Mortality and disease Pinus strobus
an illustration dated 1902, showing variety of insect pests affecting eastern white pine
because eastern white pine tree resistant fire, mature survivors able re-seed burned areas. in pure stands mature trees have no branches on lower half of trunk. white pine weevil (pissodes strobi) , white pine blister rust (cronartium ribicola), introduced fungus, can damage or kill these trees.
blister rust
mortality white pine blister rust in mature pine groves 50–80% during 20th century. fungus must spend part of life cycle on alternate hosts of ribes genus, native gooseberry or wild currant. foresters proposed if alternate host plants removed white pine blister rust might eliminated. determined campaign mounted , land owners in commercial pine growing regions encouraged uproot , kill native gooseberry , wild currant plants. ramifications wildlife , habitat ecology of less concern @ time timber industry protection.
today native wild currants relatively rare plants in new england, , planting wild currants or wild gooseberries discouraged, or illegal in jurisdictions. alternative, new strains of commercial currants have been developed highly resistant white pine blister rust. mortality in white pines rust 3% today.
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