Shelling White Bark Pine Cones
As part of the pack trips this year, we had collected bags full of white bark pine cones. We brought them all home to the ranch. However, it was only September by then, and other priorities were on the schedule. So, we put the cones in a dry area where they could wait until winter when we would take the time to shell them. Shelling the pinecones means to collect the actual nuts by separating them from the cone.
Winter came and we were busy with our marketing season. One day it snowed so much the power went out. With no power, we had to regroup our activities and priorities. I remembered our pinecones that we had worked so hard for the past fall, so I brought them out. Shelling pinecones is not a fast job and requires patience. But it is important nonetheless. The reason we needed the nuts is that they could be propagated and planted in areas of BC where the white bark pine isn’t thriving as it is in the Chilcotin Ark.
As mentioned before, the white bark pine is an endangered species and only has seeds every three years. In areas where there is a high mortality rate due to blister-rust, the white bark pines do not produce enough nuts to maintain a sustainable population and beyond that contribute to the alpine ecosystem. So, to support the population growth, we sent the nuts we shelled this winter to a plant nursery.
In the nursery the seeds get planted in an environment that supports the growth of the tree. Natural challenges are removed. However, the natural environment cannot be fully removed. The white bark pine has a symbiotic relationship with a fungus called Mykhorrizae. This fungus lives in the soil and disperses in a single-celled layer. One organism can cover an area of several kilometres. The fungus attaches to the root of the white bark pine and gathers essential nutrients for the tree, such as nitrogen and phosphorus. This allows the white bark pine to grow on dry south slopes above treeline. In exchange, the tree supplies carbohydrates from its reserves to the fungus. Since this symbiotic relationship is so important, the nurseries need to include the fungus in the growing process of the tree.
White bark pine seedlings take five to seven years to become fully established and start significant height growth. In addition, the nurseries help the young trees to build a resistance against blister rust, an invasive fungus, to increase their survival chances. Only then can they be planted in the wild.
However, the planting process is not easy either as the white bark pine grows in hard to get to areas. So, helicopters are often used to transport the trees to the high mountain tops. Planting spots need to be evaluated carefully. Seedlings need open space to grow but also need protection from snow melts and run-offs. Once the seedlings are planted the white bark population needs to be monitored regularly to assess the success of the planting.
As you can see, from collecting to growing a white bark pine, a lot of work goes into the process. But the effort is worth it. Replanting white bark pine trees not only helps to maintain this species, it contributes to maintaining the whole alpine ecosystem. White bark pines are a key species as they retain snow and water on site which other plants can benefit from. The seeds are an important food source for Clark’s nutcrackers, squirrels and grizzly bears. So, the simple task of shelling pinecones becomes an important contribution to conservation.
Lea, Germany
