Against all odds, one species is making a comeback! Whitebark Pine! At the top of the mountain, where few other trees even try to survive, this species thrives. It is a keystone species that has developed a particularly peculiar way of spreading its young about the mountain side. Co-evolution anyone? If you like old trees, cool birds, species killing fungi, and most importantly, a story of hope, than this is the podcast for you!

Resources

Planting the Future: Saving whitebark and limber pine

Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada

Sponsors

West Fraser

GreenLink Forestry Inc.

Quotes

1.12.12 - 1.12.20: “One of the most important things and hopeful things you can do is plant a tree under whose shade you won’t sit.”

Takeaways

Telltale signs of whitebark pine (9.42)

Contrary to their name, whitebark pine barks are not white, but silver, and their thick canopy makes them look like broccoli tops. Their needles occur in bunches of five instead of two.

Mutualism (15.52)

The Clark’s Nutcracker opens the cones of the whitebark pine and stays healthy on its high-fat seeds. It has evolved a pouch under its tongue to store up to 90 seeds of the tree.

Keystone and pioneering species (23.02)

Brenda finds that the whitebark pine is important for many species of birds and small mammals. Prescribed fires could be beneficial to their survival.

Whitebark pine proliferation (28.22)

Amelie describes the Clark’s Nutcracker’s specialized beak, which can open the hard egg-shaped cones of the whitebark pine. The bird’s range is 12-28 km.

“A species that gives back more to the ecosystem than it takes” (33.28)

Brenda expects the subalpine ecosystem to be different with the loss of whitebark pine, a community on which many species rely.

Threats to whitebark pine (41.18)

Blister rust, the mountain pine beetle beetle, fire suppression and climate change are all threats to whitebark pine.

100 Tree Survey (50.59)

Brenda’s role in Parks Canada is to help whitebark pine recover and survive. They visit 100 large-diameter trees in the stand in mast years and assess them for blister rust resistance.

Developing infection resistance (56.50)

Brenda’s team extracts the seeds from infection-resistant whitebark pine cones and sends them to nurseries to grow. Two years later, they take the seedlings back to the park to grow.

Protecting whitebark pine from beetles (1.03.17)

Brenda’s team applies 2 packets to the valuable whitebark pines every spring that send chemical messages to mountain pine beetles, which save 60% of the trees.

“Everybody’s favourite day is planting day” (1.09.27)

Brenda shares that there are 140 whitebark pines in Jasper National Park that they believe are resistant. It’s important to plant them at fair distances in microsites for protection.

A video speaks a million words (1.14.29)

Amelie is proud of the video that seven mountain parks in Canada came together to create to raise awareness of the whitebark conversation program and rust resistance.

Do your part (1.19.49)

Brenda is encouraged by how the video has inspired whitebark pine restoration efforts in Alberta and BC. Brenda believes that visiting the beautiful whitebark pine forests and supporting the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada are two ways in which each person can be a part of the conservation efforts.