2014 Genetic Tree Improvement and Restoration in GYE

Project:  Whitebark Pine Genetic Tree Improvement and Restoration Program Activities in the Greater Yellowstone/Grand Teton Seed Zone

Agency/Forest or Park/District:  Bridger-Teton NF, Caribou-Targhee NF, Shoshone NF, Gallatin NF, Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park

Project coordinator:  Nancy Bockino, NPS

Contact:  Nancy Bockino, Nancy_Bockino@nps.gov, 307-690-1683

Cooperators:  Several national forests and two national parks in the Greater Yellowstone/Grand Teton seed zone plus the Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee (GYCC)

Source of funding/amount FHP:  $9,000 of WBP funding was received; $15,050 in funding was received from the GYCC; $1,700 of in-kind services were provided by the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service.

Dates of restoration efforts:  

Objectives:  The overall objective of this proposed project was to continue to support the Whitebark Pine Genetic Tree Improvement and Restoration Program initiated in 2001 in the Intermountain West, which is fundamental to the conservation of whitebark pine. Collections of i) cones from previously designated plus trees, ii)  blister rust aeciospores, iii) scion from donor whitebark pine, and iv) pollen from designated donors will provide the biological material needed to support the program work schedule and objectives.

Acres/ha treated:  

Methods:

1) Plus Tree Cone Caging & Collection:  Successful cone collections were made from five plus trees.

2) Operational Cone Collections: 44 successful operational collections were made of 1-2 bushels per collection.  Each collection was from a tree or area designated as having high rust resistance by Mary F Mahalovich.

3) Aeciospore Collection:  Collections were made from each of the following locations:  Bridger-Teton NF, Shoshone NF, Caribou-Targhee NF, and Grand Teton NP.

4) Scion Collection:  Scion was collected from the 9 donors identified, and for which rootstock was available for grafting.

5) Pollen Collection:  Collections were made from all individual whitebark pine identified as donors that produced pollen during spring of 2014.  This total was 15 whitebark pollen collections for the GYE.

Planting? If so, source of seedlings? Resistance?

Outcome:  We accomplished all collections.  We also kept detailed notes regarding the temporal sequence of pollen ripeness to enable greater pollen collection success during spring of 2015.  We also kept detailed notes of whitebark pine with first year ovulate cones in order to direct cone collections during the field season 2015.

Monitoring since completion of the project:

Dates:

Plans for future monitoring? 

Will outcome meet goals?  This program is great!  These funds enable us to accomplish a significant amount of critical whitebark pine work.  Thank you!  All tree part collections are shared among the GYGT seed zone.

Future actions/follow up:  These tree improvement collections are ongoing and will need to be collected again in 2015.

Miscellaneous comments: