Mountain Pine Beetle Symposium

The S2Mountain Pine Beetle Symposium: Challenges and SolutionsS3 was held in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada on October 30-31, 2003. This meeting was organized by Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre and funded through the Government of Canada Mountain Pine Beetle Initiative. Approximately 250 people representing the forest industry, consultants, universities, provincial and federal government agencies, First Nations, and the general public, from both Canada and the United States attended the meeting. Thirty presentations were given describing the current mountain pine beetle situation (in British Columbia, Alberta and the western United States) and its management and economic implications. Researchers presented the latest information on remote sensing, decision support systems, impacts on stand dynamics and wildlife, phytosanitary risks, climate change effects and preventive management as they relate to mountain pine beetle.

This report contains proceedings of a symposium held in response to the massive epidemic of mountain pine beetle in British Columbia. Topics of presentations include the current mountain pine beetle situation in British Columbia, Alberta, & the United States; the impact of the epidemic on timber supply & forest management; beetle management & decision support; modelling; remote sensing for mountain pine beetle surveys; spatio-temporal analysis of infestations; forest stand dynamics; beetle phenological response to temperature; effect of climate change on range expansion by the beetle; silvicultural control methods; and interactions among mountain pine beetle, forest fire, and lodgepole pine.

This study is part of a series of research papers that explore the biological, social, and economic aspects of British Columbia's mountain pine beetle epidemic. The purpose of this report is to examine document changes in stand characteristics of pine dominated stands following mountain pine beetle (MPB) attack and to assess the potential of stand development after MPB attack without management intervention.--Includes text from Government of Canada publications site and from document.

Tree losses resulting from infestation by the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) were measured in two stands of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl.) where the beetle population had previously been epidemic. Measurement data showed that larger diameter trees were infested and killed first. Tree losses ranged from 1 percent of trees 4 inches (d.b.h.) to 87 percent of those 16 inches and greater d.b.h. Numbers of adult beetle emergence holes averaged 1.3 per square foot of bark area in trees 7 inches d.b.h. and 62 in trees 28 inches and greater d.b.h. The observations indicate that large infestations of mountain pine beetle depend on the presence of large diameter trees within a stand of lodgepole pine, thus implying that beetle population growth is food-limited.

"This book presents a synthesis of published information on mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins [Coleoptera: Scolytidae]) biology and management with an emphasis on lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) forests of western Canada. Intended as a reference for researchers as well as forest managers, the book covers three main subject areas: mountain pine beetle biology, management, and socioeconomic concerns. The chapters on biology cover taxonomy, life history and habits, distribution, insect-host tree interactions, development and survival, epidemiology, and outbreak history. The management section covers management strategy, survey and detection, proactive and preventive management, and decision support tools. The chapters on socioeconomic aspects include an economic examination of management programs and the utilization of post-beetle salvage timber in solid wood, panelboard, pulp and paper products."--Publisher's description.