Meeting
of
Northern
California
Botanists
2014
Conservation
Strategies
for
Whitebark
Pine
♦ Gene
Conservation
Activities.
Cone
collections
and
seed‐banking
are
fundamental
steps
in
developing
conservation
and
restoration
strategies
for
sensitive
or
threatened
species
as
well
as
ex
situ
genetic
studies.
♦ Population
and
Demographic
Surveys
for
Long‐Term
Monitoring.
Population
studies
and
surveys
for
long‐term
monitoring
are
essential
to
determine
species
abundance,
population
trends
(in
reproduction,
survival,
mortality,
and
growth),
pathogen
and
insect
pressure,
vertebrate
surveys,
environmental
influences
(climate,
geology,
fire,
landscape
features,
land‐use,
etc.)
and
identifying
disturbance
agents
(i.e.,
white
pine
blister
rust,
mountain
pine
beetle,
fire,
drought).
♦ Identify
disturbance
agents.
Identify
non‐native
disturbance
agents
such
as
white
pine
blister
rust,
particularly
frequency
of
infection
periods.
In
California
wave
years
in
subalpine
forests
may
occur
infrequently,
~25‐40
years.
Better
understanding
of
historical,
current
frequency,
prevalence,
and
intensity
of
natural
disturbance
agents
such
as
mountain
pine
beetle,
fire,
and
drought.
♦ Genetic
studies.
Common
garden
or
progeny
studies
are
used
to
evaluate
ecologically
relevant
phenotypic
traits
such
as
disease
resistance,
phenology,
water‐use
efficiency,
growth,
and
resource
allocation
patterns.
Molecular
genetic
studies
are
fundamental
to
understanding
population
structure,
diversity,
adaptations,
and
extent
of
gene
flow.
♦ Restoration
plantings
(if
warranted).
Restoration
maybe
warranted
if
disease
pressure
by
Cronartium
ribicola
is
high
and
having
adverse
effects
on
whitebark
pine
reproduction
and
survival
or
loss
of
genetic
variation.
Patricia
Maloney
Department
of
Plant
Pathology
&
Tahoe
Environmental
Research
Center
University
of
California
–
Davis
e‐mail:
pemaloney@ucdavis.edu