What species of beetle does the most impact to Engelmann Spruce trees in

Southwest Colorado?
Abby Allsopp, Megan Salazar, Sadie Vance, Soma Smith
The Health of Colorados Forests claims that up to 90% of Engelmann spruce have
fallen to the Dendroctonus rufipennis (Spruce Beetle) in the subalpine ecosystem. We studied the
Subalpine Ecosystem which ranges from nine-thousand to eleven-thousand feet. The non living
organisms aka the abiotic factors of this ecosystem include water, sunlight, oxygen, soil and
temperature. The living organisms aka the biotic factors in this ecosystem that are relevant to
our study consists of Engelmann Spruce trees, and bark beetles.
The Engelmann spruce is the most widespread spruce tree in America, and is one of the
important forest trees of the southern Rocky Mountain forest ecosystems. Engelmann spruce
grows in areas of considerable moisture, usually above 8400 feet. The Engelmann Spruce grows
straight, tall, and becomes shorter nearer the treeline until conditions are too challenging for tree
growth. These trees are falling to several species of bark beetles in the Subalpine ecosystem
including; Engelmann Spruce, Subalpine Fir, Lodgepole Pine, Ponderosa Pine, Limber Pine,
Colorado Blue Spruce and Woodboring Beetle. It is possible that thousands of trees will be dead
from bark beetles. Looking into Engelmann Spruce trees and the type of ecosystem they live in,
which is the Subalpine ecosystem, we wondered what type of beetle causes the most damage.
Figure

#1

Figure #1 is a graph of Mountain Pine Beetles and Spruce Beetles infesting thousands of
acres on Engelmann Spruce over the years from 1996-2015. From 1996-2011 the Mountain Pine
Beetle has infested six million four hundred thirty-five more acres than the Spruce Beetle, but in
2011, there was a six hundred thousand decrease for the Mountain Pine Beetle. In 2011-2015 the

Spruce Beetle takes over one million and twenty-three thousand acres more than the Mountain
Pine Beetle.
Other possible solutions of types of beetles that infest Engelmann Spruce trees the most,
are Spruce Beetles, Wood Borers Beetles, Engraver Beetles, and Mountain Pine Beetles. Yet,
Spruce beetles are responsible for the death of more spruce trees in North America than any
natural agent although when the tree is endemic, they like to infest the downed trees that are
larger, tall trees that are about 16 inches in diameter. Even though spruce beetles live up to one
to three years, it still causes a lot of damage to the englemann spruce trees more than any other
species of beetle.
The density of the forests in Southwest Colorado makes it a perfect breeding ground for
beetle kill. There are a few possible solutions to beetle kill, such as a new organic technology
to reintroduce beneficial microorganisms to the trees and soil says organicsecare.org. A plan to
solve this is by implementing these organic microorganisms that are designed to help ward off
beetles from inside of trees, without harming the tree itself.
A beetle infestation begins when a female spruce beetle finds a weak tree and signals for
more beetles to attack. The insects chew through the bark and then enter a layer of the tree
where they lay eggs in a network of tunnels. The eggs hatch, the beetles grow up and fly away.
Before leaving, the mature beetles spread a special fungus in the center of the tree that ultimately
kills it.
Although this Take Action is a diverse project as the sake of coming up with ways to
prevent beetle infestation and beetle kill is out of reach, mainly because of the dry climate, there
is not much things that can be done to solve this problem. Although, there are some things to do
to help prevent it. In the battle between trees and the beetles that kill the trees, there are two
fundamental collaborating factors, which are tree endurance and beetle numbers. When beetle
populations are low, healthy trees often produce enough resinous pitch to drown and flush out the
beetles that attempt to enter, but it becomes difficult when the trees get stressed to produce
enough resin to defend themselves against the beetles. Some things you can do if the trees are at
risk of being infected or killed by beetles is to first identify the tree. It is a good thing to identify
properly what tree it is you are looking at and if it is vulnerable to be potentially attacked by
beetles. The next step is to regulate the trees vulnerability. Englemann Spruce trees is the
preferred host tree of the spruce beetle. When the englemann tree is over 16 inches in diameter,
that is when they are the most vulnerable of being attacked. The third step is to determine
whether or not the trees have already been attacked. Evidence of the tree being attacked is boring
dust, crevices in or around the base, or holes in the tree. In addition to looking for evidence, the
next step is finding out how to treat the attacked trees. We should cut down the tree that is
infested or burn all the material.

In conclusion, the Spruce Beetle does the most impact to Englemann Spruce trees. To
prevent Beetle attacks, first remove all infested trees as it will eliminate all opponents to beetles
spreading to the rest of the population. We should always clean up recently wiped out trees or
make a slash of at least four inches in diameter. Next, prevent tree damage such as breaking off
bark or compacting soil as the beetles are more attracted to damaged trees.

Works Cited:
United States. National Park Service. "Subalpine Ecosystem." National Parks Service. U.S. Department
of the Interior, n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2016.

Minard, By Anne. "Four Corners Free Press Official Website." Four Corners Free Press Official Website.
N.p., Dec. 2011. Web. 04 Nov. 2016.
"Spruce Beetle Menace." The Science News-Letter 62.10 (1952): 151. Web.
"Spruce Beetle - Colorado State Forest Service." Colorado State Forest Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov.
2016.