Sudden Aspen Decline

[j_b]

Global warming blamed for aspen die-off across the West

 

By Nicholas Riccardi

 

Reporting from Paonia, Colo. - From the hillsides of extinct volcanoes in Arizona to the jagged peaks of Idaho, aspen trees are falling by the tens of thousands, the latest example of how climate change is dramatically altering the American West.

 

Starting seven years ago, foresters noticed massive aspen die-offs caused by parasitical insects, one of them so rare it is hardly even written about in scientific literature. But with warming temperatures and the effects of a brutal drought still lingering, the parasites are flourishing at the expense of the tree, beloved for its slender branches and heart-shaped leaves that turn a brilliant yellow in autumn.

 

What foresters have termed Sudden Aspen Decline affects more than just aesthetics. Aspen trees provide a rich habitat for birds, elk, deer and other animals. The grasses that sprout under them -- up to 2,000 pounds per acre -- hold water that is needed by metropolitan areas. The trees do not burn easily and create natural firebreaks in forests already ravaged by the pine bark beetle -- another parasite that is thriving because of global warming.

 

"It's just rolling through the forests," Wayne Shepperd, an aspen specialist at Colorado State University, said of SAD.

 

Noting the number of other changes to Western vegetation due to warmer, drier temperatures, he added: "Everything's happening all at once. We're living in interesting times here."

 

The decline of the tree is most visible in Colorado, which has seen nearly 500,000 acres afflicted by SAD -- nearly a fifth of its aspen groves.

 

Hillsides that used to draw tourists in the fall to gaze at the flickering aspen leaves are now populated only by the trees' pale skeletons.

 

Remote Paonia sits in the midst of the state's aspen belt, with the lush, heavily forested West Elk Mountains to the east and the enormous plateau known as Grand Mesa due west.

 

But the flaming yellows that normally paint these landmasses have been replaced this year by the gray of bare branches.

 

Neal Schwieterman, Paonia's mayor, said people have been abuzz over conditions in Kebler Pass, home to the biggest stand of aspens in the state.

 

"Only the lower levels had any aspen changing," he said. "There was nothing to look at high. . . . This is the least color year I can remember."

 

The most vulnerable trees grow on sunny, south-facing lower elevations, where warmer temperatures wear down the trees' resistance to pests. And though the largest number of deaths is in Colorado -- which has the most aspens -- the effect can be even more severe in places like Nevada, Arizona or California that have small bands of aspen.

 

Even before aspen trees began their abrupt die-off, the tree was under duress in the West.

 

Scientists estimate that the trees covered 10 million acres in the 19th century; now the number is 4 million.

 

That's mainly because humans have been so successful at preventing wildfires. Regular blazes would have knocked down old aspen trunks -- freeing up new stems to emerge from the roots, where aspens regenerate. The lack of fires has also led to a sharp rise in big conifers, which crowd out aspens.

 

Finally, animal grazing has killed some of the younger aspens trying to survive.

 

Dale Bartos, a Utah-based scientist with the federal Rocky Mountain Research Station, described the one stand in Lassen National Forest in Northern California, where fencing protects nine tiny aspen bulbs from foraging animals.

 

"We're seeing these really extreme situations, where that's all that's left," he said.

 

Now SAD is accelerating that loss.

 

The syndrome was discovered in Colorado when rangers in two national forests in the southwestern corner of the state noticed disturbing die-offs in formerly lush stands.

 

Researchers concluded that warmer temperatures stressed trees, especially older ones that hadn't been swept away by fire. They identified four parasites and one wasting disease that are now flourishing in the stands.

 

One of the parasites, the aspen bark beetle, is so rare that it had only been mentioned once before in an academic paper, scientists say.

 

"If the aspen were vigorous, these things would just be taking a minor role," said Jim Worrall, a plant pathologist for the U.S. Forest Service.

 

The Terror Creek drainage west of Paonia, one area where SAD was first identified, remains the focus of an intensive research project on whether the syndrome can be halted. Researchers are testing whether cutting down older aspen trees in affected areas can combat the syndrome.

 

The remaining, younger shoots are less susceptible to SAD.

 

Shepperd has worked on the project and has been discouraged by the results so far. In stands with little SAD, the cutting approach -- which he likens to amputation -- has shown some success. But the syndrome and its accompanying parasites and disease have moved so fast that stands that once had low levels of exposure are now almost entirely affected.

 

"We looked at the data and said, 'Oh my God,' " Shepperd said.

 

On a recent autumn afternoon, Levi Broyles, the forest ranger who oversees the Terror Creek area, drove up a rutted dirt road through the drainage, revealing stunning views of the western slope of the Rocky Mountains.

 

In the foreground, however, were acres of denuded aspens. Broyles, a laconic native Westerner, gestured at the dead forest. "Because of all the development down in the valley, this is the winter range" for elk and deer, he said.

 

Left unsaid: The once-shady ground under the dead and dying aspen would dry out in the sun, and the vegetation that would replace the lush grasses could be inedible to some animals.

 

They would have to look for their sustenance elsewhere, or starve.

 

He stopped at one stand of trees hit moderately by SAD -- 20% to 60% of the aspens were infected.

 

He pointed to a saplike substance oozing from the bark of one tree, a sign of a borer eating away at it from inside.

 

Another tree's bark was peeling, a sign of the disease Ceratocystis canker.

 

Sudden Aspen Decline

 

[olyclimber]

well its the tree's fault for not evolving quickly enough

[G-spotter]

Sounds like they got their aspen kicked

[prole]

 

C-YA!

Great dynamic we got going here!

 

July 20, 2006

Earth faces 'catastrophic loss of species'

By Steve Connor, Science Editor

 

Life on earth is facing a major crisis with thousands of species threatened with imminent extinction - a global emergency demanding urgent action. This is the view of 19 of the world's most eminent biodiversity specialists, who have called on governments to establish a political framework to save the planet.

 

The planet is losing species faster than at any time since 65 million years ago, when the earth was hit by an enormous asteroid that wiped out thousands of animals and plants, including the dinosaurs. Scientists estimate that the current rate at which species are becoming extinct is between 100 and 1,000 times greater than the normal "background" extinction rate - and say this is all due to human activity.

 

The call for action comes from some of the most distinguished scientists in the field, such as Georgina Mace of the UK Institute of Zoology; Peter Raven, the head of the Missouri Botanical Garden in St Louis, and Robert Watson, chief scientist at the World Bank. "For the sake of the planet, the biodiversity science community had to create a way to get organised, to co-ordinate its work across disciplines and together, with one clear voice, advise governments on steps to halt the potentially catastrophic loss of species already occurring," Dr Watson said.

 

In a joint declaration, published today in Nature, the scientists say that the earth is on the verge of a biodiversity catastrophe and that only a global political initiative stands a chance of stemming the loss. They say: "There is growing recognition that the diversity of life on earth, including the variety of genes, species and ecosystems, is an irreplaceable natural heritage crucial to human well-being and sustainable development. There is also clear scientific evidence that we are on the verge of a major biodiversity crisis. Virtually all aspects of biodiversity are in steep decline and a large number of populations and species are likely to become extinct this century.

 

"Despite this evidence, biodiversity is still consistently undervalued and given inadequate weight in both private and public decisions. There is an urgent need to bridge the gap between science and policy by creating an international body of biodiversity experts," they say.

 

More than a decade ago, Edward O Wilson, the Harvard naturalist, first estimated that about 30,000 species were going extinct each year - an extinction rate of about three an hour. Further research has confirmed that just about every group of animals and plants - from mosses and ferns to palm trees, frogs, and monkeys - is experiencing an unprecedented loss of diversity.

 

Scientists estimate that 12 per cent of all birds, 23 per cent of mammals, a quarter of conifers, a third of amphibians and more than half of all palm trees are threatened with imminent extinction. Climate change alone could lead to the further extinction of between 15 and 37 per cent of all species by the end of the century, the scientists say: "Because biodiversity loss is essentially irreversible, it poses serious threats to sustainable development and the quality of life of future generations."

 

There have been five previous mass extinctions in the 3.5 billion-year history of life on earth. All are believed to have been caused by major geophysical events that halted photosynthesis, such as an asteroid collision or the mass eruption of supervolcanoes. The present "sixth wave" of extinction began with the migration of modern humans out of Africa about 100,000 years ago. It accelerated with the invention of agriculture 10,000 years ago and began to worsen with the development of industry in the 18th century.

 

Anne Larigauderie, executive director of Diversitas, a Paris-based conservation group, said that the situation was now so grave that an international body with direct links with global leaders was essential. "The point is to establish an international mechanism that will provide regular and independent scientific advice on biodiversity," Dr Larigauderie said. "We know that extinction is a natural phenomenon but the rate of extinction is now between 100 and 1,000 times higher than the background rate. It is an unprecedented loss."

 

The scientists believe that a body similar to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change could help governments to tackle the continuing loss of species. "Biodiversity is much more than counting species. It's crucial to the functioning of the planet and the loss of species is extremely serious," Dr Larigauderie said. "Everywhere we look, we are losing the fabric of life. It's a major crisis."

 

Species under threat

 

Land mammals

 

The first comprehensive inventory of land mammals in 1996 found a quarter, including the Iberian lynx were in danger of extinction. The situation has worsened since.

 

Reptiles & amphibians

 

The Chinese alligator is the most endangered crocodilian - a survey in 1999 found just 150. Frogs, toads, newts and salamanders are the most threatened land vertebrates.

 

Birds

 

One in five species are believed to be in danger of extinction; that amounts to about 2,000 of the 9,775 named species. Most are at risk from logging, intensive agriculture, trapping and habitat encroachment. Many experts believe the Philippine eagle and wandering albatross could become extinct this century.

 

Marine life

 

The oceans were thought to be immune from the activities of man on land, but this is no longer true. Pollution, overfishing, loss of marine habitats and global warming have a dramatic impact on biological diversity. More than 100 species of fish, including the basking shark are on the red list of threatened species.

 

Plants

 

Many plants have yet to be formally described, classified and named - and some are being lost before they have been discovered by scientists. Plants of every type are being lost.

 

Insects & invertebrates

 

Many insects are wiped out by pesticide-reliant intensive agriculture. Others, such as the partula tree snails of Tahiti are menaced by invasive species.

[j_b]

It is testimony to the power of propaganda that we have been aware of these trends for 40 years now and nothing has been done to address environmental constraints. At least, this year the Nobel committee rewarded an economist working on sustainable public management of the commons instead of one trying to privatize it like it did for years. We'll see if it is a sign that the limits to "growth" is finally entering public consciousness but I am not holding my breath.

[AlpineK]

Living and working with trees in Boulder in the early 90s you could see how temperature changes influenced them.

 

Folks would plant aspen around their houses in the flatlands of Boulder. I'd here them say, "aspens are native to Colorado. Why are mine dying?" I'd have to explain that while they are a native tree they are accustomed to mountain climates and respond poorly to the higher temperatures of the flatlands east of the mountains. If average temperatures in the mountains go up then those aspen meet the same fate.

 

A lot of white bark pines in this area naturally grow in the mountains around here. There is a trend of decline due to temperatures. The wb pines have been growing higher and higher on the mountains recently and dying off at lower altitudes. Once they reach the summit though they get pushed off the top.

[Lars]

Scientists estimate that the trees covered 10 million acres in the 19th century; now the number is 4 million.

 

That's mainly because humans have been so successful at preventing wildfires. Regular blazes would have knocked down old aspen trunks -- freeing up new stems to emerge from the roots, where aspens regenerate. The lack of fires has also led to a sharp rise in big conifers, which crowd out aspens.

 

So they present the scientific facts on why aspens are declining in number, but still blame it on global warming???

 

Never underestimate the emotional idealism of a liberal journalist.

[tvashtarkatena]

The article cites three reasons: wildfire management, grazing, and climate induced heat stress and the resultant susceptibility to parasites/pathogens, as reasons for the decline, most particularly the latter for the most recent, sudden die off...

 

...two more ideas than you can apparently hold in your head at one time.

Edited October 25, 2009 by tvashtarkatena

[tvashtarkatena]

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvTDi59y91E

[olyclimber]

duh. voted for that dude the last prez election.

[tvashtarkatena]

So did Ivan, apparently.

[AlpineK]

A new study led by the U.S. Geological Survey and involving the University of Colorado at Boulder indicates tree deaths in the West's old-growth forests have more than doubled in recent decades, likely from regional warming and related drought conditions.

 

The study, published in the Jan. 23 issue of Science, documented tree deaths in all tree sizes in the West located at varying elevations, including tree types such as pine, fir and hemlock. Significant die-offs also were documented in the interior West -- including Colorado and Arizona -- as well as Northwest regions like northern California, Oregon, Washington and southern British Columbia.

 

 

Source

 

So the USGS is part of the liberal media?

 

Aspen Death

 

Apparently the USDA, USFS, Colorado State University, and the Colorado State Forest Service are part of the liberal media too.

 

 

 

Even George Bushes staff were part of the liberal media. Of course they weren't addressing aspen trees.

 

Bush Era Documents

 

Reporting from Washington - The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday released a long-suppressed report by George W. Bush administration officials who had concluded -- based on science -- that the government should begin regulating greenhouse gas emissions because global warming posed serious risks to the country.

 

The report, known as an "endangerment finding," was done in 2007. The Bush White House refused to make it public because it opposed new government efforts to regulate the gases most scientists see as the major cause of global warming.

 

The existence of the finding -- and the refusal of the Bush administration to make it public -- were already known. But no copy of the document had been released until Tuesday.

 

The document "demonstrates that in 2007 the science was as clear as it is today," said Adora Andy, EPA spokeswoman. "The conclusions reached then by EPA scientists should have been made public and should have been considered."

 

The Bush administration EPA draft was released in response to a public records request under the Freedom of Information Act by the environmental trade publication Greenwire.

[ivan]

So did Ivan, apparently.

actually i really can't remember who i voted for - i woke up that morning after with an intense memory of haziness, a wooden dildo, coated in maple syrup in one hand, a rolled up copy of forbes, soaked in a substance suspiciously smelling like nouc nam in 'tother - my ballot was gone, plus a whole book of stamps and the better part of a costco jar of peanut butter - what i memory i do wish i could stamp out was the incessant shrieking of my half-irish/half-italian mother-in-law, undiminished after by then near a full 24 hrs of bourbon-pounding

[olyclimber]

you have been eaten by a grue

[ivan]

you have been eaten by a grue

that and "diego luna" have been my top 2 google searches for the evenign

[olyclimber]

[video:youtube]YwKf_C3tB_s

[olyclimber]

[video:youtube]3WEoP2c74ro

[billcoe]

So did Ivan, apparently.

actually i really can't remember who i voted for - i woke up that morning after with an intense memory of haziness, a wooden dildo, coated in maple syrup in one hand, a rolled up copy of forbes, soaked in a substance suspiciously smelling like nouc nam in 'tother - my ballot was gone, plus a whole book of stamps and the better part of a costco jar of peanut butter - what i memory i do wish i could stamp out was the incessant shrieking of my half-irish/half-italian mother-in-law, undiminished after by then near a full 24 hrs of bourbon-pounding

 

LOL! Who says Hunter Thomson died?! Thanks Ivan.

________________________________________________________

 

JB, appreciate the articles as sad as it is for I use to live in Paonia. One of the more amazing places on the planet for sure. One more thing to add to the list and of interest to this story is that scientists have recently discovered that having wolf herds helps the Aspen as well in that they keep the Elk from congregating and staying in Aspen stands. They were seeing some die outs in areas reversed after they'd reintroduced wolves. The wolves constant prowling helps keep the herds on the move, and not trampling and eating the shoots. I'd attach a link, but I heard this directly from a Fish and Wildlife scientist. See there Lars, and you thought all they did was kill sheep.