SFNF Tackles Parasitic Mistletoe in Jemez Mountain Pines

Santa Fe NF Tackles Parasitic Mistletoe in Jemez Mountain Pines

Sept. 24 Field Trip Scheduled to Infected Area

SANTA FE, NM – Aug. 31, 2016 – For Immediate Release. Crews doing prep work on the Santa Fe National Forest’s Southwest Jemez Mountains Collaborative Landscape Restoration project have made an unexpected discovery. Foresters confirm that a handful of pine stands along Forest Road (FR) 10 are heavily infected with dwarf mistletoe, a native parasitic plant that reduces the growth, seed production and life span of infected trees.

The areas of heavy mistletoe infestation total about 530 acres, including smaller patches along FR 270, around Sierra los Pinos, and along the East Fork trail. Without intervention, the stands are likely to die out, leaving just oak brush and grass. The recommended treatment is to remove the infected trees so that healthy pines can produce cones and regenerate the stand. If there are not enough healthy trees left after treatment, the Forest will assist nature by planting healthy young trees in the affected stands.

Dwarf mistletoe has been evolving along with its host trees for millions of years and is a natural part of the ecosystem, with a role in providing food and nesting sites for birds and mammals. However, the mistletoe in these infected parcels is unnaturally high, due to fire suppression and overcrowded forests. The Forest Service goal for treatment is to return the mistletoe to its natural levels.

Dwarf mistletoe is a slow-acting but deadly pathogen that causes significant damage to infected trees. The parasitic plant’s sticky seeds are explosively discharged, raining down on the understory and adhering to any surface they strike. If it happens to be on a host tree, that young tree will be infected, although it can take three to four year before the infection is visible.
Tree mortality from dwarf mistletoe increases the risk of high-intensity wildfire on the landscape. A clear sign of dwarf mistletoe infection is the so-called “witches’ broom,” an abnormal clump of twigs and foliage that forms as the parasite’s root structure steals nutrients from the host tree. The brooms provide ladder fuel for crown fires and can also fall off a burning tree and spread the fire downhill.

The Jemez Ranger District is planning an “open house” at one of the infected sites on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, to show members of the public the extent of the mistletoe infestation and explain the planned treatment. Forest staff will meet with interested members of the public at the corner of FR 10 and FR 136 anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Please call the Jemez Ranger District at 575.829.3535 for more information or to sign up for the open house in the woods.