At the 2012 Mountain Pine Beetle Ecology Program workshop, hosted by the Foothills Research Institute, this research team discussed their project which looks at what's going on below ground when it comes to seedling regeneration after mountain pine beetle attacks. Different fungi are critical for seedling establishment, but the fungi are dependent on nutrients from trees. This research looks to understand the ectomycorrhizal networks that benefit seedlings but rely on large trees. What happens when the large trees are killed by MPB attacks? There is an increased amount of pine litter on the forest floor in the years following an attack, which changes soil chemistry and soil moisture levels. Field work will continue, and will evaluate seedling measurements to help explain the relationships in the mycorrhizal networks.
Justine Karst is a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Alberta. Paul Cigan and Gregory Pec are both PhD students at the University of Alberta.
