Mountain Pine Beetle

Question 1

What is climate change?

Answer 1

The long term change in climate (regional temperature, precipitation, etc) caused by an increase in the greenhouse effect

Question 2

What is the greenhouse effect?

Answer 2

is a process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases, and is re-radiated in all directions.

Question 3

Examples of greenhouse gases?

Answer 3

Carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, nitrous oxide, and ozone

Question 4

What causes the increase in the greenhouse effect?

Answer 4

Anthropogenic activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, industrial processes and agricultural practices releasing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere

Question 5

What is the unique adaptation that has allowed MPB to survive cold winters (-40°C.)?

Answer 5

The larvae are able to survive cold winters with the help of glycerol (antifreeze) developed in the L3 and L4 larval stages.

Question 6

Another unique adaptation the MPB has is its symbiotic relationship with blue stain fungus. What are four benefits the fungus provides the beetle with?

Answer 6

1) Keeps moisture in the cavities for the young brood
2) Provides beetles with a source of nutrition
3) Prevents bad fungus from invading the cavities
4) Blocks water transport through the tree, resulting in the death of the tree

Question 7

What is the difference between Synchrony and Phenology?

Answer 7

Phenology: In sync with the seasons
ie. Overwinter as an L3/L4. It is better to overwinter in a state that allows the beetle to with stand frigid temperature.

Synchrony: In sync with life stages ie. Beetles need a heat sum (25°C for a few days) to activate flight and dispersal. If temperatures continue to rise, the success of the beetle will rise with it.

Question 8

What are the current contributing factors to the increase in MPB populations given the current situation?

Answer 8

• Warmer weather
• Longer summers
• Shorter winters without reaching -40° C under bark, the beetles won’t die therefor less fatalities over winter
• More bugs emerging come spring
• Northern habitats becoming benign/favorable

Question 9

What is bivoltinism? How does it relate to MPB and climate change?

Answer 9

Bivoltine = two generations per year.

MPB is typically univoltine, producing one generation per year, but the warmer weather is leading to bivoltinism.

Question 10

What does the transition from univoltine to bivoltine mean for the MPB?

Answer 10

a) Entire generations die because they are in the wrong life stage for winter
b) Southern populations move north where they will be in the appropriate synchrony and phenology to successfuly complete life cycle

Question 11

What is naive pine?

Answer 11

Species such as jack pine, white pine, and whitebark pine can also be attacked (aside from lodgepole pine) and they don’t have the same ability to pitch out and defend themselves like southern trees do, causing epidemic level outbreaks

Question 12

What are four strategies for managing the MPB?

Answer 12

• Suppression - An expensive option and only works if executed early on, when the population is building.
• Maintenance – Again, expensive and unfeasible, this option is good for holding the population in check and not suppressing it.
• Salvage - Salvage the red (dead) trees before they rot, however, beetle populations are not targeted.
• Abandon – Last resort… just walk away from the stand and cut your losses.

Question 13

Annual surveys, aerial coverage of entire province and catching at the building phase are examples of what?

Answer 13

Preventative measures against the MPB, or ‘Good Forestry’.

Question 14

What kind of preventative measures can be taken at the ‘landscape level’?

Answer 14

• Log the most susceptible first (trees that don’t have a chance of surviving, ie. 80+ years old with a high % of Pl)
• Create a mosaic of ages and species of trees. Mimicking nature’s succession, as many insects are age specific
• Allow fire, where possible (also mimicking nature)

Question 15

What kind of preventative measures can be taken at the ‘stand level’?

Answer 15

• Reduce rotation age. Pine trees > 80 are more susceptible to fatal attacks by MPB, therefore, logging trees between 80 and 100, but not >100
• Promote mix species within the stand, done at planting and spacing
• Maintain vigor by planting less dense and with species choice, done usually at juvenile spacing
• Remove pine from mixed species, if you see MPB coming

Question 16

What is beetle proofing criteria?

Answer 16

• 4-5m spacing (400-600 sph)

- Thin from below

Question 17

How does beetle proofing work?

Answer 17

Allows for wind to pass through the stand, which affects the beetle’s ability for flight and their pheromone communication. Once the stand is opened up, more light and warmth reach the forest floor; the beetles don’t like this and will continue flying onward to find a more suitable, dense stand

Question 18

Three main ideas have been identified by Hamish Kimmins to determine desirable future forest conditions. What are they?

Answer 18

1) Low biological risk
2) Low social and community risk
3) Low biological, social, and community risk