Pine Beetle Could Spread Right Across Canada

Monday, June 11, 2007 03:59 AM

Green area of map is the boreal forest of Canada, and the Mountain pine beetle is a real threat.

Chris Ritchie of the BC Ministry of the Environment says if the Mountain Pine Beetle does nothing different, and he has no reason to believe it will, when it hits the Jack Pine forests, it could spread right across Canada to the Maritime Provinces and down into the USA as far as Tennessee.

Speaking to the 43^rd annual North American Moose conference held at UNBC, Ritchie said "Given what is happening in the Jack Pine forests of Alberta, the mountain pine beetle has shown a remarkable ability to adapt very quickly to the Pine forests in Alberta and the natural movement is to the east."

Ritchie says the beetles can move rapidly "Two years ago we were able to track the beetle’s migration which was about 150 kilometers in one day. Given that rapid movement the beetle could have some serious implications for the Jack Pine forest which cover the northern half of all of the provinces right through to the Maritimes."

He added that at a recent Alberta meeting, a Ministry of Forests representative from Saskatchewan attended and was surprised of what was taking place.

He told the conference 80% of the mountain pine in British Columbia will be destroyed by the beetles by 2014, at which time the destruction will level off. In 2006 he said over 9 million hectares of mountain pine was destroyed by the beetle. Depending on where that forest is located he said it has a shelf life of between 2 and 8 years. "We will likely see a 2 to 3 week earlier spring run off, because of the fact that the shade and cover has been removed and we also will see a much larger spike in peak flows earlier because of the fact that there are no trees to suck up the moisture."

Ritchie says man is partly to blame for the situation "With our ability to control forest fires, we have given the beetle an opportunity to attack our older forests and they have gladly moved in. "

A great deal of time has been taken up at the conference to deal with the possible spread of the Mountain Pine beetle to other provinces delegates from Ontario and the Maritimes say they are "Very concerned."

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Posted on Monday, June 11, 2007 03:59 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: owl on June 11 2007 8:44 AM

August 26, 2006 - the CBC reported this:

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2006/08/25/boreal-beetle.html

Boreal forests from Yukon to Labrador could become infested with the tiny beetle responsible for killing a large chunk of British Columbia's pine trees, a scientist says.

The mountain pine beetle, which has already chewed its way through the majority of B.C.'s lodgepole pines, has moved into Alberta.

Now, researchers believe the infestation could spread into jack pine in boreal forests from the Yukon to Labrador.

Dr. Bill Wilson of the Canadian Forest Service in Victoria leads a team of researchers battling the mountain pine beetle.

"The scientists say the bugs are not stoppable in B.C.", says Wilson. "It's definitely a challenge and a risk for the boreal."

Posted by: bohemian on June 11 2007 9:01 AM

But what about meaningful federal cash? I'll bet we won't see any until the beetle gets to Quebec. And then we won't see it until Quebec has its full.

Posted by: owl on June 11 2007 9:12 AM

I am trying to locate articles on the net about concerns of similar epidemics in the Russian pine forests. It would seem reasonable that if climate change is one of the causes, and all or parts of Russia are experiencing similar warming trends, that a similar epidemic is not only possibile but also likely, although I would expect that they have not had a similar reponse to fire management over the decades that we have had.

So, it would be intereting to see if anyone here has heard something about this.

Posted by: owl on June 11 2007 9:26 AM

Notice how much went to trying to stop the beetle move beyond the Rockies. 26 of the close to 40 million. 65%.

Primary concern is spread. They think they can stop or slow it down. The more they slow it down, the greater the likelyhood that they will have a weather event which will kill them off or we find another solution to kill them off. I do not know, for instance, what research, if any, is being done in that area.

The spread is most certainly to the south as well. Nothing that Home Security will be able to stop at the border, either. :-)

Posted by: owl on June 11 2007 9:34 AM

Of course it is not as if the USA does not have its own infestation problems with pine beetles due to weather changes and fire management approaches.

http://www.nativetreesociety.org/invasives/mtnpine/colorado_mountain_pine_beetle.htm

Dr. Kessler, a PhD, was preaching the dangers of fire management in relation to other natural disturbances some 10+ years ago locally when she was at UNBC.

http://www.indiana.edu/~issrm/plenary.htm

Posted by: owl on June 11 2007 9:44 AM

We are not alone!!!!!

But how many ever talk about that? Even with today's communication technology we are still a very insular world, aren't we?

I just followed one of the links form the above posted site and came upon this.

http://environment.guardian.co.uk/conservation/story/0,,2037147,00.html

"I knew we would have an infestation," says Jan Burke, a silviculturist for Colorado's White River national forest, "but I never remotely imagined this. Nobody predicted this." She looks up at the mountains behind the ski resort of Vail, sweeping hillsides of pine pockmarked with the orange stain of dead trees and the delicate feathery grey of aspens. "I guess we're the lucky ones because in our lifetime we got to see these forests. Our children won't. For many that's a bitter pill to swallow."

"Scientists, environmentalists, ski resort managers and forestry officials agree that by the time the beetle has finished, it will have killed 80-90% of the mature lodgepoles in Colorado. Mature trees account for 90% of the lodgepoles. While beetle infestations are part of the natural order of the forest, the current infestation defies all expectations."

From the other linked site it appears the same little beasties are into the northern New England states as well as Quebec.

o it ilooks like the MPB will be stopped by the time they hit southern Quebec since they will have no more pine to go after.

Or will they? They may evolve into accepting spruce, which some apparently are doing ......

As someone here likes to say ... time will tell.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on June 11 2007 10:02 AM

"I guess we're the lucky ones because in our lifetime we got to see these forests.Our children won't.For many that's a bitter pill to swallow."
Indeed.
That about says it all!
Good post owl, and maybe they ARE starting to listen!
And yes,in many areas the spruce are already dying in large numbers.
In any event,there is no going back.
The damage is done, and solutions are the priority ahead.
But what?

Posted by: owl on June 11 2007 5:16 PM

I think we need to make peace with the insect world.

They are, afer all, the real rulers of the world. They were here a long time before us and will likely be here a long time after us. They have learned how to adapt much better. Humans are far too specialized as are other animals.

Unless one is an entomologist one typcically forgets that.

Posted by: owl on June 11 2007 5:24 PM

So, as in war, find an "ally" who might be much better than you in fighting the "enemy". In the case of insects, it would be ideal to have an ally that has many of the same characteristics of the insects and will find them where they live.

Other insects. :-)

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/10/1004_051004_beetles.html