Ethanol synthesis, nitrogen, carbohydrates, and growth in tissues from nitrogen fertilized Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco and Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws. seedlings

 Seedlings of Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco, and ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws., were grown in a controlled environment and fertilized with nutrient solutions containing 150 ppm (+N), or 0 ppm nitrogen (−N). These treatments greatly altered seedling growth, and the concentrations of N and carbohydrates in their tissues. Metabolically active tissues, such as roots, incubated with a limited supply of O₂ became hypoxic faster and synthesized more ethanol than less active tissues, such as needles. All tissues that were incubated for 4 h in N₂ synthesized ethanol. Needles incubated in N₂ and light had much lower quantities of ethanol than needles in N₂ and dark, suggesting that O₂ from photosynthetsis limited internal anoxia. Most tissues from +N seedlings synthesized greater quantities of ethanol in N₂ anoxia than tissues from −N seedlings, probably because they were able to produce more enzymes with a greater availability of N. However, this increase in ethanol synthesis between N treatments was most pronounced in the phloem. Ethanol and soluble sugar concentrations were negatively related in needles and positively related in roots of N+ seedlings, but not −N seedlings. Starch concentrations had no effect on the amount of ethanol produced by any tissue. Regardless of N treatments, all tissues from ponderosa pine produced more N₂-induced ethanol than Douglas-fir, in part because its tissues contained different concentrations of soluble sugars and N as a consequence of phenological differences between the species. However, ponderosa pine tissues may also maintain greater quantities of anaerobic enzymes, or their isozymes than Douglas-fir. Received: 22 February 1998 / Accepted 23 June 1998     

Primers designed to amplify a mitochondrial nad1 intron in ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa, limber pine, P. flexilis, and Scots pine, P. sylvestris

The b/c intron of the mitochondrial nad1 gene, was sequenced to characterize the indel region of ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa. The sequence in ponderosa pine was aligned with the sequence in Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris, to design seven primers that are useful for sequencing and for revealing size variation in amplified fragments in ponderosa pine, Scots pine, and limber pine, Pinus flexilis. These primers reveal variability in all three species, and the pattern of variability within ponderosa pine is described by a preliminary survey. The indel region of ponderosa pine contains three distinct elements with lengths of 31, 32, and 34 bp. Received: 1 March 2000 / Accepted: 14 April 2000<@head-com-p1a.lf>Communicated by P.M.A. Tigerstedt     

Ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir: a comparison of species richness in native western North American forests and Patagonian plantations from Argentina

The putative ectomycorrhizal fungal species registered from sporocarps associated with ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir forests in their natural range distribution (i.e., western Canada, USA, and Mexico) and from plantations in south Argentina and other parts of the world are listed. One hundred and fifty seven taxa are reported for native ponderosa pine forests and 514 taxa for native Douglas-fir forests based on available literature and databases. A small group of genera comprises a high proportion of the species richness for native Douglas-fir (i.e., Cortinarius, Inocybe, and Russula), whereas in native ponderosa pine, the species richness is more evenly distributed among several genera. The comparison between ectomycorrhizal species richness associated with both trees in native forests and in Patagonia (Argentina) shows far fewer species in the latter, with 18 taxa for the ponderosa pine and 15 for the Douglas-fir. Epigeous species richness is clearly dominant in native Douglas-fir, whereas a more balanced relation epigeous/hypogeous richness is observed for native ponderosa pine; a similar trend was observed for Patagonian plantations. Most fungi in Patagonian Douglas-fir plantations have not been recorded in plantations elsewhere, except Suillus lakei and Thelephora terrestris, and only 56% of the fungal taxa recorded in Douglas-fir plantations around the world are known from native forests, the other taxa being new associations for this host, suggesting that new tree + ectomycorrhizal fungal taxa associations are favored in artificial situations as plantations.     

Habitat Conditions Associated With Lynx Hunting Behavior During Winter in Northern Washington

Abstract Effectively managing habitat for threatened populations of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) requires knowledge of habitat conditions that provide for the ecological needs of lynx. We snow-tracked lynx to identify habitat conditions associated with hunting behavior and predation during winters of 2002–2003 and 2003–2004 in the northern Cascade Range in Washington state, USA. We recorded number and success of predation attempts, prey species killed, and trail sinuosity on 149 km of lynx trails. Lynx killed snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), and cricetids more than expected in Englemann spruce (Picea engelmannii) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) forests, where snowshoe hare densities were highest. Lynx killed prey less than expected in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests and forest openings. We used the sinuosity of lynx trails as an index of quality of habitat hunted. Lynx trails that included predation attempts were more sinuous than trail segments without predation attempts. Lynx trails had greater sinuosity in forest stands with high hare densities dominated by Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir than in stands with low hare densities dominated by Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine or in forest openings. We encourage forest managers to maintain or create sufficient understory cover to support high densities of snowshoe hares as foraging habitat for lynx.     

Breeding Birds in Riparian and Upland Dry Forests of the Cascade Range

ABSTRACT We quantified breeding bird abundance, diversity, and indicator species in riparian and upland dry forests along 6 third- to fourth-order streams on the east slope of the Cascade Range, Washington, USA. Upland dry forest on southerly aspects was dominated by open ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and dry Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) plant associations. Upland mesic forest on northerly aspects was dominated by closed-canopy Douglas-fir or dry grand fir (Abies grandis) plant associations. Riparian overstory vegetation was dominated by black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) plant associations with a prominent hardwood tree and shrub component. We quantified bird assemblages, diversity, and abundance from parallel point transects on riparian and adjacent dry and mesic upslope forests. We detected 80 bird species from >12,000 point-transect observations during 1998–1999. Eighteen species accounted for 75% of all detections. Species richness and evenness were similar in all 3 forest types, with approximately 35 species and high evenness (0.85) in each forest type. Bird species assemblages differed among dry, mesic, and riparian forest types, with the greatest differences between riparian and both dry and mesic upland forests. Riparian forest had the greatest number (9) of strong characteristic, or indictor, species among the 3 forest types. Upland mesic forest was characterized by 7 indicator species. Upland dry forest had 4 indicator species. Our results indicate that current standards and guidelines for riparian buffers zones would allow for avian refuge and corridor functions along these streams. Forest managers could use our indicator species to predict and monitor shifts in upland forest species composition from thinning and prescribed burning practices that are used to reduce fuels in uplands and to reduce continuity of fire effects between riparian and upland zones.     

Associations between carbon isotope ratios of ecosystem respiration, water availability and canopy conductance

We tested the hypothesis that the stable carbon isotope signature of ecosystem respiration (δ¹³C_R) was regulated by canopy conductance (G_c) using weekly Keeling plots (n=51) from a semiarid old‐growth ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest in Oregon, USA. For a comparison of forests in two contrasting climates we also evaluated trends in δ¹³C_R from a wet 20‐year‐old Douglas‐fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) plantation located near the Pacific Ocean. Intraannual variability in δ¹³C_R was greater than 8.0‰ at both sites, was highest during autumn, winter, and spring when rainfall was abundant, and lowest during summer drought. The δ¹³C_R of the dry pine forest was consistently more positive than the wetter Douglas‐fir forest (mean annual δ¹³C_R: ?25.41‰ vs. ?26.23‰, respectively, P=0.07). At the Douglas‐fir forest, δ¹³C_R–climate relationships were consistent with predictions based on stomatal regulation of carbon isotope discrimination (Δ). Soil water content (SWC) and vapor pressure deficit (vpd) were the most important factors governing δ¹³C_R in this forest throughout the year. In contrast, δ¹³C_R at the pine forest was relatively insensitive to SWC or vpd, and exhibited a smaller drought‐related enrichment (～2‰) than the enrichment observed during drought at the Douglas‐fir forest (～5‰). Groundwater access at the pine forest may buffer canopy–gas exchange from drought. Despite this potential buffering, δ¹³C_R at the pine forest was significantly but weakly related to canopy conductance (G_c), suggesting that δ¹³C_R remains coupled to canopy–gas exchange despite groundwater access. During drought, δ¹³C_R was strongly correlated with soil temperature at both forests. The hypothesis that canopy‐level physiology is a critical regulator of δ¹³C_R was supported; however, belowground respiration may become more important during rain‐free periods.     

Anaerobic induced ethanol synthesis in the stems of greenhouse-grown conifer seedlings

Ethanol synthesis was induced in stem segments from greenhouse-grown conifer seedlings by placing them in a N₂ atmosphere at 30 °C for 24 h. Stems from ponderosa pine,Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws., sugar pine,Pinus lambertiana Dougl., Pacific silver fir,Abies amabalis Dougl. ex Forbes, and lodgepole pine,Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud, produced the highest quantities of ethanol. This group also had the smallest and slowest growing stems. Within each of these species the amount of ethanol produced was inversely related to the stem volume. Stems from western hemlock,Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg., grand fir, Abies grandis Dougl. ex Forbes, Douglas-fir,Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco, and western redcedar,Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don, all produced equivalent but low ethanol concentrations. These species had the largest and fastest growing stems. In this group only grand fir exhibited an inverse relationship between ethanol concentrations and stem volume. The relative amounts of ethanol synthesized by stems from Douglas-fir, western hemlock and western redcedar seedlings were not the same as subsequently observed in logs from mature trees of the same species under field conditions. Differences in the anaerobic environments for the two stem types could have affected the quantities of ethanol produced. The observed high amounts of ethanol produced by the stems from pine species were discussed in terms of their ability to handle periods of anaerobic stress or hypoxia.     

Understorey plant community structure in lower montane and subalpine forests, Grand Canyon National Park, USA

Aim Our objectives were to compare understorey plant community structure among forest types, and to test hypotheses relating understorey community structure within lower montane and subalpine forests to fire history, forest structure, fuel loads and topography. Location Forests on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA. Methods We measured understorey (< 1.4 m) plant community structure in 0.1‐ha plots. We examined differences in univariate response variables among forest types, used permutational manova to assess compositional differences between forest types, and used indicator species analysis to identify species driving the differences between forest types. We then compiled sets of proposed models for predicting plant community structure, and used Akaike's information criterion (AIC_C) to determine the support for each model. Model averaging was used to make multi‐model inferences if no single model was supported. Results Within the lower montane zone, pine–oak forests had greater understorey plant cover, richness and diversity than pure stands of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa P. & C. Lawson var. scopulorum Engelm.). Plant cover was negatively related to time since fire and to ponderosa pine basal area, and was highest on northern slopes and where Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii Nutt.) was present. Species richness was negatively related to time since fire and to ponderosa pine basal area, and was highest on southern slopes and where Gambel oak was present. Annual forb species richness was negatively related to time since fire. Community composition was related to time since fire, pine and oak basal area, and topography. Within subalpine forests, plant cover was negatively related to subalpine fir basal area and amounts of coarse woody debris (CWD), and positively related to Engelmann spruce basal area. Species richness was negatively related to subalpine fir basal area and amounts of CWD, was positively related to Engelmann spruce basal area, and was highest on southern slopes. Community composition was related to spruce, fir and aspen basal areas, amounts of CWD, and topography. Main conclusions In montane forests, low‐intensity surface fire is an important ecological process that maintains understorey communities within the range of natural variability and appears to promote landscape heterogeneity. The presence of Gambel oak was positively associated with high floristic diversity. Therefore management that encourages lightning‐initiated wildfires and Gambel oak production may promote floristic diversity. In subalpine forests, warm southern slopes and areas with low amounts of subalpine fir and CWD were positively associated with high floristic diversity. Therefore the reduction of CWD and forest densities through managed wildfire may promote floristic diversity, although fire use in subalpine forests is inherently more difficult due to intense fire behaviour in dense spruce–fir forests.     

Persistence and expansion of ponderosa pine woodlands in the west‐central Great Plains during the past two centuries

Aim Woody plant expansion and infilling in grasslands and savannas are occurring across a broad range of ecosystems around the globe and are commonly attributed to fire suppression, livestock grazing, nutrient enrichment and/or climate variability. In the western Great Plains, ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) woodlands are expanding across broad geographical and environmental gradients. The objective of this study was to reconstruct the establishment of ponderosa pine in woodlands in the west‐central Great Plains and to identify whether it was mediated by climate variability. Location Our study took place in a 400‐km wide region from the base of the Front Range Mountains (c. 105° W) to the central Great Plains (c. 100° W) and from Nebraska (43° N) to northern New Mexico (36° N), USA. Methods Dates for establishment of ponderosa pine were reconstructed with tree rings in 11 woodland sites distributed across the longitudinal and latitudinal gradients of the study area. Temporal trends in decadal pine establishment were compared with summer Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). Annual trends in pine establishment from 1985 to 2005 were compared with seasonal PDSI, temperature and moisture availability. Results Establishment of ponderosa pine occurred in the study area in all but one decade (1770s) between the 1750s and the early 2000s, with over 35% of establishment in the region occurring after 1980. Pine establishment was highly variable among sites. Across the region, decadal pine establishment was persistently low from 1940 to 1960, when PDSI was below average. Annual pine establishment from 1985 to 2005 was positively correlated with summer PDSI and inversely correlated with minimum spring temperatures. Main conclusions Most ponderosa pine woodlands pre‐date widespread Euro‐American settlement of the region around c. ad 1860 and currently have stable tree populations. High variability in the timing of establishment of pine among sites highlights the multiplicity of factors that can drive woodland dynamics, including land use, fire history, CO₂ enrichment, tree population dynamics and climate. Since the 1840s, the influence of climate was most notable across the study area during the mid‐20th century, when the establishment of pine was suppressed by two significant droughts. The past sensitivity of establishment of ponderosa pine to drought suggests that woodland expansion will be negatively affected by predicted increases in temperature and drought in the Great Plains.     

Climate-related trends in sapwood biophysical properties in two conifers: avoidance of hydraulic dysfunction through coordinated adjustments in xylem efficiency, safety and capacitance

In the Pacific north‐west, the Cascade Mountain Range blocks much of the precipitation and maritime influence of the Pacific Ocean, resulting in distinct climates east and west of the mountains. The current study aimed to investigate relationships between water storage and transport properties in populations of Douglas‐fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) adapted to both climates. Sapwood thickness, capacitance, vulnerability to embolism, and axial and radial conductivity were measured on samples collected from trunks of mature trees. The sapwood of ponderosa pine was three to four times thicker than Douglas‐fir. Radial conductivity was higher in west‐side populations of both species, but axial conductivity was higher in the east‐side populations and in Douglas‐fir. Eastern populations of both species had sapwood that was more vulnerable to embolism than west‐side populations. Sapwood capacitance was similar between species, but was about twice as great in east‐side populations (580 kg m^?3 MPa^?1) as in west‐side populations (274 kg m^?3 MPa^?1). Capacitance was positively correlated with both mean embolism pressure and axial conductivity across species and populations, suggesting that coordinated adjustments in xylem efficiency, safety and water storage capacity may serve to avoid embolism along a gradient of increasing aridity.     

Fire, fuels and restoration of ponderosa pine–Douglas fir forests in the Rocky Mountains, USA

Aim Forest restoration in ponderosa pine and mixed ponderosa pine–Douglas fir forests in the US Rocky Mountains has been highly influenced by a historical model of frequent, low‐severity surface fires developed for the ponderosa pine forests of the Southwestern USA. A restoration model, based on this low‐severity fire model, focuses on thinning and prescribed burning to restore historical forest structure. However, in the US Rocky Mountains, research on fire history and forest structure, and early historical reports, suggest the low‐severity model may only apply in limited geographical areas. The aim of this article is to elaborate a new variable‐severity fire model and evaluate the applicability of this model, along with the low‐severity model, for the ponderosa pine–Douglas fir forests of the Rocky Mountains. Location Rocky Mountains, USA. Methods The geographical applicability of the two fire models is evaluated using historical records, fire histories and forest age‐structure analyses. Results Historical sources and tree‐ring reconstructions document that, near or before ad 1900, the low‐severity model may apply in dry, low‐elevation settings, but that fires naturally varied in severity in most of these forests. Low‐severity fires were common, but high‐severity fires also burned thousands of hectares. Tree regeneration increased after these high‐severity fires, and often attained densities much greater than those reconstructed for Southwestern ponderosa pine forests. Main conclusions Exclusion of fire has not clearly and uniformly increased fuels or shifted the fire type from low‐ to high‐severity fires. However, logging and livestock grazing have increased tree densities and risk of high‐severity fires in some areas. Restoration is likely to be most effective which seeks to (1) restore variability of fire, (2) reverse changes brought about by livestock grazing and logging, and (3) modify these land uses so that degradation is not repeated.     

Native root xylem embolism and stomatal closure in stands of Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine: mitigation by hydraulic redistribution

Hydraulic redistribution (HR), the passive movement of water via roots from moist to drier portions of the soil, occurs in many ecosystems, influencing both plant and ecosystem-water use. We examined the effects of HR on root hydraulic functioning during drought in young and old-growth Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. Ex Laws) trees growing in four sites. During the 2002 growing season, in situ xylem embolism, water deficit and xylem vulnerability to embolism were measured on medium roots (2–4-mm diameter) collected at 20–30 cm depth. Soil water content and water potentials were monitored concurrently to determine the extent of HR. Additionally, the water potential and stomatal conductance (g_s) of upper canopy leaves were measured throughout the growing season. In the site with young Douglas-fir trees, root embolism increased from 20 to 55 percent loss of conductivity (PLC) as the dry season progressed. In young ponderosa pine, root embolism increased from 45 to 75 PLC. In contrast, roots of old-growth Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine trees never experienced more than 30 and 40 PLC, respectively. HR kept soil water potential at 20–30 cm depth above –0.5 MPa in the old-growth Douglas-fir site and –1.8 MPa in the old-growth ponderosa pine site, which significantly reduced loss of shallow root function. In the young ponderosa pine stand, where little HR occurred, the water potential in the upper soil layers fell to about –2.8 MPa, which severely impaired root functioning and limited recovery when the fall rains returned. In both species, daily maximum g_s decreased linearly with increasing root PLC, suggesting that root xylem embolism acted in concert with stomata to limit water loss, thereby maintaining minimum leaf water potential above critical values. HR appears to be an important mechanism for maintaining shallow root function during drought and preventing total stomatal closure.     

Relationship between inbreeding depression and inbreeding coefficient in maritime pine (Pinus pinaster)

The relationship between inbreeding depression and inbreeding coefficient (F) for several important traits was investigated in an 11-year trial of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster). Five levels of inbreeding (F=0; 0.125; 0.25; 0.5; 0.75) were obtained in a mating design involving ten plus-trees, or their progenies, as parents (total of 51 families). For F=0.75, the mean inbreeding depressions were 27% for height, 37% for circumference at breast height (63% for bole volume), 23% for basal straightness (better straightness of the inbred trees), and 89% for female fertility (number of cones). Large differences were observed among inbred families for the same level of inbreeding. The evolution of depression with F was more or less linear, depending on the traits. Significant differences among F-levels appeared very early for height (from 5-years of age). Inbreeding depression was much more expressed during unfavorable years than during favorable years for yearly height growth. When compared with other Pinus species, maritime pine appears to be less affected by inbreeding, especially for the percentage of filled seeds and general vigor. A reduced genetic load in maritime pine may result from the evolutionary history of the species and its scattered distribution.     

A dendroecological reconstruction of western spruce budworm outbreaks (Choristoneura occidentalis) in the Front Range,Colorado, from 1720 to 1986

Radial increment cores from Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and blue spruce (Picea pungens), defoliated by western spruce budworm (Choristoneura occidentalis), were analyzed by means of dendrochronological methods and compared with cores from undefoliated ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) growing on the same sites in the Front Range, Colorado. Extensive deforestation during the gold and silver booms in the second part of the nineteenth century led to dense and almost pure stands of shadetolerant budworm host species. By using the skeleton plot method, the number of trees with clear growth reductions is obtained, thus representing an exact record of forest insect attacks. The analysis of abrupt growth reductions revealed at least nine outbreaks of western spruce budworm between 1720 and 1986, the majority occurring in the nineteenth century. The outbreaks were graphically compared with periods of attack in New Mexico and Colorado which were detected by other scientists employing tree-ring measurement techniques. No increase in the frequency of severe outbreaks during the twentieth century was observed, yet there is some evidence that the most recent outbreak might be the most severe ever recorded. Open Douglas-fir stands on higher sites were more susceptible to heavy budworm attack than dense stands on lower sites. Blue spruce was less frequently and less severely attacked than Douglas-fir. The spatial pattern of historical outbreaks generally was very patchy.     

MAGNITUDE AND TIMING OF INBREEDING DEPRESSION IN SCOTS PINE (PINUS SYLVESTRIS L.)

Inbreeding depression is a major selective force favoring outcrossing in flowering plants. However, some self-fertilization should weaken the harmful effects of inbreeding by exposing deleterious alleles to selection. This study examines the maintenance of inbreeding depression in the predominantly outcrossing species Pinus sylvestris L. (Scots pine). Open-pollinated and self-fertilized progeny of 23 maternal trees, originating from a natural stand in southern Finland, were grown at two sites. We observed significant inbreeding depression in two of the four life stages measured. Inbreeding depression was largest for seed maturation (δ = 0.74), where seedset in open-pollinated strobili (70.9%) was about four times higher than in selfed strobili (18.3%). Inbreeding depression in postgermination survival (upto an age of 23 years) was also high (δ = 0.62–0.75). No significant differences in height (δ = 0.05) or flowering (δ = 0.14) of the trees after 23 years were observed. Cumulative inbreeding depression was high (δ = 0.90–0.94) and differed significantly among maternal families (range 0.45–1.00). The magnitude of inbreeding depression among the 23 maternal parents was not significantly correlated between early (seed maturation) and later (postgermination survival) life stages, suggesting that its genetic basis varies across the life cycle. Size differences among the progeny types diminished in time due to nonrandom size-specific mortality, causing a decrease in the inbreeding depression estimates for height over time. Our results indicate that Scots pine exhibits high levels of inbreeding depression during both early and later stages of the life cycle. It is argued that self-fertilization in Scots pine is inefficient in purging the genetic load caused by highly deleterious mutations because of the nearly complete loss of selfed individuals over time. This results in an effectively random mating outcrossing population.     

Associations Among Breeding Birds and Gambel Oak in Southwestern Ponderosa Pine Forests

Abstract: Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests with Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) are associated with higher bird abundance and diversity than are ponderosa pine forests lacking Gambel oak. Little is known, however, about specific structural characteristics of Gambel oak trees, clumps, and stands that may be important to birds in ponderosa pine-Gambel oak (hereafter pine-oak) forests. We examined associations among breeding birds and structural characteristics of Gambel oak at a scale similar in size to individual bird territories in pine-oak forests in northern Arizona and western New Mexico, USA. Avian species richness and occurrence of some bird species were associated with specific growth forms of Gambel oak. Estimated probability of Virginia's warblers (Vermivora virginiae), black-headed grosbeaks (Pheucticus melanocephalus), and red-faced warblers (Cardellina rubrifrons) occurring at points increased with increasing density of pole-sized Gambel oak 7–15 cm in diameter at breast height. We also found evidence that large Gambel oak trees (≥23 cm dbh) were associated with increased occurrence of yellow-rumped warblers (Dendroica coronata) at points. Some avian associations with oak were influenced by characteristics of ponderosa pines. For example, bird species richness was positively associated with the abundance of large Gambel oak when density of large pine trees ≥23 cm in diameter at breast height was low. Because large oak trees are rare and their numbers are thought to be declining, efforts should be made to retain and promote growth of additional oaks in this size class. Forest management practices that maintain forest openings, such as prescribed burning, could promote growth of pole-sized Gambel oak, which appears important to some bird species in pine-oak forests.     

HISTORICAL SEPARATION AND PRESENT GENE FLOW THROUGH A ZONE OF SECONDARY CONTACT IN PONDEROSA PINE

I examined the effects of historical division and secondary contact between eastern and western varieties of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Laws Pinaceae) on extant patterns of genetic variation. Fossil and biogeographic evidence both indicate that the current point of contact between these two varieties represents secondary contact following historical separation during the Wisconsin glaciation. Current gene flow was assessed by observing the degree of introgression of paternally inherited cpDNA and maternally inherited mtDNA polymorphisms. Both seeds and pollen are wind dispersed in ponderosa pine. Introgression was primarily from west to east, the direction of the prevailing wind, for both organelles, but introgression of cpDNA far exceeded that of mtDNA. Thus pollen is the main agent of contemporary gene flow between the two varieties. Neither seeds nor pollen showed enough introgression since secondary contact to have homogenized the two gene pools. However, allozyme differentiation was minimal. This calls into question assumptions of selective neutrality for at least some of the markers. Theory predicts that nuclear markers will show a high locus-to-locus variance of F_ST following historical separation. This prediction is confirmed by the allozyme data for ponderosa pine, and may provide a useful means of identifying historical separations from allele frequency data.     

Hydraulic redistribution of soil water in two old-growth coniferous forests: quantifying patterns and controls

Although hydraulic redistribution of soil water (HR) by roots is a widespread phenomenon, the processes governing spatial and temporal patterns of HR are not well understood. We incorporated soil/plant biophysical properties into a simple model based on Darcy's law to predict seasonal trajectories of HR. We investigated the spatial and temporal variability of HR across multiple years in two old-growth coniferous forest ecosystems with contrasting species and moisture regimes by measurement of soil water content (theta) and water potential (Psi) throughout the upper soil profile, root distribution and conductivity, and relevant climate variables. Large HR variability within sites (0-0.5 mm d(-1)) was attributed to spatial patterns of roots, soil moisture and depletion. HR accounted for 3-9% of estimated total site water depletion seasonally, peaking at 0.16 mm d(-1) (ponderosa pine; Pinus ponderosa) or 0.30 mm d(-1) (Douglas-fir; Pseudotsuga menziesii), then declining as modeled pathway conductance dropped with increasing root cavitation. While HR can vary tremendously within a site, among years and among ecosystems, this variability can be explained by natural variability in Psi gradients and seasonal courses of root conductivity.     

Patterns of induced and constitutive monoterpene production in conifer needles in relation to insect herbivory

Studies were conducted to determine whether herbivore-induced synthesis of monoterpenes occurs in the needles of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson), lodgepole pine (P. contorta Douglas var. latifolia Engelmann), white fir (Abies concolor Lindl. and Gordon) and Engelmann spruce [Picea engelmanii (Parry) Engelm.]. In the needles of all species except Engelmann spruce, simulated herbivory significantly induced the activity of monoterpene cyclases 4–8 days after wounding. In ponderosa pine, real herbivory by last-instar tiger moth larvae (Halisdota ingens Hy. Edwards: Lepidoptera) induced a significantly larger response (4.5-fold increase in monoterpene cyclase activity) than did simulated herbivory (2.5-fold increase). To our knowledge, this is the first report of herbivore-induced increases in monoterpene synthesis in needle tissue. Despite this increase in monoterpene synthesis, we observed no significant increase in total monoterpene pool size in wounded needles compared to controls. Large increases in the rate of monoterpene volatilization were observed in response to wounding. We conclude that the volatile losses caused by tissue damage compensate for herbivore-induced monoterpene synthesis, resulting in no change in pool size. Tiger moth larvae consume ponderosa pine needles in a pattern that begins at the tip and proceeds downward to midway along the needle, at which point they move to an undamaged needle. Constitutive monoterpene concentrations and monoterpene cyclase activities were highest in the lower half of ponderosa pine needles. The monoterpene profile also differed between the upper and lower needle halves, the lower half possessing an additional one to four monoterpene forms. We propose that the increasing gradient in monoterpene concentrations and number of monoterpenes along the needle from tip to base deters feeding beyond the midway point and provides time for the induction of increased cyclase activity and production of new monoterpenes. The induction of new monoterpene synthesis may have a role in replacing monoterpenes lost through damage-induced volatilization and preventing extreme compromise of the constitutive defense system. Received: 4 June 1997 / Accepted: 2 December 1997