If a tree falls in a forest, so does every species that depends on it
Throughout the western United States, whitebark pine trees are dying. And as the tree goes, so does the foundation for its entire ecosystem.
The NRDC this week filed a petition to list the whitebark pine as an endangered species. If the petition is accepted, the whitebark will become the first wide-ranging tree species to gain protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Whitebark pines face two dire threats. For more than a century, the trees have been plagued by a European fungus called blister rust, which can now be found throughout the whitebark's range. More recently, devastating mountain pine beetles have eaten their way through huge swaths of trees, killing them by the thousands.
The beetles gained a foothold in the mountains that house the whitebark over the last few years, as temperatures slowly rose above the point that normally would have killed the insects off. As Sylvia Fallon of the NRDC points out, "This means that while mountain pine beetles are a native insect, they act as an invasive species as they exploit whitebark pine as a new host that lacks the defenses to fight off the beetle attacks."
The impact of the dying trees may soon be felt throughout their ecosystem. Many species -- including grizzly bears -- enjoy whitebark pine nuts as a prime component of their diet. In the grizzlies' case, squirrels bury the nuts, which are then dug up by bears. The high fat content of the nuts helps female grizzlies to produce more cubs, and according to a report in NRDC's OnEarth magazine, "researchers have found that three times as many grizzlies die in bad whitebark pine years as in good ones."
So what would listing the whitebark pine under the Endangered Species Act do to help the species? Andrew Wetzler writes, "First, it will force the U.S. Forest Service, and other federal agencies, to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding their fire management practices. Second, it will trigger the requirement that essential whitebark pine habitat be given special protections. Finally, it will force the federal government to prepare a recovery plan for whitebark pine."
Wetzler also points out that "the most important thing we can do for the tree is to get a grip on global warming pollution." Controlling climate change will lower temperatures in the whitebark's range, which will protect it from the mountain pine beetle, and strengthen the entire ecosystem. ESA protection probably won't help in that case, since Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne has made it clear that the ESA can't be used to mitigate global warming (at least, not under the Bush Administration), but who knows in any case, let's hope action is taken soon -- before it's too late.
The NRDC this week filed a petition to list the whitebark pine as an endangered species. If the petition is accepted, the whitebark will become the first wide-ranging tree species to gain protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Whitebark pines face two dire threats. For more than a century, the trees have been plagued by a European fungus called blister rust, which can now be found throughout the whitebark's range. More recently, devastating mountain pine beetles have eaten their way through huge swaths of trees, killing them by the thousands.
The beetles gained a foothold in the mountains that house the whitebark over the last few years, as temperatures slowly rose above the point that normally would have killed the insects off. As Sylvia Fallon of the NRDC points out, "This means that while mountain pine beetles are a native insect, they act as an invasive species as they exploit whitebark pine as a new host that lacks the defenses to fight off the beetle attacks."
The impact of the dying trees may soon be felt throughout their ecosystem. Many species -- including grizzly bears -- enjoy whitebark pine nuts as a prime component of their diet. In the grizzlies' case, squirrels bury the nuts, which are then dug up by bears. The high fat content of the nuts helps female grizzlies to produce more cubs, and according to a report in NRDC's OnEarth magazine, "researchers have found that three times as many grizzlies die in bad whitebark pine years as in good ones."
So what would listing the whitebark pine under the Endangered Species Act do to help the species? Andrew Wetzler writes, "First, it will force the U.S. Forest Service, and other federal agencies, to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding their fire management practices. Second, it will trigger the requirement that essential whitebark pine habitat be given special protections. Finally, it will force the federal government to prepare a recovery plan for whitebark pine."
Wetzler also points out that "the most important thing we can do for the tree is to get a grip on global warming pollution." Controlling climate change will lower temperatures in the whitebark's range, which will protect it from the mountain pine beetle, and strengthen the entire ecosystem. ESA protection probably won't help in that case, since Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne has made it clear that the ESA can't be used to mitigate global warming (at least, not under the Bush Administration), but who knows in any case, let's hope action is taken soon -- before it's too late.
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