http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/bark-beetles-in-double-time
The Bark Beetle is on an exponential growth which is linked to global warming. The Bark Beetle has destroyed 30,000,000 acres of trees! It can't be stopped this beetle has no limiting factors so far. But what does this have to do with global warming? Environmental scientists were hiking through a trail just for recreation. They noticed adult Bark Beetles fly by them, and land on their clothes. They reported this because Bark Beetles usually become take flight as adults in two months. They check the Beetle's nest, and there was no larvae only adults. They hypothesize this has to do with the earlier warm seasons do to global warming. Until the Beetles find a limiting factor it will keep exponentially growing.
I think that this is interesting to know that global warming can help some species of insects to exponentially grow. I hope that this somehow fixes itself out because if this insect can exponentially grow then Mosquitoes, and ticks could also exponentially grow. I hope these insects J curve turn to an S curve.
1. How does global warming help insects exponentially grow?
2. Do you think that other insects will exponentially grow?
3.If you think the J curve continues do you think there is a solution to this out break?
Reflection: This beetle is very worrying to me. When I went to colorado, I saw many trees destroyed by beetles like this one, and it was a sad sight. I hope there is some way to stop them besides using parasites, because that would just negatively affect the rest of the ecosystem. This beetle shows how there can be many negative effects from global warming, some which people may have have not even noticed yet!
ReplyDeleteResponse to question 3: I do not think the J can curve will continue, because there has to be some sort of limiting factor for the beetles, whether it be predators, habitat space, etc.
*pesticides
DeleteI agree with Luke saying that this could grow into a big problem. I hope that they do get stopped because of the massive amount of trees that are being lost. People are saying that humans do the most amount of damage on forests, but these beetles are hurting the forests too. I know that beetles are over my backyard and they are just annoying, they are all over my neighbors dog and the dog constantly barks at them. I found an article here http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/science/18trees.html?pagewanted=all stating other reasons, like above how these beetles are not only hurting the forests, but the tourism industry. Things like ski resorts are being shut down because of the lack of trees in the forests. These beetles are effecting more than people realize and hopefully they find a limiting factor soon so this issue can be stopped.
ReplyDeleteThis is pretty instreating. I wonder though if in the past the beatles have had any limiting factors and if so, what happened to them? There must be a reason why they all of a sudden have a population boom. These beatles surely are a problem and I hope it can be solved/fixed soon. I feel bad for the trees. If the beatles use the trees to survive, then when their done with the trees (I assume thats when the tree dies) they move onto the next tree. These bugs are going to eventually clear out entire forrests!! And they could spread to other forrests as well!! Anyway this reminds me of the jappenesie beatles that we have here in horsham. If I remember correctly, their a kind of invasive speacies from Japan I assum? Im not 100% sure but theres always so many and they eat my moms rose bushes to death haha. My mom hates them and she cant really do anything to stop them becuase they lay their eggs underground and stuff.
ReplyDeleteAnswer to question 1: Global warming could be the cause or one of the contribuateing factors to why some insects experience exponentiall growth. Global warming could of caused the predators of the beatle to move to another cooler location. It all depends on where the bark beatles are located. Global warming also could have increased the amount of food that is available to the beatles. For instanice, if the plants that the beatles like to eat grow best in warm weather, then because of global warming, the plants will have a much higher population. Any of these and many other factors could help the insects grow.
Reflection: I think this is pretty amazing I mean how could a tiny beetle destroy that many acres of trees! I honestly think that this could turn out for the worst sooner or later since if this keeps on going were eventually going to run out of trees and no trees mean less oxygen. If the beetles population went down a little I think that this could be pretty helpful for the environment.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Question 1: Global Warming could help insects because if insects are adapted to warm environments and need warm environments to breed then the insects can basically breed anywhere they want. If that happens then there would be a J Curve for that species of insect.