Death of an ecosystem: perspectives on western white pine ecosystems of North America at the end of the twentieth century

The effective loss of western white pine (Pinus monticola Dougl.) in the white pine ecosystem has far-reaching effects on the sustainability of local forests and both regional and global forestry issues. Continuing trends in management of this forest type has the potential to put western white pine, as well as the ecosystem it once dominated, at very high risk in the future. Societal issues associated with natural resource management must be resolved early in the 21 st century to allow restoration of this ecosystem so that the Interior Northwest's most productive forests can be sustainable at levels near their historical potential. Abstract The Authors The authors are grateful for comments contributed by Dr.