Pacific Southwest

Title: Stand and tree characteristics influencing density of fir engraver beetle attack scars in white fir

Author: Ferrell, George T.

Date: 1973

Source: Res. Paper PSW-RP-097. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Exp. Stn., Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 8 p

Station ID: RP-PSW-097

Description: Density of embedded scars resulting from old fir engraver (Scolytus ventralis Lec.) attacks was assessed in 3,430 bole cross sections cut from 603 white firs growing in both cutover and in virgin old-growth stands in northern California. Mean scar density was directly related to percentage of mature stand removed by logging and was higher in suppressed and intermediate, compared to dominant, fir. Inverse relationships were found between scar density and site quality, tree diameter, height, age, volume, and mean growth rate. A risk rating system based on tree and stand characteristics appears possible and would be useful in identifying for removal white fir with decreased resis-tance to beetle attacks. Such trees might also have a high probability of lumber defects caused by high scar densities.

Keywords: Abies concolor; Scolytus ventralis; predator-host relations; damage indexes; attack scars; tree vigor; host resistance; host tree mortality; risk rating; lumber defects

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Citation

Ferrell, George T.  1973.  Stand and tree characteristics influencing density of fir engraver beetle attack scars in white fir.   Res. Paper PSW-RP-097. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Exp. Stn., Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 8 p.