Mountain pine beetle: Difference between revisions
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[[File:PerfectPlague1.png|thumbnail|280px|Figure 1 | [[File:PerfectPlague1.png|thumbnail|280px|Figure 1. Dead trees after mountain pine beetle infestation.<ref name=plague>Gary Lantz. American Forests (Autumn 2009). Weathering a Perfect Plague [Online]. Available: https://www.americanforests.org/magazine/article/weathering-a-perfect-plague/</ref> Note that all the trees that aren't green are affected, as the pilot who took the picture said: "If it's red, it's dead".<ref name=plague/>]] | ||
<onlyinclude>The '''mountain pine beetle''' is an insect that has long lived in North American forests.<ref>Latin name: ''dendroctonus ponderosae'' Hopkins according to NR Can: http://tidcf.nrcan.gc.ca/en/insects/factsheet/2816 (accessed August 4th, 2016.)</ref> Once a vital part of the [[ecosystem]], the mountain pine beetle would feed on the bark of dying trees and then die out in the winter.</onlyinclude><ref name = no2>N.R.Can (06, 21, 2016). Mountain Pine Beetle, the threat of mountain pine beetle to Canada’s boreal forest [Online]. Available: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/fire-insects-disturbances/top-insects/13381 </ref> | <onlyinclude>The '''mountain pine beetle''' is an insect that has long lived in North American forests.<ref>Latin name: ''dendroctonus ponderosae'' Hopkins according to NR Can: http://tidcf.nrcan.gc.ca/en/insects/factsheet/2816 (accessed August 4th, 2016.)</ref> Once a vital part of the [[ecosystem]], the mountain pine beetle would feed on the bark of dying trees and then die out in the winter.</onlyinclude><ref name = no2>N.R.Can (06, 21, 2016). Mountain Pine Beetle, the threat of mountain pine beetle to Canada’s boreal forest [Online]. Available: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/fire-insects-disturbances/top-insects/13381 </ref> | ||
==Life Cycle== | ==Life Cycle== | ||
Depending on yearly [[temperature]]s, the average life span for a pine beetle is approximately one year. The larvae typically live under the tree bark during the winter and emerge in the summer as adults. To colonize a tree, the female pine beetle will release a chemical that attracts more beetles to the tree thus colonizing it and eventually killing it. A healthy tree can defend itself by secreting toxic resin and overcoming a small population of beetle, yet a weak tree that may have already been attacked by another insect or group of beetle can also prove a bad host for a colony as it won't provide the nutrients and moisture needed. One sign of a dying tree due to colonization is color change, if the tree is slowly growing yellow, orange, red and finally brown; it has lost its battle against the pine beetle.<ref>N.R.Can (07, 15, 2016). Mountain Pine Beetle (factsheet) [Online]. Available: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/fire-insects-disturbances/top-insects/13397</ref> | Depending on yearly [[temperature]]s, the average life span for a pine beetle is approximately one year. The larvae typically live under the tree bark during the winter and emerge in the summer as adults. To colonize a tree, the female pine beetle will release a chemical that attracts more beetles to the tree thus colonizing it and eventually killing it. A healthy tree can defend itself by secreting toxic resin and overcoming a small population of beetle, yet a weak tree that may have already been attacked by another insect or group of beetle can also prove a bad host for a colony as it won't provide the nutrients and moisture needed. One sign of a dying tree due to colonization is color change, if the tree is slowly growing yellow, orange, red, and finally brown; it has lost its battle against the pine beetle.<ref>N.R.Can (07, 15, 2016). Mountain Pine Beetle (factsheet) [Online]. Available: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/fire-insects-disturbances/top-insects/13397</ref> Figure 1 shows this tree discolouration, and Figure 2 is what a mountain pine beetle looks like. | ||
==Infestation== | ==Infestation== | ||
[[File:MPBLandscape292.jpg|thumbnail|280px|Figure 2 | [[File:MPBLandscape292.jpg|thumbnail|280px|Figure 2. Mountain pine beetle, an individual beetle is roughly the size of a grain of rice (5 mm).<ref name = no2/> | ||
]] | ]] | ||
Since the early 1990’s, rising temperatures due to global warming in Canada have prevented the pine beetle from dying out in the winter. This [[climate change]] allows them to continue to feed on trees throughout the year.<ref>NOAA (06, 2016). Global Analysis – June 2016 [Online]. Available: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201606</ref> To sustain a healthy ecology, the temperatures in the winter must be below -35°C for several continuous days to kill off a substantial population of beetle. | Since the early 1990’s, rising temperatures due to global warming in Canada have prevented the pine beetle from dying out in the winter. This [[climate change]] allows them to continue to feed on trees throughout the year.<ref>NOAA (06, 2016). Global Analysis – June 2016 [Online]. Available: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201606</ref> To sustain a healthy ecology, the temperatures in the winter must be below -35°C for several continuous days to kill off a substantial population of beetle. This is causing some major issues in Canada, and British Columbia in particular, where the insect has wiped out over 50% of the overall pine population since the early 1990’s (see Figure 1). Since the epidemic started, it is estimated that the mountain pine beetle has destroyed over 710 million cubic meters of B.C forests.<ref>Gov.BC. (05, 2012). Mountain Pine Beetle [Online]. Available: https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/mountain_pine_beetle/facts.htm</ref> Figure 3 below shows a graph of defoliated area (in [[Acre|hectares]]) in Canada as a result of mountain pine beetles from 1990 to 2023. | ||
[[File: | [[File:EN 4Landing.png|center|thumb|720x720px|Figure 3. Defoliated area in Canada by mountain pine beetles 1990-2023.<ref>National Forestry Database (2026). (Accessed July 14, 2026). ''Forest insects'' [Online]. Available: http://nfdp.ccfm.org/en/data/insects.php</ref>]] | ||
== | ==Spread== | ||
There are multiple factors that support the spread of the pine beetle infestation. The biggest impacts come from the | There are multiple factors that support the spread of the pine beetle infestation. The biggest impacts come from the increase in temperatures and the how effectively the beetles spread.<ref>Gov. BC (07. 2007). Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan 2006-2011 [Online]. Available: https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/mountain_pine_beetle/actionplan/2006/SNAP_Reforestation.pdf</ref> | ||
*If temperatures keep rising, warmer winters mean a longer life span for the beetles. This means the pine beetle | *If temperatures keep rising, warmer winters mean a longer life span for the beetles. This means the pine beetle spreads exponentially. | ||
*The adult mountain pine beetle can fly 100 [[km]] and one beetle can start a colony on a tree. This causes the overall dispersal of the pine beetle to grow.<ref name = no2/> | *The adult mountain pine beetle can fly 100 [[km]] and one beetle can start a colony on a tree. This causes the overall dispersal of the pine beetle to grow.<ref name = no2/> | ||
== | ==Solutions== | ||
Many solutions | Many solutions were proposed to slow the epidemic. [[Reforestation]] holds large potential, however planting new trees would only give more ground for the beetle to spread. Another proposed solution is to burn the infested trees and removing any other trees that have already been damaged. Today, efforts to control mountain pine beetle outbreaks have been successful in reducing populations and slowing spread.<ref name = no2/> | ||
== For Further Reading == | |||
*[[Ecosystem]] | |||
*[[Climate change]] | |||
*[[Temperature]] | |||
*Or explore a [[Special:Random|random page]] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
[[Category: Uploaded]] | |||
Revision as of 16:36, 15 July 2026
The mountain pine beetle is an insect that has long lived in North American forests.[2] Once a vital part of the ecosystem, the mountain pine beetle would feed on the bark of dying trees and then die out in the winter.[3]
Life Cycle
Depending on yearly temperatures, the average life span for a pine beetle is approximately one year. The larvae typically live under the tree bark during the winter and emerge in the summer as adults. To colonize a tree, the female pine beetle will release a chemical that attracts more beetles to the tree thus colonizing it and eventually killing it. A healthy tree can defend itself by secreting toxic resin and overcoming a small population of beetle, yet a weak tree that may have already been attacked by another insect or group of beetle can also prove a bad host for a colony as it won't provide the nutrients and moisture needed. One sign of a dying tree due to colonization is color change, if the tree is slowly growing yellow, orange, red, and finally brown; it has lost its battle against the pine beetle.[4] Figure 1 shows this tree discolouration, and Figure 2 is what a mountain pine beetle looks like.
Infestation
Figure 2. Mountain pine beetle, an individual beetle is roughly the size of a grain of rice (5 mm).[3]
Since the early 1990’s, rising temperatures due to global warming in Canada have prevented the pine beetle from dying out in the winter. This climate change allows them to continue to feed on trees throughout the year.[5] To sustain a healthy ecology, the temperatures in the winter must be below -35°C for several continuous days to kill off a substantial population of beetle. This is causing some major issues in Canada, and British Columbia in particular, where the insect has wiped out over 50% of the overall pine population since the early 1990’s (see Figure 1). Since the epidemic started, it is estimated that the mountain pine beetle has destroyed over 710 million cubic meters of B.C forests.[6] Figure 3 below shows a graph of defoliated area (in hectares) in Canada as a result of mountain pine beetles from 1990 to 2023.
Figure 3. Defoliated area in Canada by mountain pine beetles 1990-2023.[7]
Spread
There are multiple factors that support the spread of the pine beetle infestation. The biggest impacts come from the increase in temperatures and the how effectively the beetles spread.[8]
- If temperatures keep rising, warmer winters mean a longer life span for the beetles. This means the pine beetle spreads exponentially.
- The adult mountain pine beetle can fly 100 km and one beetle can start a colony on a tree. This causes the overall dispersal of the pine beetle to grow.[3]
Solutions
Many solutions were proposed to slow the epidemic. Reforestation holds large potential, however planting new trees would only give more ground for the beetle to spread. Another proposed solution is to burn the infested trees and removing any other trees that have already been damaged. Today, efforts to control mountain pine beetle outbreaks have been successful in reducing populations and slowing spread.[3]
For Further Reading
- Ecosystem
- Climate change
- Temperature
- Or explore a random page
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gary Lantz. American Forests (Autumn 2009). Weathering a Perfect Plague [Online]. Available: https://www.americanforests.org/magazine/article/weathering-a-perfect-plague/
- ↑ Latin name: dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins according to NR Can: http://tidcf.nrcan.gc.ca/en/insects/factsheet/2816 (accessed August 4th, 2016.)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 N.R.Can (06, 21, 2016). Mountain Pine Beetle, the threat of mountain pine beetle to Canada’s boreal forest [Online]. Available: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/fire-insects-disturbances/top-insects/13381
- ↑ N.R.Can (07, 15, 2016). Mountain Pine Beetle (factsheet) [Online]. Available: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/fire-insects-disturbances/top-insects/13397
- ↑ NOAA (06, 2016). Global Analysis – June 2016 [Online]. Available: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201606
- ↑ Gov.BC. (05, 2012). Mountain Pine Beetle [Online]. Available: https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/mountain_pine_beetle/facts.htm
- ↑ National Forestry Database (2026). (Accessed July 14, 2026). Forest insects [Online]. Available: http://nfdp.ccfm.org/en/data/insects.php
- ↑ Gov. BC (07. 2007). Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan 2006-2011 [Online]. Available: https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/mountain_pine_beetle/actionplan/2006/SNAP_Reforestation.pdf