Status of Whitebark Pine in Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, 2000
SUMMARY
- Blister rust currently infects up to 20% of the Park’s whitebark pine, especially on the western rim.
- We predict a 46% decline in mature whitebark pine by 2050.
- Present and future mortality on Wizard Island appears to be mostly mistletoe–related.
- A mapping and monitoring program is needed to provide better understanding of infection and mortality rates.
- A local rust-resistance seed orchard program supplemented with nutcracker dispersal will counter impending pine population bottlenecks.
- Knowledge of natural fire regimes for the Park’s whitebark pine is lacking and needs to be investigated before management can confidently use it as a conservation tool.
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