How the Evaluation was Done:
How Widespread are White Pine Health
Problems in Vermont?
• “Mature Stands” of white pine were located on randomly selected aerial
photos (Figure 3) from a statewide coverage obtained in 2000.
• In summer 2001, 21 stands were surveyed (Figure 4). Trees were evaluated
on four 1/24th acre subplots in each stand. Symptoms, signs, and site conditions
were also rated.
• In addition, 10 young pines were evaluated in “Regenerating Stands” near
each mature stand.
Why we were concerned:
Figure 1
•
•
•
•
•
•
Unexplained Mortality
Scattered Heavy Caliciopsis Canker (Figure 1)
Heavy Cone Production (Figure 2)
Widespread Needlecast
Interest in Ribes Cultivation
Similar Observations in Nearby States
Figure 4:
Location of
Survey Plots
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 5
Biotic Agents on Living White Pine
100
% of
Trees
Affected
Conclusions :
80
66
Mature
71
Regenerating
60
32
40
• The most common biotic agents on white pine were
not associated with tree health (Figure 5).
16
20
• Where pines were unhealthy, difficult site
conditions or recent disturbance were usually present
(Figure 6).
14
3
0
• Decline of white pine is not widespread. Most trees
are healthy (Figure 7).
White Pine
Weevil
% of Affected Trees
Which were Healthy
(in Mature Stands):
91%
Figure 7
Pine Bark
Adelgid
91%
Figure 6
73%
Young Trees in Regenerating Stands
1%
0%
White Pine
Blister Rust
Crown Condition of White Pine
Overstory Trees in Mature Stands
Shallow to Bedrock!
White Pine
Blister Rust
1%
1% 1%
4%
4%
6%
4%
Site Conditions in Unhealthy
Pine Stands*
Healthy
Light Decline
Moderate Decline
Severe Decline
No Conditions
1
Wet Site and
Number indicates
the number of
surveyed Stands
with the identified
Site Condition
Recently Logged
Dead
Wet Site
Identified
1
93%
93%
89%
89%
1
2
3
Shallow to
Bedrock
Recently Logged
*Unhealthy Stands had at least 3 overstory white pine not rated as Healthy
Barbara Burns barbara.burns@anr.state.vt.us
Kathy Decker kdecker@fpr.anr.state.vt.us
Dale Bergdahl DBERGDAH@moose.uvm.edu
Funding provided by the U.S. Forest Service,
Forest Health Monitoring, and the Vermont Division of Forestry
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