Methodology
Overall Protocal
1.Classified mountain pine beetle attacked categories on lodgepole pines since time infestation (TSB category).
2.Select mountain pine beetle attacked stands.
3.Collect plot general information (GPS, slope, etc.).
4.Preliminary survey residual lodgepole pines’ healthy status.
5.Analysis soil nutrition (including total percentage of nitrogen, carbon and phosphorus)
2.Select mountain pine beetle attacked stands.
3.Collect plot general information (GPS, slope, etc.).
4.Preliminary survey residual lodgepole pines’ healthy status.
5.Analysis soil nutrition (including total percentage of nitrogen, carbon and phosphorus)
Plot Measurement
1. Select a stand as research area, called site.
The site should be: Mountain pine beetle attacked Lodgepole pine dominated Each site represent 0.1ha and includes 2 plots. 2. Select a tree as the center of plot, called H0. The tree should be: A Mature (DBH* >15cm, Crown class >Intermediate) Healthy Lodgepole Pine. (DBH: diameter at breast height.) 3. Measure a plot. Plot area = 20m * 20m = 400 square meter = 0.04 ha |
Fieldwork detail
1.Collect plot information
GPS coordinates, elevation, slope, aspect, canopy openness, average age of pine trees
2. Examine seedlings
Seedling examinations were taken in section A, B, C, D (Fig 16).
Section area = 1 m * 1 m = 1 square meter
Height, healthy status of seedlings has been recorded.
3. Examine young trees (DBH< 15cm)
Set northeast quarter of a plot as a random examining area. Count the number of trees of each species, collect their healthy status as "healthy", "declining" and "dead".
4. Collect soil samples
Soil samples were taken 1m away from central pine tree in 4 directions (N, E, S and W) (on the black broken line (circle) in Fig 16).
GPS coordinates, elevation, slope, aspect, canopy openness, average age of pine trees
2. Examine seedlings
Seedling examinations were taken in section A, B, C, D (Fig 16).
Section area = 1 m * 1 m = 1 square meter
Height, healthy status of seedlings has been recorded.
3. Examine young trees (DBH< 15cm)
Set northeast quarter of a plot as a random examining area. Count the number of trees of each species, collect their healthy status as "healthy", "declining" and "dead".
4. Collect soil samples
Soil samples were taken 1m away from central pine tree in 4 directions (N, E, S and W) (on the black broken line (circle) in Fig 16).
Survey of mature trees in field
Every mature lodgepole pine (DBH> 15cm) in each plot is recorded information showing as Table 1. For the other species, we only collected their information as species, DBH, crown class and healthy status. To classify lodgepole pines by different mountain pine beetle attacking category, we identified lodgepole pine as time since beetle infestation by different lodgepole pine appearances (Table 2).
|
|