4A+Pine+Beetle

__ **Biotic Factors:** __ **-- Pines,** **particularly ponderosa, lodgepole, Scotch and limber pine (pine trees) -- Mountain pine beetle (topic) (mpb) --the Douglas-fir beetle or western spruce budworm --Spruce beetle --bears (brown bears)** --The snowflower ** --Chickaree (// Tamiasciurus douglasi //), Mt Rainier --Mountain Goat (// Oreamnos americanus), //Glacier National Park --Hoary marmot (//Marmota caligata),// Glacier National Park --Clark's nutcracker // Nucifraga columbiana //- Mt. Rainier, Washington**
 * --coniferous trees
 * --Steller's Jay //Cyanocitta stelleri,// Mt. Rainier

__ **Importance** __
 * The pine forest is very important to us. All of the trees serve many purposes. One of the things that the pine forest does is provide us with oxygen. As well as giving us oxygen the trees also get rid of carbon dioxide. Pine trees, as well as many other trees in this ecosystem give home and food to many animals. Without the animals have shelter or food they would die and it would affect humans. It could affect humans by lessening food supplies for them as well. Humans eat a lot of plants and animals found in the pine forests. Humans use the wood from pine trees as fire wood to heat their homes. If pine trees were all killed then not only humans would be affected by it but animals would as well. **

**__ Description of the Ecosystem __**


 * The Alpine Biome ecosystem is a high elevation place (6,000 to 11,000 feet). It has many plants and animals. Some of the animals that live in this ecosystem include brown bears, the Douglas Fir beetle (or western spruce budworm), Spruce beetle, Steller’s Jay, Chickaree, Mountain Goats, Hoary Marmot, Clark’s Nutcracker, and Ruffed Grouse. This ecosystem doesn’t have much soil and although it experiences warm winters, it sometimes has cold snaps. In recent years the Alpine Biome ecosystem has been experiencing drought. This climate also has much different vegetation. Some of the plants include pine trees, particularly ponderosa, lodge pole, Scotch and limber pine. The Alpine Biomes has coniferous trees. This ecosystem is also home to the Snow flower. **

__ **Threats:** __

· Airborne pollution ( such as acid rain) · Global warming: loss of snow a pack (source of water) As the earth warms, some species will be forced to go to higher altitudes · Forest fires kill wild life (trees and animals) · Drought can dry up trees and make forest fires more likely. · Pine Beetles killing trees within the next 3-5 years · The lack of soil cover and possible forest fire as the trees dried out could leave rivers and reservoirs blocked with sediment that is likely to pour off of the landscape. · Warm winters are stressing out the trees. · Less cold snaps that would have killed the beetle before have become less likely due to warm winters.**
 * · Ski slopes

**//__ Abiotic Factors: __//**

· ** High elevation ( 8,000 to 10,000 ft ) ** · ** Not much soil in some areas, rich soil in other areas (richer as elevation increases) ** · ** Warm winters (a new norm, beetles not used to it) ** · ** Drought ** · ** Not cold long enough to kill the beetles (no cold snaps) ** · ** Temperatures drop 10 degrees Celsius for every 1000 meters gained in altitude (on a mountain) ** · ** Increasing amount of rain fall on the side of the mountain that is exposed to the wind. ** · ** Mountains **

__ **Conservation Plan** __ **We must conserve and protect the mountain pine ecosystem. We can help this ecosystem in many ways. One way that we can do this is by peeling away the bark on infected trees (manually or mechanically). When the bark is peeled away, larvae are exposed to dehydration. They will usually shrivel up and die. Another way to treat infected trees is to burn or scorch infected logs in a pile. This should be done in the winter to prevent forest fires. Solar treatment may be effective in some areas to treat infected trees. For this treatment to work the best, the bark must reach a temperature of at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit. By killing beetles and larvae in already infected trees will help to reduce the population of the mountain pine beetle. This will also help to prevent beetles from infecting other trees. If we can do these things it will help to reduce the population and maybe even make pine beetle infections rare.**