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Southern Pine Beetle Ravages Pines,

Threatens Red Cockaded Woodpecker

continued from the endangered species subgroup page

Subsequent mild winters in 1999 and 2000 set the stage for a severe outbreak of the southern pine beetle that is currently threatening to eliminate a federally listed species from the state.

The majority of trees damaged in the storm and tornado were pines, principally Virginia pine and shortleaf pine, two of the species which are susceptible to infestation by southern pine beetles. The adult beetles, each about half the size of a grain of rice, bore into the bark and create tunnels, or "galleries" for laying their eggs. These galleries are located in the living tissue of the tree trunk under the bark. When the larvae develop into adults, they emerge from the tree by boring out through the bark and fly to another tree. As a beetle bores into the bark of a pine tree, it releases a chemical that attracts other pine beetles to the tree. The tree eventually dies as hundreds or thousands of pine beetles bore into and destroy the living tissue in the tree trunk

Photo by Jay Snyder
Texas Agriculture Extension Service

Pine stands on the Daniel Boone National Forest also provide important roosting and foraging habitat for the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. An adult male establishes a colony site, or cluster, in a mature pine stand (60 to 120 years old, or older) and excavates cavities in living trees (most woodpeckers inhabit dead trees). The male then attempts to attract a female to the cluster site. When the young birds fledge, one or two of the young males remain to help raise future broods. The birds also forage in pines, feeding on insects, including pine beetles. In areas dominated by pines, each red-cockaded woodpecker cluster site consists of 125-250 acres of roosting and foraging habitat. In southeastern Kentucky, pine stands generally contain large proportions of hardwoods interspersed with pines, thus larger acreages may be needed to support a cluster.

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The U.S. Forest Service

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The Daniel Boone National Forest lies on the northern edge of the range of the red-cockaded woodpecker and recently supported only a small population. In 1999, there were nine active clusters supporting approximately 14 birds. The population had dwindled to two birds, but Forest personnel were conducting an active recovery effort. Birds were transported from larger populations in the Carolinas in an attempt to establish breeding pairs. Management efforts were also being conducted on approximately 60,000 acres on the southern districts to restore and maintain suitable pine habitat for nesting and feeding.

Biologists monitoring the active cluster sites discovered the pine beetle outbreak in January 2000. At that time, two of the cluster sites were infested, including several cavity trees. Inspection of the sites in February revealed that traditional control methods would require removal of significant amounts of suitable habitat so it was decided that limited treatment, consisting of removal of only actively infested trees, would be conducted. This "surgical" treatment would be applied only to the active cluster sites containing infested trees.

In June, it was reported that the pine beetles had re-infested the active cluster sites that were treated, and that the infestation had spread. The two clusters found to be infested in January had been completely destroyed (all pines were dead or infested and likely to die), and several additional cluster sites were infested. By September, the beetles had infested numerous areas over approximately 3,000 acres, and Forest personnel began to make plans to remove the birds from infested areas to a "sanctuary" which had not been infested. Additionally, several active cluster sites had not been infested. By October, it was reported that the remaining active cluster sites were infested and that several areas in the proposed sanctuary were also infested.

Currently, the situation looks rather grim for the red-cockaded woodpecker on the Daniel Boone National Forest. Even if the birds are moved to a "safe" area, control of the pine beetle outbreak will result in loss of significant amounts of pine habitat, including habitat that was restored after much effort. Restoration of suitable habitat will take years, thus setting back recovery efforts for this species in southeastern Kentucky.

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