Pacific Southwest Research Station

Restoration of Sugar Pines

Sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana), the largest pine tree in the world, has been declining owing to fire suppression, logging and white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola -- a fungal disease introduced from Europe) for the past several decades. Sugar pine is not reproducing in sufficient numbers to sustain some of these populations. This research will develop tools for multiaged stand management to enhance sugar pine populations and meet fuel reduction and restoration objectives.

Full title: Restoring sugar pine in the Tahoe basin: regeneration ecology and recruitment dynamics of sugar pine under various stand structures.

Lead Researchers: Kristen M. Waring, Northern Arizona University; Kevin L. O’Hara, University of California - Berkeley; Natalie Angell, Northern Arizona University (graduate student researcher)

1. Quantify sugar pine regeneration and growth requirements/rates.
2. Enhance conservation and overstory recruitment of sugar pine based on light requirements.
3. Model fire behavior in sampled stands.
4. Develop guidelines for stand structures that will meet multiple objectives, including sugar pine recruitment into the overstory and reduced crown fire hazard.

Sites: Second-growth stands on west side of basin, with 20 gridded 1/100-ha plots and 1/1000-ha nested plots for small trees

Timeframe: October 2007 through May 2011 (3.5 years)

Products: Reports and articles on:

1. Growth of sugar pine under varying light levels
2. Relationships between light levels and stand structure
3. Preliminary stocking control/stand structure guidelines to manage light in multiaged stands
4. Fire behavior in multiaged stands
5. Recommendations for managing multiaged mixed-conifer stands to favor sugar pine regeneration within certain fire behavior limits