 Hypothesis
 About the Lodgepole Pine
 Location
 Importance
 Reproduction
 Cones
 Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 Citations

 Due to the strong westerly winds on
Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, I hypothesize cone density on Lodgepole
Pines will vary by hill slope direction, particularly on east-facing slopes in areas around MRS.
 Relates to winter ecology because the LP has ~26 month pollen-cone and seen-cone bud
Initiation…
(Owens, 2006)


:
 Pinus contorta extends from the Mackenzie district of the
Yukon in Canada, to southern
Colorado in the Rocky
Mountains and northern Baja
(Owens, 2006)
 Lodge Pole pines are important because they account for about
7% of Rocky Mountain forests.
Distribution map:
Pinus contorta subsp . contorta
Pinus contorta subsp . latifolia
Pinus contorta subsp. murrayana

• Ecological
• Protective cover for watersheds
• Wildlife Habitat
•Aesthetic value for recreation
 Economic Importance
 Valuable source of timber products
 One of the most extensively harvested trees in west.


 The cones are serotinous
 “Serotinous cones do not open at maturity, but remain closed until the resin bond between cone scales is melted.”
(Knapp and Anderson, 1980)
 It is a fire adapted tree
 Lodgepole pines have fairly thin bark, which reduces their defenses against fires.
 Tend to outcompete each other for resources, often leaving many of them to dry up and die.
 These dead Lodgepoles then become a fuel source for a future fire, increasing the heat needed for reproduction.

 Opening the fire adapted cone
 Temperatures ranging from 40-69º C have been reported as sufficient to open the cones.
 (104º-156ºF)
 Seeds inside the cones DO NOT lose viability with age!
 “Although direct sunlight can, in some circumstances, open the cones, fire normally releases the seeds to the favorable seedbeds.”
(Knapp and Anderson, 1980)

 Location: Surrounding areas of MRS
 3.0m x 3.0m area
 How much shade?
 Count number of Lodgepole Pines
 Direction hill slope faces
 South
 North
 East
 Flat
 Approximate tree height
 Count number of cones on each tree
 Total number
 Use binoculars

South-face slope?
•
What’s going on here?
Avg. number Cones vs. Slope-face
60
Average
Number
Cones
50
40
30
20
10
0
90
80
70
East East North North South South
Slope-facing Direction
Flat Flat
East
North
South
Flat
Avg. cones
East: 16.14
North: 17.21
South: 49.08*
Flat: 15.38
*contained outlier

Average number of cones
17,5
17
16,5
16
15,5
15
14,5
14
13,5
13
 Seems to be no correlation between slope-face direction and cone density…
Shade vs. Average cones
• Relationship?
•”Lodgepoles are quick to occupy a site… full of sunlight”
(
Owens, 2006)
•
Does contain outlier
Light Moderate
Amount of Shade
Extreme

 HYPOTHESIS FAILED?
 Why?
 Cones only need to get to a certain temperature to release seeds.
 If ground is on fire, wind direction might not make a difference.
 Remember: cones remain closed until the resin bond between cone scales is melted.
(Knapp and Anderson, 1980)
 Relationship between shade and cones? Maybe…
 Future projects.

 A.K. Knapp and J.E. Anderson. “Effect of Heat on Germination of Seeds from Serotinous Lodgepole Pine Cones.”
Vol. 104, No. 2 (Oct., 1980), pp. 370-372
American Midland Naturalist ,

Owens, J. "The Reproductive Biology of the Lodgepole Pine." Forest
Genetics Council of British Columbia . (2006): 1-62. Print.