By: Sammie Keitlen and Brandon Johnson

Pine Beetle Investigation

1 year life cycle

Late Summer: Adults leave dead trees

-Seek out new trees-Beetles mate -Form a tunnel

under the bark-Produce around 75 eggs

Winter: Larvae stay in the tree

Spring: Larvae feed on tree

#1 Life Cycle of the Pine Beetle

Seed production begins at 5- 10 years

Cones remain on trees for 10-20 years

Older trees are less resistant to disease

Average age of Colorado Pines are 80- 200 years old

Life Cycle of the Lodgepole Pine Tree

R- strategist2002- drought

-incipient- then erupts -Epidemic

2010--the growth rate is decreasing

Endemic -British Columbia to southern California

Invasive species

#2 Phases of Population Growth for Mountain Pine Beetles

Chemicals Fire Temperatures

-extreme heat under bark- 5 days of -30 degrees

Precipitation-wet summers

#3 Abiotic Limiting Factors of Mountain Pine Beetle

Fire Climate Change

-drought-temperature

DiseaseOver CrowdingLack of Fire

- trees grow old: susceptible to disease

Abiotic Limiting Factors of Lodgepole Pine Tree

Birds- Woodpeckers Well- spaced healthy

treesParasites Larger insectsTree resistance-

“pitch outs”Forest diversity- age,

structure, species

Biotic Limiting Factors of the Mountain Pine Beetle

HumansWoodpeckersBlue-Stain

Fungi Insects

Biotic Limiting Factors of Lodgepole Pine Tree

Population controlKill stressed and

old trees-increases diversity

Helps renew the forest by succession

Source of food for some animals

The Niche of Mountain Pine Beetle

Provide habitats for mammals, insects, and birds

Pioneer Species after forest fires - Play an important

role in successionSource of food for

animals

The Niche of Lodgepole Pine Trees

Infect with Blue-stain fungi

Kill the treeTree produce “pitch

outs”- attempt to drown/ flush the beetle out

Not necessarily harmful effect:- change diversity, age, and structure of forest

Epidemic Population growth- disastrous effect

The Effects that Pine Beetles have on Lodgepole Trees

Pine beetles leave large holes in bark of a tree

Patches of missing barkTen months after the infestation, the needles of infested pines will turn reddish-brown.

# 7 Signs and Symptoms of Effected Trees

The past few decades have had

Warmer Temperatures

Low amount of rainfall

This creates a higher death rate for the trees

Pine Beetle populations grew because of high temperatures and low rainfall

#8 Colorado Forest Management

Colorado has synthesized the idea of having district managers for the forest locations in their county. 

President Theodore Roosevelt's decision to set aside vast tracts of western highland forests was in response to widespread exploitation by logging operations that began to sweep across the West in the late 1870s

#9 Management of Colorado’s Forests

The temperature must be consistently be below -35 Celsius or -40 Celsius for several straight days to kill off large populations of the Mountain Pine Beetle.

Climate is warming- Pine Beetle Population will consistently grow

You can control some populations by burning, burying, chipping or removing infested logs

# 10 Climate and Management Practice effect on Beetle Populations

If all the trees are dead from MPB, then tourism will be affectedSkiing, camping, hiking,

biking, etc.

There will be a reduced amount of shelter for wildlife if trees are continually dyingAffecting other organisms Lowering oxygen rates

#11 Importance of Forests – Pine Beetle Effect

- Fire Science Brief- Clean Water- Insect Outbreaks and Watersheds- The Influence of Previous Mountain Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus

ponderosae) Activity on the 1988 Yellowstone Fires- Challenges of a Bark Beetle Outbreak- What Are Land Managers

Doing?- Mountain Pine Beetle- Environmental characteristics of mountain pine beetle infestation hot

spots - Bark Beetles: Are Your Trees At Risk?- Manager’s Viewpoint- Western U.S. Forests Suffer Death By Degrees - http://plantwatch.fanweb.ca/plant-information/lodgepole-pine/lodgepol

e-pine-information- http://www.barkbeetles.org/mountain/fidl2.htm- http://utahcamping.blogspot.com/2009/07/utah-field-guide-lodgepole-p

ines-and.html

Resources Used