The influence of prescribed crown fire on lodgepole pine dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium americanum) populations 33 years post‐fire

Abstract

SummaryDwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium spp.) are a group of obligate, hemiparasitic plants that infect numerous species in the Pinaceae in North America. Wildland fire is considered to be the primary natural agent influencing the population and distribution of dwarf mistletoes across landscapes. Based on this understanding, prescribed fire has been suggested as a potential method for dwarf mistletoe sanitation and control; however, experimental work has primarily focused on prescribed surface fire. In this study, we report long‐term impacts of three experimental crown fires on dwarf mistletoe severity in infested lodgepole pine stands in Colorado 33 years post‐fire. The three fires achieved tree mortality rates ranging from 20% to 100%. Our results suggested a significant negative relationship between the amount of fire‐caused tree mortality and future dwarf mistletoe severity. These findings supported the presumed natural role of fire in altering dwarf mistletoe populations, which perhaps exhibits a linear relationship between fire‐caused host tree mortality and future dwarf mistletoe severity.