Biological Evaluation Of Spruce Beetle And Mountain Pine Beetle For The Hahns Peak Bears Ears And Parks Ranger Districts Medicine Bow Routt National Forests 2003

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ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 52 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (13 download)

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Download or read book Biological Evaluation of Spruce Beetle and Mountain Pine Beetle Activity on the French Creek Analysis Area of Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland, 2005 written by and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Engelmann spruce mortality due to spruce beetle (SB) and lodgepole pine mortality due to mountain pine beetle (MPB) beetle have been increasing for several years within the French Creek watershed on the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grasslands. Widespread epidemic populations of both bark beetle species are occurring on National Forest Lands to the south. The Brush Creek Hayden Ranger District has designated a French Creek Analysis Area and is considering a variety of silvicultural activities to remove beetle-infested and dead trees and to mitigate SB impacts on approximately 2,700 acres of spruce-fir forest and MPB impacts on about 700 acres of lodgepole pine forests.‍?Lakewood Service Center-Forest Health Management (LSC-FHM) personnel used aerial survey information for the Medicine Bow Mountains and ground survey of six of the proposed management units in the spruce-fir component of the French Creek Analysis Area to determine the level of beetle infestation in these areas. Ground surveys recorded the number of trees infested with SB in 2004 and 2003. Results indicate an increasing population trend. The 2004:2003 ratio averaged 4:1 for all six units surveyed and ranged from 0:0 to 19:1. Additional ground survey of proposed treatment areas in the lodgepole pine component of the analysis area are planned to be conducted in spring of 2005.‍?Variable radius plots measured during ground surveys and available stand exam data were used to determine stand susceptibility to SB. Stands were risk rated using a rating system developed by Schmid and Frye (1976). Risk rated stands ranged from medium to medium high risk. Site index was the only moderating factor for many of the higher risk stands. Given the average tree size, stand density and abundance of spruce in the stands, and the concurrence of rapidly increasing SB populations trending toward epidemic levels, these units are likely to sustain major losses to SB over the course of an epidemic.‍?Management actions to address the SB infestation occurring in the French Creek Analysis Area are discussed. A supplement to this biological evaluation will be prepared to address the MPB infestation occurring in the French Creek Analysis Area once ground surveys of the lodgepole pine areas are completed.