Those of you moved by my story Heroic Wolves Save Glorious Aspens From Evil Elks about how the carnivores are the good guys will no doubt be delighted to learn that carnivore birds protect trees from evil vegetarian insects.
Chickadees, nuthatches and warblers foraging their way through forests have been shown to spur the growth of pine trees in the West by as much as one-third, according to a new University of Colorado at Boulder study.
The study showed birds removed various species of beetles, caterpillars, ants and aphids from tree branches, increasing the vigor of the trees, said study author Kailen Mooney. Mooney, who conducted the study as part of his doctoral research in CU-Boulder's ecology and evolutionary biology department, said it is the first study to demonstrate that birds can affect the growth of conifers.
"In a nutshell, the study shows that the presence of these birds in pine forests increased the growth of the trees by helping to rid them of damaging insects," said Mooney. "From the standpoint of the trees, it appears that the old adage, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend,' holds true."
A paper on the subject by Mooney was published in the August issue of Ecology, a monthly science journal. Mooney, who received his doctorate from CU-Boulder in 2004, will become a biology department faculty member at the University of California, Irvine, in fall 2007.
In the study, Mooney used mesh netting to exclude birds from ponderosa pine limbs in the U.S. Forest Service-managed Manitou Springs Experimental Forest northwest of Colorado Springs for three years. The results showed that branches on 42 trees rigged to exclude birds had 18 percent less foliage and 34 percent less wood growth by the end of the study.
Mooney collected about 150,000 insect specimens from the mountain study area, identifying more than 300 separate spider and insect species collectively known as arthropods. The trees used in the study were set up to exclude birds, ants, or both, since ants also can have significant impacts on other arthropods, he said.
Carnivorous birds and wolves toil to protect forests from their natural enemies. What great animals. Cheer them on as they kill, kill, kill!
No, I'm not talking about the people and buildings in Aspen Colorado. Aspen Colorado's roads and buildings exist instead of trees after all. I'm talking about how wolves play a more clearly beneficial role than the Smokey the Bear cartoon in allowing forests to grow. (by "more clearly" I'm referring to how the US Forest Service prevents smaller fires and therefore causes bigger fires that are far more damaging to trees)
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The wolves are back, and for the first time in more than 50 years, young aspen trees are growing again in the northern range of Yellowstone National Park.
The wolves serve as a deterrent force based on fear who protect the Aspens from the ravenous tree eaters.
The findings of a new study, just published in Biological Conservation, show that a process called “the ecology of fear” is at work, a balance has been restored to an important natural ecosystem, and aspen trees are surviving elk browsing for the first time in decades.
The research, done by forestry researchers at Oregon State University, supports theories about “trophic cascades” of ecological damage that can be caused when key predators – in this case, wolves – are removed from an ecosystem, and show that recovery is possible when the predators are returned. The results are especially encouraging for the health of America’s first national park, but may also have implications for other areas of the West and other important predators.
I'm thinking any gains the Aspen trees make in Yellowstone thanks to the wolves will be eventually swamped by the development of cellulosic technology that turns trees into edible food for ravenous SUVs, motorhomes, and other vehicles. The vehicles will eat into the tree population on a far larger scale than the elks can manage to do.After an absence of 70 years, wolves were re-introduced to Yellowstone Park in 1995, and elk populations began a steady decline, cut in half over the past decade. Also, the presence of a natural predator appears to have altered the behavior of the remaining elk, which in their fear of wolves tend to avoid browsing in certain areas where they feel most vulnerable. The two factors together have caused a significant reduction in elk browsing on young aspen shoots, allowing them to survive to heights where some are now above the animal browsing level.
So here's this relative of the dog, not as smart and as sentient as humans, who does far more for the environment than any ten thousand sentient humans. Plus, this species puts out a pretty cool night time howl that few if any humans can beat.
Evil plant eaters kill off saplings years before they have a chance to reach their full potential. Great meat-eating wolves create the ecological room that trees need to establish themselves. Morally virtuous carnivores stop the evil vegetarians from damaging the environment.
“This is really exciting, and it’s great news for Yellowstone,” said William Ripple, a professor in the OSU College of Forestry. “We’ve seen some recovery of willows and cottonwood, but this is the first time we can document significant aspen growth, a tree species in decline all over the West. We’ve waited a long time to see this, but now we’re optimistic that things may be on the right track.”
The study found significant numbers of aspen, especially in streamside “riparian” zones, that have grown from tiny shoots in the past decade to heights of more than seven feet – a key point in their long-term survival, placing their crowns above the height easily browsed by elk and other animals. Tree growth in some stands has been particularly apparent just in the past 4-5 years.
In the early 1800s, 50,000 to 100,000 grizzly bears ranged over North America west of the Mississippi River. By 1900, only small, scattered populations remained. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the grizzly as a threatened species in 1975, estimating that fewer than 1,000 bears remained in a few pockets of Yellowstone National Park and along the Canadian border.
As human populations continue to grow our ability to create suitable habitats for many big animal species will continue to dwindle.
What I also wonder: Will genetic engineering eventually lead to the emergence of highly intelligent post-human species which will rebalance the world's ecology by serving as predators of the currently reining smartest species? Will the new post-humans serve as cunning Hannibal Lecters who enjoy hunting and killing homo sapiens? After all, lions and tigers feel no remorse for their killings. Surely the development of post-humans who enjoy hunting sentient beings will become technologically feasible.