Ponderosa pine in the Salt Cabin Park Exclosure area

The Ponderosa Pine Community is at an elevation of 2100-2700 meters and is an important community considering that some wildlife and grasses are only found in Ponderosa Pine stands.

Forestry management

Forestry management, range, recreation, and watershed management also have major roles in this community. Forestry management is important to the health of this community because it provides for the needs of the Ponderosa Pine ("Pinus ponderosa"). The success of this pine depends on ample seeds, adequate moisture, and a temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 °C) for germination and early survival ("Layden 2007"). Once the seed germinates, it grows a tap root 20 inches (50 cm) into the ground. This tree likes uneven aged stands and is shade intolerant. It is best to manage a Ponderosa Pine Community with group selection cutting and prescribed fires. The bark of ponderosa pine is very thick so older ones can withstand fire to a certain extent. The Quaking aspen ("Populus tremuloides") also respond well to low intensity fires and grow well in Ponderosa Pine Communities. Sucker production after a fire is high (50,000 suckers per hectare) but survival is low ("Layden 2007"). With all of this in mind, there is going to be less canopy cover in a Ponderosa Pine Community compared to a Lodgepole pine ("Pinus contorta") and Spruce/Fir Community, and because of this, there is going to be more grasses, forbs, and shrubs in a Ponderosa Pine Community. The high species richness in this community means that it is going to be preferred by grazing animals like cows, "Cervus elaphus" (elk), "Odocoileus hemionus" (deer), and "Alces alces" (moose).

History

The history of the Salt Cabin Park Exclosure area was comprised of grazing that started in the late 1800’s. In 1926 the forest service opened up the area to grazing again from June 1 until the 15th of October with 800 Assets under management (AUM). This overgrazing caused the range condition to be fair-poor. Presently, the forest service allows grazing in the area from the 15th of June until September 30th with 140 AUM. This is significantly less than in 1926. Also, because there are fewer cows, the range condition is good with a productivity of 600 kg/ha. Fifty elk ("Cervus elaphus" ) also graze in this area for eight months out of the year which equates to 40 AUM’s ("George, Pers. Comm. 2007").

Wildlife

The Ponderosa Pine Community, unlike the Lodgepole Pine and Spruce/Fir Communities., supports numerous mammal species including Abert's Squirrel ("Sciurus aberti"), which only lives in Ponderosa Pine Communities. "S. aberti" usually prefers a cluster of trees and feeds on the seeds of the cones. "S. aberti" has also adapted to the chemicals Ponderosa Pine produces for protection by targeting the trees that have lowered chemical levels. Another species that can be supported by Ponderosa Pine is the Colorado Chipmunk ("Tamias quadrivitattus"). "T. quadrivitattus" helps spread the seeds of the Ponderosa Pine by spreading out and burying its caches. This results in the seeds being further from the trees and better germination rates. This community also hosts the Gopher snake ("Pituophis catenifera)") which burrows into gopher holes. Also, Ponderosa Pine provides habitat for the Cougar ("Puma concolor") and the Bobcat ("Lynx rufus") as well as birds as Western Tanager ("Piranga ludoviciana)", Wild Turkey ("Meleagris gallopavo"), Mountain bluebird ("Sialia currucoides"), and White-breasted Nuthatch ("Sitta carolinensis") ("George, Pers. Comm. 2007"). The amount of species present in this area will effect the vegetation and thus the study will also be affected. Many of these species provide aesthetic value for the people who use this area recreationally.

Recreation

Recreation in this area is very high in summer because the Ponderosa Pine community is a favored location for summer cabins and is easily accessed. A lot of camping and four-wheel driving happens during the summer in this area also. Other recreational activities that are popular in this area include hunting and fishing. Hunting is favored in the Ponderosa Pine Community because the trees are more spaced out than other conifer forests making for better range of sight. Another reason why hunting is favored is that it is lower in elevation calling for lower temperatures and less snow. Because of the high amount of activity, there is a high chance of conflict between people ("Layden, Pers. Comm. 2007").

Soil erosion

Soil compaction is also an issue in this community type. Soil compaction can alter what grows in an area, which will effect the vegetation and thus the outcome of this study. This high amount of activity can also cause erosion of the soil. Another reason for soil erosion in the Ponderosa Pine Community is due to thunderstorms in the summer.

Climate

Of the 35-50 cm of annual precipitation, 60% of that falls from the month of April to the month of September in the form of thunderstorms. During these months there is high evapotranspiration because "Populus tremuloides" intercept a lot of the precipitation. The average temperature for this community is, on average, warmer than other conifer communities studied. The average temperature is approximately between four and five degrees Celsius, creating four frost-free months which makes this community almost as warm as the Mountain Shrub Community. ("Fassnacht, Pers. Comm. 2007").

See also

*Wildlife management

References

*Cranson, Dove.1998. A Dual Method Examination of the Effects of Multiple Use Activity on Plant Diversity. Colorado State University, Ft. Collins.
*Layden, Paul.(Ed.) Natural Resource Ecology and Measurements. Colorado State University, 2007; Lectures in Nr 220, summer 2007. Fassnacht, George, and Paul Layden