance transects, distance point counts, and simple belt transects. This analysis will provide useful insight into the efficacy of these methods in providing reliable data for future cone counts (depending on how close the estimated values are across counting methods) and will be used analyze the effect of WBP cone density on the incidence of Clark’s nutcracker visitation at different locations.

https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2022/COTS/96