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Forest regeneration trajectories in mountain pine beetle-disturbed forests of Rocky Mountain National Park

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dc.contributor.authorDiskin, Matthew, author
dc.contributor.authorRocca, Monique E., advisor
dc.contributor.authorRomme, W. H. (William H.), committee member
dc.contributor.authorSibold, Jason S., committee member
dc.coverage.spatialRocky Mountain National Park (Colo.)
dc.coverage.spatialColorado
dc.date.accessioned2007-01-03T04:41:00Z
dc.date.available2007-01-03T04:41:00Z
dc.date.issued2010
dc.descriptionDepartment Head: Michael J. Manfredo.
dc.description.abstractA severe mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) epidemic in western North America has caused widespread mortality of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) and drastically altered subalpine forest structure and composition over large areas. My research describes possible future forest regeneration trajectories by documenting tree survivorship in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, and then projecting future forest conditions using an established forest growth model, the Forest Vegetation Simulator. In 2008, I measured stand structure and tree species composition in lodgepole pine-dominated forests in the western portion of the Park. I defined five lodgepole pine forest types that varied with respect to the abundance of seedlings and non-lodgepole pine species. These forest types formed the foundation for further analyses to describe variability in post-epidemic forest regeneration trajectories. Chapter One documents surviving forest stand structure and composition in the Park, and shows that surviving trees, including larger canopy trees, saplings, and seedlings, were plentiful in most of the post-epidemic forests. Lodgepole pine remained the dominant species in most areas, but modest increases in the relative abundance of subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.), Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.), and aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) had occurred. Forest structure and composition varied considerably among the five forest types after the epidemic, setting the stage for variable future forest regeneration trajectories that were explored in Chapter Two. Future forest conditions were projected over a 100 year time period and are presented in Chapter Two. The projections show that the beetle-disturbed forests remain forested in the future, and emphasize that the most important mechanism for forest renewal is the release of surviving trees, rather than post-epidemic tree seedling establishment. Projected future forest conditions varied depending on the forest type, but indicate that basal area and quadratic mean diameter recovery occurs within 40-100 years in most areas. Spruce, fir, and aspen become dominant in the projected future forests on approximately 60% of the landscape, while lodgepole pine remains dominant in the forests where it formed pure stands prior to the epidemic.
dc.format.mediummasters theses
dc.identifier2010_Spring_Diskin_Matthew.pdf
dc.identifierETDF2010100001FRWS
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10217/38373
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relationCatalog record number (MMS ID): 991014242619703361
dc.relationSD409.D575 2010
dc.relation.ispartof2000-2019
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.subject.lcshForest regeneration -- Rocky Mountain National Park (Colo.)
dc.subject.lcshTrees -- Seedlings
dc.titleForest regeneration trajectories in mountain pine beetle-disturbed forests of Rocky Mountain National Park
dc.typeText
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplineForest, Rangeland, and Watershed Stewardship
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.S.)

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