Pine Beetle Research Period 5

1. Describe the MPB’s life cycle and phases of population growth? most of it’s life is under the outer bark of lodge pole pines cycle is usually 1 year long, takes longer when we have rainy/cool summers, high altitudes Population growth- at one tree happens when a female beetle finds a new host tree, and she releases pheromone that attract other beetles The MPB’s populations normal- factors of predators, parasites, wet summers, early cold winters (-30 C or lower) or late cold springs, Forest fires The population is increasing - preventing of forest fires, warm temperature and drought, causing them to reproduce at alarming rates, having twice as long of a season because of the temperature

1.Describe the Mountain Pine Beetle life cycle. Describe the phases of population growth for Mountain Pine Beetles (ie:endemic, incipient, epidemic, declining). Mountain pine beetle are born as larva and when they are first born they live inside the bark of a tree. They feed on the bark until they come out of the trees in the summer as adults. They are able to carry fungi which helps them kill the tree that they are infesting. The new Beetles hatch their new eggs in the tree.  Leatherman, D. A., I. Aguayo, and T. M. Mehall. "Mountain Pine Beetle." Colorado.edu. Colorado State Forest Service, n.d. Web. 5 Dec  Cunnian, John, Erin Gluck, and Steve McIsaac. "Pine Beetle Mania." Colorado.edu. Inside Education, n.d. Web. 3 Dec

1.Describe the Mountain Pine Beetle life cycle. Describe the phases of population growth for Mountain Pine Beetles (ie:endemic, incipient, epidemic, declining). “Endemic population- The normal population native to the area that is kept in check by natural factors. It is the first phase of a mountain pine beetle epidemic cycle.” Cunnian (page 5) “Incipient- A population of an organism that is on the rise due to a lack of at least one limiting factor.” Cunnian (page 6) Pine beetles are on the rise because of the increase in climate temperature. “Limiting factors- Any factor (biotic or abiotic) that inhibits the growth of a species population.” Cunnian (page 6) “Epidemic population- A population of an organism that is well above the endemic level. It is a temporary, large-scale outbreak. In the case of MPB, the population has the ability to infect almost all of the mature pine trees in the forest stand. Natural factors are no longer effective in beetle control.” Cunnian (page 5) “Declining population- The last stage in an epidemic cycle where population levels decrease to their normal, or endemic, levels. This stage is caused by lack of suitable hosts and/or harsh climatic conditions that increase beetle mortality.” Cunnian (page 5) vocab

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Mountain Pine Beetle Niche Mountain pine beetles live in pine trees, specifically lodgepole, ponderosa, scotch and limber pines. Pine beetles are important to the ecosystem because they thin forests that are too dense to be healthy. The most important insect to the Colorado’s pine forest is the mountain pine beetle due to the large number of trees annually killed. Epidemic

3.What is the niche of the Mountain Pine Beetle? The mountain beetle lives inside the bark of pine, lodgepole, and ponderosa trees. The adult beetle is brown or a black color and the length is 3/16 inches long and has a rounded back end. The higher temperature help the beetles reproduce and more can live in the tree. It also helps them reproduce. When its colder the beetles can’t reproduce so their growth rate goes down.

What is the niche of a mountain pine beetle? Commonly attacked trees: Ponderosa, lodgepole, scotch, and limber pines Less commonly attacked trees: Bristlecone and pinyon Reason trees are attacked: Under stress from injuries, poor site conditions, fire damage, over crowding, root disease or old age] Leatherman D.A., I. Aguayo, and T.M. Mehall. "Mountain Pine Beetle." Colostate.edu. Colorado State, n.d. Web. 5 Dec

3.What is the niche of the Mountain Pine Beetle? Mountain pine beetle’s target large, old and stressed trees Pine beetles help renew forests and help with succession. The dead trees provided food and shelter for other organisms. The tree also add nutrients to the soil The dead tree gives space and sunlight for new trees to grow.  Bentz, Barbara Western U.S. Bark Beetles and Climate Change. (May 20, 2008). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Climate Change Resource Center.  Cunnian, John, Erin Gluck, and Steve McIsaac. "Pine Beetle Mania." Colorado.edu. Inside Education, n.d. Web. 3 Dec

There are many signs and symptoms of diseased trees. One of these symptoms are the popcorn shaped masses of resin known as pitch tubes where beetles have been tunneling into the tree. Pitch tubes are different colors they can be brown, pink or white. Another symptom for a diseased tree is foliage turning yellow to reddish throughout the tree. This happens eight to ten months after a beetle attack. Signs of an infected tree is if there is evidence of a woodpecker feeding on the trunk for all the beetles which would mean there are patches of bark removed and flakes lie on the ground around the tree.Another sign of an infected tree is dust found in bark crevices or on the ground adjacent to the trees base. What are the signs and symptoms of an infected/diseased forest?

Mountain Pine Beetles are known to infest trees that grow along the Rocky Mountains in the western part of the country. The Mountain Pine Beetles start by attacking trees that have already been damaged by overcrowding, fire, or lack of nutrients. As the population of the Pine Beetles increase the healthier trees surrounding those that are infected will start showing signs and symptoms of damage A common symptom that shows that the tree is infected are the pitch tubes which are shaped like a popcorn on the trunk of the tree where the beetle tunneling begins In the process of the Mountain Pine Beetle attack the crown of the tree starts turning a yellowish to reddish color. This occurs within eight to ten months of a Pine Beetle arrack

What Trees do Mountain Pine Beetles Affect and How? They develop in pines (mainly ponderosa, lodgepole, Scotch and limber). Trees not growing because of old age, crowding, poor growing conditions, drought, fire, and root disease, etc., are most likely to be attacked. Signs and symptoms: masses of resin called “pitch tubes” form on the trunk (brown, pink, white), boring dust in bark crevices and on the ground right near tree base is noticeable, patches of bark are removed as evidence of woodpeckers feeding on trunk, foliage turning yellowish to reddish (8-10 months after attack), the presence of live beetles, and blue-stained sapwood. Mass attacks are common, and if successful, beetle pairs mate and under bark 75 beetle eggs are produced. Larvae from eggs live under bark throughout winter and grow in the summer, majority of fully- grown beetles living in July or mid- August. After one tree, beetles infest others with eggs enough to colonize 15 trees. The beetles can kill a tree within one year of attack. The inner bark (phloem) of the tree transports nutrients and is disrupted by the blue stain (fungus from mouths of beetles) and larvae, cutting off the nutrient flow to the tree.

How do mountain pine beetles affect trees? Which ones? Trees?Affects? Mountain pine beetles are found in pines, particularly ponderosa, lodgepole, Scotch and limber pines. Bristlecone and pinyon pines are not attacked as often. Because the climate is warming and the earth is slowly drying up, it makes it easier for pine beetles to attack all of the stressed out trees. Pine beetles affect trees by making “pitch tubes”, this is where the beetles tunnel begins. When all the foliage (sap) turns yellowish, reddish this means the tree has been infected for about 8 to 10 months. The most certain way to tell that the tree has been infected is when they start to make galleries under the bark. The beetles also carry a fungi that further damages the trees defence.

6.Has temperature changed in Colorado in the last 100 years? What about precipitation? Figure 1Figure 2 Colorado Climate Report on Precipitation Colorado Climate Report on Temperature

6.Has temperature changed in Colorado in the last 100 years? What about precipitation? Figure 3 Natural Resources Conservation Service: Snow Pack Graph Natural Resources Conservation Service: Snow Pack Graph

6.Has temperature changed in Colorado in the last 100 years? What about precipitation? In figure 1, you can see a steady increase in temperature over the last hundred years. The rate at which the temperature is increasing has gotten steeper over the last decade. While the temperature is increasing, precipitation seems to stay the same. Overall the only changes to precipitation are the year to year conditions, not the long term effects. You can see a picture of the precipitation change in figure 2. I also know that our ecosystem is getting warmer because our snowfall is decreasing every year. In figure 3 you can see how our snow pack is decreasing, but in figure 2 precipitation is staying the same.

Has Precipitation Changed in Colorado in the Past 100 Years? According to the Colorado Climate Report in 2008, in the south west region of Colorado seems to have less precipitation, whereas the north west region seems to have more precipitation. Mountain pine beetles tend to be in dry areas. When the drought occurred in the early 2000’s there was an outbreak of the pine beetles. Most notable in higher elevations and latitudes. beetles/temperature-with-source.doc

Has Temperature Changed in Colorado in the Past 100 Years? According to the Colorado Climate Report in 2008, in the south west region of Colorado the temperature seems to be increasing at a faster rate than the north west region. Elevated temperatures speed up the reproductive cycle of mountain pine beetles.

How Colorado Forest Management has Contributed to the Pine Beetle Epidemic. Forest Management – 100 years ago When people first started mining in Colorado, they clear cut entire mountains in order to be mine better. Clear-cutting causes the trees to grow back much denser than the a natural forest. The trees grow back to be the same age, which makes the forest more susceptible to disease because of limited variety. What about the pine beetles? Because the trees are so much more dense, the pine beetles can spread more easily. Colorado forests have, on average, twice as many trees per acre as forests that are resilient to the mountain pine beetle. Keeping the tree density at a healthy level will help prevent pine beetle epidemics.

Forest Management to Eliminate the Pine Beetle Problem Thinning forests is the best defense against the pine beetle, but it is not realistic on a large scale. There are some chemical sprays that can be used to combat the mountain pine beetle, but they are not practical for large-scale use. In some places, solar treatments are being used to fight the mountain pine beetle. Solar treatments work by raising the temperature inside the tree or log to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, which kills the pine beetles. Large, intense fires are natural for lodgepole pine forests and help keep the forest balanced. That is shy controlled burns can help keep forests healthy.

7.How have Colorado forests been managed in the last 100 years and how this might influence beetle populations? Pine beetles have increased due to the lack of cold weather and wildfires. In the early 2000’s we also had a drought that made trees an easy target. When temperatures rise pine beetles are able to reproduce faster. Cold temperatures and wildfires are the only limiting factors of the pine beetle and with out these factors the pine beetle population will continue to grow.  Bentz, Barbara Western U.S. Bark Beetles and Climate Change. (May 20, 2008). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Climate Change Resource Center.  "Western Forests and Mountains." N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Dec _09.pdf

How have Colorado forests been managed in the last 100 years? Short term: Identify ponderosa, lodgepole and limber pines. Preventative spraying in March and mid-July before beetles are flying. Long Term: A thinned healthy forest will prevent outbreaks of the beetle. Improve views. Reduce wildfire hazard. Healthiest defense for beetle attacks is a healthy forest. Treatment of Infested Forest: Identify an infested tree. (Successfully attacked). After infested trees are cut down and limbed they need to be under intense solar radiation in order to kill the larvae. (Requires being wrapped in plastic for 6-8 weeks in warm temperature). Trees are then moved to ‘safe sites’ at least 1 mile away. Bury or burn trees in a fireplace with kill larvae. Other options: Involves skillfully managing pheromone used to focus attacks in particular areas, and then intensive monitoring of beetle behavior as the attack progresses.

How might this influence beetle populations? Colder temperature causes for the pine beetle to have a normal life span. The warmer temperatures have caused for pine beetles to have a longer life span. They are having babies twice a season instead of just once a season. The forest management has caused for the pine beetle population to go down in some areas. Humans are trying to save our forest from over population of Mountain Pine Beetle and having them kill our forests.

8. What will happen to these forests? If nothing is donePrevention is done the MPB can help with succession Loss of millions of trees. Once the MPB infests a tree, nothing can really be done to save that tree Natural controls like woodpeckers and clerid beetles that feed on the mountain pine beetle usually can’t help much for controlling once an outbreak starts Managing forests by creating diversity and structure at a young age, result in a healthy forests, making it less vulnerable to the MPB chemicals don’t help, damage the tree more than help it, affect other species using the tree individual tree removal Pheromone baits Burning and cutting down trees prevention monitoring, early detection, quick control, when populations are small