Program ID: Innovation Anthology #35
Program Date: 05/29/2007
Program Category: Environment, Forests, Natural Sciences, Wildlife
Beetles Love Burnt Forests
Beetles chewing on old wood might seem like a bad thing. But in the forest, this is one of the first steps in forest renewal.
Known as saproxylic or wood living beetles, these insects are attracted to dead and dying trees, particularly those killed by fire. The beetles feed on fungus involved in the decomposition of trees, thereby cycling nutrients back into the forest soil.
But logging and the salvage of burnt trees after a forest fire may interfere with this natural process.
That’s a question ecologist Joshua Jacobs studied near Peace River, Alberta for EMEND - a long term research program assessing Ecosystem Management Emulating Natural Disturbance.
JOSH JACOBS: One of the biggest things that impacts these beetles is during forest harvest, we remove a great deal of the wood from the landscape which depletes the amount of coarse woody material these beetles have to feed on on the ground. We also lose the fungus that’s decomposing that as well as the beetles that are aiding in the physical and chemical decomposition of those trees.
European studies indicate logging does reduce the diversity of saproxylic beetles. Scientists hope to develop better logging practices to avoid the same problem in Canada.
Thanks today to the Sustainable Forest Management Network.
FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY, I’M CHERYL CROUCHER
