A second-year seedling of Pinus ponderosa in a pine/bunchgrass community. This photograph was taken in early November, during a period of sparse snow cover. Seedlings on south-facing slopes, such as the Basalt Hill site on the University of Idaho Experimental Forest, can be exposed to low freezing temperatures when snow cover is low and sparse. One aspect of our study concerns the seasonal pattern in freezing tolerance in these seedlings and neighboring bunchgrasses (Agropyron spicatum) in this pine/bunchgrass community. Our studies on the response of these species to freezing temperatures are part of a larger study that examines the competitive interactions between pine seedlings and established grasses.

With:
John D. Marshall, Associate Professor, Department of Forest Resources
Wesley S. Hunt, Research Assistant, Department of Range Resources

Funded by McIntire-Stennis Research Grants Program, USDA.