Mountain Pine BeetleMountain Pine BeetleDendroctonus ponderosaeDendroctonus ponderosae

Background Information on the Mountain Pine Beetle

• Species of bark beetle

• Native to forests on the west coast of North America from Mexico to central British Columbia

• About 5 millimetres long

• Black, plain colouring

The Problem

• Infests most pines including the Ponderosa, Limber, Scots and Lodgepole

• Attacks trees under stress• Symbiotic relationship with

blue-stained fungus - prevents tree from defending itself

• Two reasons the population is exploding: 1] Warmer winter temperatures 2] Better forest fire control

How?

• Female beetle licks trees until it finds one old enough

• Releases pheromones to call male beetles to the site

• Trees release toxic resin• Blue-stained fungus stops

spread of resin• Phloem layer of tree

damaged enough to cut off flow of water and nutrients

• Tree starves to death in about two weeks

Because the tree does not get its

water or nutrients, the

needles turn red.

This makes it very easy to tell which areas have been effected by the beetles, especially with an

aerial view.

The Threat

• East over the Rocky Mountains, into Alberta

• Further north• Boreal forest –

accounts for about one third of the world’s woodland

• Across the nation

The Solution

• Controlled forest fires• More logging• Burning dead trees

Other Possibilities• Fake pheromones

• Breaks in trees

• Anti-fungal

• Natural Predators

• Vary the species

MAPS

Mountain Pine Beetle Mountain Pine Beetle Simulation GameSimulation Game

(Woohoo)

Trial #1

• Second person in each row rolls a die• 1, 2 pass to your right• 3, 4 keep it• 5, 6 pass to your left

Trial #2

• Second person in each row rolls a die

• 1, 2, 3 pass to your right

• 4, 5 keep it

• 6 pass to your left

Trial #3

• Second person in each row rolls a die• 1, 2, 3 pass to your right• 4, 5 keep it• 6 pass to your left

• Fourth person in each row has a second die. If they get the first die and roll a1, 2, or 3, they roll the second die. If that die is a 6, they pass it on. If it’s not, they keep it.

Trial #4

• Same thing as #3, but this time at the end, each row that has their die at the last person gets candy!