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Influence of disturbance on tree growth and defenses
  • Christal Johnson
Christal Johnson
Oregon State University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Abstract

Climate change and disruptions to disturbance regimes contribute to uncertainty about the best ways to manage forests and promote individual tree health. Indicators of tree health include annual growth, formation of defensive structures (resin ducts), and ability to produce defensive compounds (resin). Higher growth and resin duct area are associated with a lower chance of mortality from disturbances (Ferrenberg et al. 2014). Past research suggests that prescribed burning and thinning treatments can have positive impacts on growth and resin duct metrics (Kolb et al. 1998; Hood et al. 2016), indicating that management activities have the potential to help increase and restore tree health. However, there is limited research comparing different disturbances and management activities in terms of impacts on tree growth, resin ducts, and resin flow. In this research we explore the questions: 1) What factors most influence resin flow in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)? 2) What is the impact of fire or timber harvest on tree growth, resin flow, and resin ducts? 3) Are there changes in the relationships between tree growth and resin duct metrics that occur after disturbance, which may indicate shifts in tree resource allocation to growth vs. defenses?