Investigations Into the Ecological Relationships of Ponderosa Pine in Southeast Arizona
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Investigations into the ecological relationships of ponderosa pine in southeast Arizona Item Type text; Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Dodge, Richard Archie, 1932- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 29/09/2021 11:58:12 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/565610 INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE ECOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS OF PONDEROSA PINE IN SOUTHEAST ARIZONA by Richard Archie Dodge A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the BOTANY DEPARTMENT In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1963 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE I hereby recommend that this dissertation prepared under my direction by Richard Archie Dodge_____________________ entitled Investigations into the Ecological Relationships of Ponderosa Pine in Southeast Arizona______ be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy,_______________________ sertatioff Director After inspection of the dissertation, the following members of the Final Examination Committee concur in its approval and recommend its acceptance:* i V • / v v —" -------- V A s - A J / >(t J(e 5 C C'J r c V -7 A 3 P T'/p 7 / (> B *This approval and acceptance is contingent on the candidate's adequate performance and defense of this dissertation at the final oral examination. The inclusion of this sheet bound into the library copy of the dissertation is evidence of satisfactory performance at the final examination. STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in The University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allow able without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manu script in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in their judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. ACKNOWLEDGMENT I wish to express my indebtedness to Dr. Raymond M. Turner for his generous encouragement and guidance through the course of this investigation. Without his inspiration and suggestions, this work would not have been initiated or completed. I wish further to express gratitude to the members of my guidance committee. Dr. Stanley W. Buol, Dr. Edwin B. Kurtz, Jr., Dr. Charles H. Lowe, Jr., and Dr. Robert H. Maier for the numerous suggestions, encouragement and interest shown during this study. Special thanks is extended to Dr. Harold C. Fritts for assistance with parts of the studies and for analyzing data from portions of the work. Gratitude is given to the Department of Botany, Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Soils, and the Laboratory of Tree Ring Research of the University of Arizona for assistance from interested personnel and for making essen tial equipment and facilities available. Appreciation is extended to the personnel of the Coronado National Forest, U.S. Forest Service, for assistance and support during phases of the field research, and to the personnel of the Saguaro National Monument and Coronado National Memorial, U.S. National Park Service, for the availability of facilities and actual field assistance by members of these organizations. Gratitude is also extended to The Arizona Academy of Science which has aided portions of this study with financial support. Appreciation is extended to my wife, Donna Dodge, for her assistance and considerable encou ragement during all phases of this research. • C J iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ......................................... vi i LIST OF FIGURES.................. ix INTRODUCTION ............................................. 1 METHODS............. 8 Habitat Studies....................................... 8 Phytosociological Sampling Techniques.............. 10 Location of the Study Areas........................ 15 Morphological Observations ........................... 29 Needles and Branches............................... 30 P o llen ............................................. 33 Pistil late C o n e s ................................... 37 Dendrometer Studies................................... 40 RESULTS................................................... 46 Habitat Studies......................................... 46 Phytosociological Relationships...................... 46 Needle Factor......................................... 54 Morphological Characters .............................. 56 Needles............................................... 56 P ollen ............................. 58 Pistillate Cones .................................... 64 Dendrometer Studies.................................... 74 DISCUSSION................................... 80 Habitat Studies......................................... 80 Phytosociological Relationships................... 80 Needle Factor......................................... 91 v TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page Morphological Characters ............. 95 Needles............................................. 95 P o l l e n ...................................... 97 Pistillate C o n e s .................. 98 Dendrometer Studies..................................... 100 SUMMARY. ......................................... 109 LITERATURE CITED ........................................ 113 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Distinguishing characteristics of Pinus arizonica and P, ponderosa........ >....................... 7 2. Elevation, magnetic azimuth of slope studied, general slope angle and number of quarters sampled in the Santa Catalina Mountains.......... 18 ■3. Elevation, magnetic azimuth of slope studied, general slope angle and number of quarters sampled in the Rincon Mountains.......... .. 21 4. Elevation, magnetic azimuth of slope studied, general slope angle and number of quarters sampled in the Pinaleno Mountains. ........ 25 5. Elevation, magnetic azimuth of slope studied, general slope angle and number of quarters sampled in the Chiricahua Mountains.............. 27 6. Site comparison for the trees used in the dendrometer study, Santa Catalina Mountains. 42 7. Relative density, relative dominance, relative frequency and importance values in the quarters quadrats on the Santa Catalina Mountains from 8500 to 7000 feet................................. 47 8. Relative density, relative dominance, relative frequency and importance values in the quarters quadrats on the Rincon Mountains from 8500 to 7250 feet......................................... 48 9. Relative density, relative dominance, relative frequency and importance values in the quarters quadrats on the Pinaleno Mountains from 10,000 to 7000 f e e t ..................................... 50 10. Relative density, relative dominance, relative frequency and importance values in the quarters quadrats on the Chiricahua Mountains from 9500 to 8000 feet ................................. 53 vi i LIST OF TABLES (Continued) Table Page 11. Needle factor for ponderosa pine by elevation in several mountain ranges of southeast Arizona........................................... 55 12. Average length of ponderosa pine needles from locations studied in Arizona and Sonora........... 57 13. Mean and standard deviation of the pollen-grain diameter and bladder width of three putative populations of ponderosa pine on Mt. Bigelow, Santa Catalina Mountains . ... ................. 61 14. Analysis of variance of pollen grain size from trees within three putative populations of ponderosa pine on Mt. Bigelow, Santa Catalina Mountains. ..... ........................... 63 15. Analysis of variance of pollen grain bladder widths within three putative populations of ponderosa pine on Mt. Bigelow, Santa Catalina Mountains........................................ 63 16. Analysis of variance of the ratio between pollen- grain diameter and bladder width from three putative populations of ponderosa pine on Mt. Bigelow, Santa Catalina Mountains. ...... 63 17. Comparison of the mean and standard deviation of the pollen-grain diameter and bladder width of . pollen grains collected in the Pinaleno, Galiuro, and Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona .... 65 18. Mean length, range, standard deviation, and sample size for cones collected at several stations in Arizona and Sonora . .... 66 19. Cone prickle designation and sample size for . stations in Arizona and S onora .................. 70 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. General distribution of ponderosa pine in Arizona..................................... 2 2. Location of mountainous regions of southeastern Arizona in which ponderosa pine was studied. $ 3. Pollen grain dimensions............................. 34 4. Frequency distributions showing number of stomates/mm in 0.5 mm classes. Data from ponderosa pine in Arizona and S onora ............ 59 5. Frequency distributions showing number of stomates/mm in 0.5 mm classes. Data from ponderosa pine in Mt. Bigelow study area, Santa Catal