For more information about Kristen Waring's Research on Southwest White Pine visit her lab's Research Page
~ Timber ~
A feller-buncher picks up trees with blue markings to be cut and gently lays them to rest where they will be grabbed and skidded to the timco. You can see in this selective harvest how sustainable forestry practices can be utilized.
~ Science and Research
~ Southwestern White Pine
~ Planting Trees
~ Labels ~
Graduate student, Jessica DaBell, works with a volunteer on sowing seeds and labeling their corresponding population.
~ Find the Seeds ~
Principal Investigator, Kristen Waring, and her graduate student, Jessica DaBell, among other volunteers gather seeds from various populations of Southwestern White Pine to be planted in their classic common garden study. The researchers are interested in the tree's tolerance to drought and an introduced fungal pathogen, white pine blister rust, which both are theatening the tree species.
~ Science and Research
~ Southwestern White Pine
~ Germination data collection
~ Triplets ~
Graduate student, Jessica DaBell, and her adviser, Kristen Waring, exclaim at the observed triplets in one of their Southwestern White Pines. Triplets and twins were often observed in their experiment when they exposed the cones to conditions that were nearly two degrees centigrade warmer, what an interesting observation.
~ Data ~
Jessica DaBell tracks germination rates on their thousands of Southwestern white pine seedlings. Data collection is one of the most fun and importantportions of science.
~ Land Management
~ Sustainable Forestry
~ Fort Apache Indian Reservation Logging
~ Stack 'em up ~
A timbo strips branches from commercial grade timber and stacks logs on the log deck for extraction. This is one of the only timber operations turning a profit in the Southwest, and they are managing timber in a very constructive way.
~ Science and Research
~ Southwestern White Pine
~ Planting Trees
~ Skid ~
Skidding trees to be pilled on the log deck is quite entertaining to watch.
~ Monitoring ~
After a cut is made, timber crews monitor regeneration and growth in their stand. When one relies on natural regeneration one must ensure practice is smooth and functional. This is the crux of sustainable forestry.