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The Mountain Pine Beetle vs an EcosystemThe lodgepole pine grows in the North American west, as far northas the Yukon. It tolerates most soil conditions; cold, wet winters;and warm, dry summers. Seed cones can withstand freezingtemperatures and most insects. The trees have fairly thin bark anda shallow root system, making them susceptible to damage by fireand insects; however, the high temperatures of fires release theseeds to quickly regenerate trees after a forest fire. During the lasthundred years, forest fires have been controlled and suppressed.The mountain pine beetle is a common parasite of thelodgepole pine. Adult beetles bore through the thin bark to lay eggsand deposit a fungus carried on their bodies. The larvae live in andfeed on the bark during the winter, as does the fungus. The barkdamage usually kills the host tree, although sustained temperaturesof -25 C during the early fall or late spring or temperatures of-40 C during winter can kill the larvae. Infestations usually last5 to 7 years and happen in 20- to 40-year cycles.The pine beetle infestation began in British Columbia in 1993,and over a decade later residents in affected areas are reporting: small mammals such as squirrels have disappearedsong birds have left the areatrap lines are increasingly empty cougars are coming to settled areas and preying on family pets devil's club, a plant used for Aboriginal medicine, is increasinglyhard to findAnalysis1. What biotic and abiotic components of the environmentaffect the life cycle of the lodgepole pine? What biotic andabiotic components of the environment affect the life cycleof the mountain pine beetle?2. Can you suggest reasons why the current mountain pinebeetle infestation has lasted longer than the usual 5 to 7 years?3. What can you infer from the local reports about the impactof the loss of the trees on other organisms?Extension4. Choose one of the following roles and write or present a shortparagraph on how the pine beetle infestation affects you as:a) a local elderb) a loggerc) a planner for the department of forestsd) a wilderness tour operator

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