The Eastern Spruce Budworm, an invasive species, is a parasite that feeds off certain trees. Most commomly, balsam fir and white spruTh eyce. Severe persistent infestation of white spruce can cause branch and top mortality after three to four years and later complete mortality after five to six years. Balsam firs will die after three years, as it has less foliage than white spruce. Its predators include birds, spiders and parastites. Eastern spruce budworms lay twenty to forty light green eggs. The eggs mature into caterpillars and then an adult with wings. Its wingspan is twenty one to thirty millilitres. They are grey brown in colour and have silver-white patches. It has one generation per year.
Natural Environment
Eastern spruce budworms originally came from and is found throughout Alberta. Major outbreaks generally occurred in the boreal forests in Northern Alberta.
How It Got Introduced In Our Ecosystems
The Eastern spruce budworm got introduced in our ecosystems through the first outbreak in Maine in 1807, followed by another outbreak in 1878. Since 1909 there have been outbreaks throughout the Eastern United States and Canada. They resulted in loss of millions of cords of spruce and fir. In Canada, the major outbreaks occured from 1910-20, 1940-50 and 1970-80.
Effects This Invader Had On Its New Ecosystem
This species affected the balsam fir and white spruce trees, by causing them damage and or mortality. Every thirty to forty years a major outbreak of this species occurs and can cause a great decrease in tree population in a forest.
Lessons Learned
From this we learned that it can be very damaging to an ecosystem when invasive species enter. They can cause species populations to decrease which can affect both other organisms and humans. For example with the decline of trees theres less wood for humans and less carbon dioxide being transformed into oxygen.
What You As An Individual Can Do To Help Slow Its Invasion
When trees that have been affected by the Eastern Spruce Budworm are discovered, registered insecticides can be applied to save the tree. What we can do is not kill birds and spiders in forests, or be aware of how this species look like to inform someone of trees infected with it.
B3.5 Identify various factors related to human activity that have impacted on ecosystems (the introduction of invasive species) and explain how these factors affect the equilibrium in an ecosystem.
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Eastern Spruce BudwormCharacteristics
The Eastern Spruce Budworm, an invasive species, is a parasite that feeds off certain trees. Most commomly, balsam fir and white spruTh eyce. Severe persistent infestation of white spruce can cause branch and top mortality after three to four years and later complete mortality after five to six years. Balsam firs will die after three years, as it has less foliage than white spruce. Its predators include birds, spiders and parastites. Eastern spruce budworms lay twenty to forty light green eggs. The eggs mature into caterpillars and then an adult with wings. Its wingspan is twenty one to thirty millilitres. They are grey brown in colour and have silver-white patches. It has one generation per year.
Natural Environment
Eastern spruce budworms originally came from and is found throughout Alberta. Major outbreaks generally occurred in the boreal forests in Northern Alberta.
How It Got Introduced In Our Ecosystems
The Eastern spruce budworm got introduced in our ecosystems through the first outbreak in Maine in 1807, followed by another outbreak in 1878. Since 1909 there have been outbreaks throughout the Eastern United States and Canada. They resulted in loss of millions of cords of spruce and fir. In Canada, the major outbreaks occured from 1910-20, 1940-50 and 1970-80.
Effects This Invader Had On Its New Ecosystem
This species affected the balsam fir and white spruce trees, by causing them damage and or mortality. Every thirty to forty years a major outbreak of this species occurs and can cause a great decrease in tree population in a forest.
Lessons Learned
From this we learned that it can be very damaging to an ecosystem when invasive species enter. They can cause species populations to decrease which can affect both other organisms and humans. For example with the decline of trees theres less wood for humans and less carbon dioxide being transformed into oxygen.
What You As An Individual Can Do To Help Slow Its Invasion
When trees that have been affected by the Eastern Spruce Budworm are discovered, registered insecticides can be applied to save the tree. What we can do is not kill birds and spiders in forests, or be aware of how this species look like to inform someone of trees infected with it.
The Eastern Spruce Budworm as a Caterpillar
The Eastern Spruce Budworm as an Adult
Here is a video with more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xA-qNAVr2E
Work Cited
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/insects-diseases/13383
http://tidcf.nrcan.gc.ca/insects/factsheet/12018
http://www.environment.gov.sk.ca/adx/aspx/adxgetmedia.aspx?
B3.5 Identify various factors related to human activity that have impacted on ecosystems (the introduction of invasive species) and explain how these factors affect the equilibrium in an ecosystem.
Answers to questions on topic.
Choses relevant and interesting pictures, videos, and links.
Spelling, grammar, neatness and organization.
Apply functions and capabilities of Wiki to page.
.