Article
Mountain pine beetle host selection behavior confirms high resistance in Great Basin bristlecone pine
Forest Ecology and Management
(2017)
Abstract
Over the last two decades, mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) populations reached epidemic levels across much of western North America, including high elevations where cool temperatures previously limited mountain pine beetle persistence. Many high-elevation pine species are susceptible hosts and experienced high levels of mortality in recent outbreaks, but co-occurring Great Basin bristlecone pines (Pinus longaeva) were not attacked. Using no-choice attack box experiments, we compared Great Basin bristlecone pine resistance to mountain pine beetle with that of limber pine (P. flexilis), a well-documented mountain pine beetle host. We confined sets of mountain pine beetles onto 36 pairs of living Great Basin bristlecone and limber pines and recorded beetle status after 48 h. To test the role of induced defenses in Great Basin bristlecone pine resistance, we then repeated the tests on 20 paired sections of Great Basin bristlecone and limber pines that had been recently cut, thereby removing their capacity for induced defensive reactions to an attack.Â
Disciplines
Publication Date
2017
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2017.06.034
Publisher Statement
USDA Forest Service Publication
Citation Information
Karen E. Mock. "Mountain pine beetle host selection behavior confirms high resistance in Great Basin bristlecone pine" Forest Ecology and Management Vol. 402 (2017) p. 12 - 20 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/karen_mock/96/