Effects of a Severe Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic in Western Alberta, Canada under Two Forest Management Scenarios
We used a simulation model to investigate possible effects of a severe mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) epidemic under two management scenarios in Alberta, Canada. Our simulated outbreak was based on the current epidemic in British Columbia, which may kill close to 80% of th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2010-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Forestry Research |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2010/417595 |
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| author | Richard R. Schneider Maria Cecilia Latham Brad Stelfox Dan Farr Stan Boutin |
| author_facet | Richard R. Schneider Maria Cecilia Latham Brad Stelfox Dan Farr Stan Boutin |
| author_sort | Richard R. Schneider |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We used a simulation model to investigate possible effects of a severe mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) epidemic under two management scenarios in Alberta, Canada. Our simulated outbreak was based on the current epidemic in British Columbia, which may kill close to 80% of the province's pine volume. Our two management scenarios were conventional harvest and a pine-reduction strategy modeled on a component of Alberta's Mountain Pine Beetle Management Strategy. The pine strategy seeks to reduce the number of susceptible pine stands by 75% over the next 20 years through targeted harvesting by the forest industry. Our simulations showed that the pine strategy could not be effectively implemented, even if the onset of the beetle outbreak was delayed for 20 years. Even though we increased mill capacity by 20% and directed all harvesting to high volume pine stands during the pine strategy's surge cut, the amount of highly susceptible pine was reduced by only 43%. Additional pine volume remained within mixed stands that were not targeted by the pine strategy. When the outbreak occurred in each scenario, sufficient pine remained on the landscape for the beetle to cause the timber supply to collapse. Alternative management approaches and avenues for future research are discussed. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4daf1a87c953481cb70428a58d5ea2bd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-9368 1687-9376 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2010-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Forestry Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-4daf1a87c953481cb70428a58d5ea2bd2025-02-03T06:12:12ZengWileyInternational Journal of Forestry Research1687-93681687-93762010-01-01201010.1155/2010/417595417595Effects of a Severe Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic in Western Alberta, Canada under Two Forest Management ScenariosRichard R. Schneider0Maria Cecilia Latham1Brad Stelfox2Dan Farr3Stan Boutin4Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, CanadaFiera Biological Consulting Ltd., 200, 10318-82 Avenue, Edmonton, AB, T6E 1Z8, CanadaForem Consulting Ltd., Box 805, Bragg Creek, AB, T0L 0K0, CanadaDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, CanadaDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, CanadaWe used a simulation model to investigate possible effects of a severe mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) epidemic under two management scenarios in Alberta, Canada. Our simulated outbreak was based on the current epidemic in British Columbia, which may kill close to 80% of the province's pine volume. Our two management scenarios were conventional harvest and a pine-reduction strategy modeled on a component of Alberta's Mountain Pine Beetle Management Strategy. The pine strategy seeks to reduce the number of susceptible pine stands by 75% over the next 20 years through targeted harvesting by the forest industry. Our simulations showed that the pine strategy could not be effectively implemented, even if the onset of the beetle outbreak was delayed for 20 years. Even though we increased mill capacity by 20% and directed all harvesting to high volume pine stands during the pine strategy's surge cut, the amount of highly susceptible pine was reduced by only 43%. Additional pine volume remained within mixed stands that were not targeted by the pine strategy. When the outbreak occurred in each scenario, sufficient pine remained on the landscape for the beetle to cause the timber supply to collapse. Alternative management approaches and avenues for future research are discussed.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2010/417595 |
| spellingShingle | Richard R. Schneider Maria Cecilia Latham Brad Stelfox Dan Farr Stan Boutin Effects of a Severe Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic in Western Alberta, Canada under Two Forest Management Scenarios International Journal of Forestry Research |
| title | Effects of a Severe Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic in Western Alberta, Canada under Two Forest Management Scenarios |
| title_full | Effects of a Severe Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic in Western Alberta, Canada under Two Forest Management Scenarios |
| title_fullStr | Effects of a Severe Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic in Western Alberta, Canada under Two Forest Management Scenarios |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of a Severe Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic in Western Alberta, Canada under Two Forest Management Scenarios |
| title_short | Effects of a Severe Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic in Western Alberta, Canada under Two Forest Management Scenarios |
| title_sort | effects of a severe mountain pine beetle epidemic in western alberta canada under two forest management scenarios |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2010/417595 |
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