L6- Let it Be-etle

Question 1

What does MPB mean?

Answer 1

Mountain Pine Beetle

Question 2

What beetle attacks pines in western North American forests?

Answer 2

Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB)

Question 3

How big are the mountain pine beetles?

Answer 3

5 millimetres

Question 4

What are MPB doing to the trees?

Answer 4

They are infesting tress resulting in a decline in trees.

Question 5

What kind of trees are the MPB attacking?

Answer 5

Lodge pole pine.

Question 6

What does the fungus also do?

Answer 6

The fungus also blocks water and nutrients transport within the tree.

Question 7

What % of the total volume of commercial lodge pole in the province have the beetles killed?

Answer 7

50%

Question 8

Where and when did the current MPB outbreak start?

Answer 8

British Columbia in the early 1990s

Question 9

How do MPB affect the trees?

Answer 9

They lay their eggs under the bark that introduce fungus this fungus than prevents the tree from repelling and killing the attacking beetles.

Question 10

How much land is covered by Canadian boreal region?

Answer 10

1000kms

Question 11

Scientists expect the beetle to continue expanding its geographic range, but where are they expected to move into?

Answer 11

The boreal forest and Canada’s northern and eastern pine forests.

Question 12

What type of management is being used here?

Answer 12

Local-scale management

Question 13

The wood that the beetles infest are sold to which country?

Answer 13

China

Question 14

What happens to the economical value of the trees once they becomes infested with MPB’s.

Answer 14

The economical value reduce

Question 15

To reduce further infested trees what are the locals doing?

Answer 15

Removing and burning infested trees (Slash and Burn).

Question 16

What effect does Slash and Burn have on Carbon Dioxide Levels?

Answer 16

Slash and Burn is increasing Carbon Dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

Question 17

How has climate change helped the beetles?

Answer 17

Climate change has meant that winters are now warmer. Previously cold winters usually killed the beetles larvae but now they survive.

Question 18

What has climate change enabled the MPB to do?

Answer 18

They are now able to migrate to places that previously they were never able to explore this is because the temperatures have reduced in those parts.

Question 19

Who are conducting research about the MPB?

Answer 19

Canadian Forest Service.

Question 20

How is this information being used?

Answer 20

The information is being used in an ongoing risk analysis as part of the National Forest Pest Strategy. The information helps assess the threat to Canada.