Identification of Risk Factors for Blister Rust ( Cronartium ribicola) on Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus L.).

Abstract

Mature white pine forest has been significantly reduced in Northeastern Minnesota over the past 120 years. Blister rust, a usually lethal fungal disease of white pine, was also introduced about 120 years ago, and now poses a major challenge to attempts to reestablish white pines in the region. A map delineating hazard zones for blister rust was prepared in 1961 - this report details the procedure used to update that map using modem GIS techniques. The new map (above, and page 26) is more detailed than the old, and recognizes that even within areas previously classified as "high hazard'', there are places where white pine regeneration may be possible and desirable.