Letter to the Editor
Dying willows?
Published Monday, July 21, 2008
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To the editor:
I have noticed that there are a lot of willows that appear to be dying with brown leaves. It appears that a different insect has invaded the interior this year. Wonder how it will affect the critters that browse on them in the winter.
Gotta love Mother Nature, she is always doing something different.
Community Discussion
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Noticed that too, must be from global warming. That is probably also the reason we are having this very cool summer.
Wow, it only took one person to lay down a snarky anti-global warming comment, congrats.
Back on topic, it's interesting to note the different bug species that cycle one year, and are not too apparent the next. The beetle this year comes to mind, and the wasps (I think it was wasps) and the silk worms a year or two ago.
You forgot about the worms that head to Juneau each year.
The Forestry Department can help you identify what is killing the willows.
Forgot, check NOAA weather forecast, they are saying the Tanana Valley could drop to 35 degrees tonight.
All of the deciduous species (aspen, birch, willow, and alder) as well as the coniferous (white and black spruce) are under a lot of stress because of pests. Yes, it is likely due to global warming. The University of Alaska Fairbanks has been conducting a study on the alder and finding that there are a bunch of different things killing them. I don't know whats going on with the willow but it will certainly affect those species that depend on willow for food - moose. People will be clamoring for wolf control all over Alaska once moose populations across the entire state start declining, but it won't help unless you find a way to feed the moose. Global change naysayers can live in denial but that won't stop global warming from significantly impacting their lives.
Is this Gods way of giving us firewood for the winter and no one can complain about it? Go God!
It looks like a rust to me, it has been pretty wet this year
akjak, I know moose love to chow down on willows, but don't they also eat a wide range of other things, too?
Preston, willow is one of the easier food sources for moose to get to during the winter. This is why there are so many of them down near the road-they're mowing down on the willows and other shrubs that get exposed when the road is graded or by brush-cutters. Also, because of the way a willow thicket grows, less snow can accumulate around the base of the shrubs, making it easier for moose to stomp through and eat 'em. Moose like 'em because they stay green and tasty under the snow all winter and have lots of branches and shoots that are lower to the ground. It might therefore be a problem for the moose this year, if whatever bug it is kills off a bunch of willows.
The willows on my property are not the only trees distressed this summer. The birch trees are also having problems. Birch Leaf Rollers are reaking havoc. It seems to me that we are seeing new pests move into the region.
I've wondered about the willows, too. Seems like the bugs benefit a lot more from longer growing seasons than the trees do.
Regarding the snarky comment:
A cool summer is no more evidence against global warming than a warm summer is evidence for it. A global trend says nothing about specific local conditions. In a pot of boiling water, I can tell you the temperature and the over-all conditions, but it's essentially impossible to tell you which way any give water molecule, or group of molecules, is going to be moving at any given time.
An analogy: If I know the average age of the population of Fairbanks, that doesn't help me much to predict the age of one person (sight-unseen, of course), or even the average age of a household.
Another way to look at it: If, for whatever reason, the average age of the population of Fairbanks increases by one year, I'm not going to notice that on the street. There will still be young people, and there will still be old people. Despite my not being able to see the difference, that still might mean that a lot more people are retiring in any given year, and/or going on Social Security, Medicare, entering the school system, etc., etc., which could very real effects.
OK, I'm done with my barely relevant exposition.
Great exposition, boojombi. You've put a complex concept into terms that surely most anyone can understand.
Ok well put boojombi, I guess what all that proves is that no one really knows what the hell is going on.
So a couple of years ago, it's "Beware, the sky is falling. See this hot weather on the east coast. See this drought in the west. That proves global warming."
Then the skeptics say, "Well, look at this past winter. Way colder, with more snow, on the Northern Hemisphere."
"Well, you cant use that as evidence. It's too small of a sample to be taken serious as science."
"Well, OK, how about the earth has not gotten any warmer in 7 years?"
"No, no, no you dumby. Doesn't count. Our computer models say it's gonna cook in 10 years".
"Huh? Well, what if not all of the relevant data is in the model?"
"The debate is over! Why cant you understand? We had a vote, and the global warmers won."
Ok i can't resist! There is some evidence that the earth is getting warmer. The real concern to me is that the "evidence" used by the masses is that it is due to carbon dioxide releases do to burning fossil fuels. The ONLY evidence they have for this and any predictions of what it may cause is by using computer modeling. These are the exact same computer models that try to predict the weather for a specific area over an extended time. How has that worked for them? Weather predictions even 10 days out are extreamly suspect. PHYSICAL evidence found in numerous ways such as ice core samples, stalagtites in caves and tree rings, actually show that in the past before man was burning fossil fuels, the earth warms first, which causes carbon dioxide levels to increase. The best explanation for the cause in the temperature increase solar cycles but that is not a given quite yet. The carbon dioxide people better come up with a way that explains why the earth has heated and cooled in cycle of about 10,000 years, sometimes very abruptly, before man had any numbers to appreciably contrubute to green house gases. Don't be a lemming and fall into all the rhetoric that has fueled the green house gas debate. It is mostly perpetrated by non-scientific based environmentalists, real scientists in desparate need of funding, and news agencies looking for shock value.
What it means to man is that we infact do not have as great of impact on our world as some would wish. We too may become extinct and the world really won't give a damn!
This insect defoliating species of willow is probably a leaf blotch miner, a minute caterpillar whose adult stage is a small moth. This insect has been active on willows throughout Alaska for the past 35+ years. It is cyclic, like most insects, but populations erupt for 2-4 years depending on annual weather conditions. This defoliation could impact moose browse during the next few years but actually defoliation causes the willow to develop new sprouts and again become vigorous shrubs. Global warming can cause cycles of insects in Alaska to fluctuate moremthan they did prior to 1980. For example, the spruce b eetle outbreak of the 1990's in southeast Alaska and the Cooper River drainage was related to climate warming. Skeeter Werner, Entomlogist
Glaciers have been receding for years - didn't they cover all of Canada and most of the Northern US? Where were our worries then (said sarcastically)? Seems like global warming has been going on some 25000+ years and will cool of gain, warm up again, cool off again...
I was told it was yellow jackets...even though i have barely seen any.
There is a reason the call it "predicting" the weather.
I'm speaking for the insect. "What about us, we need to eat?"
i'm speaking to the insect.... "i drove to kenai and back over the weekend, i have several of your relatives on my car windshield. please come and get them".
The little critters on the willows have done their thing and the willows are already shooting out new stems and leaves.
I think the point of people expressing concern about present conditions is that once you've taken solar cycles, and long-range trends (receding glaciers, etc.), and all the other things that, yes, climate scientists are aware of, into account, you're still left with an inexplicable increase. And a very fast one, at that.
Does anyone know exactly what's going on? No. Does the evidence overwhelming indicate that there's a problem? Yes.
Are many of the detestable folks who've latched onto this idea using it to inflate their personal importance and perceived moral superiority? Yes.
It seems like 99 percent of public opposition to the idea is politically motivated. As in, people have political objection to the implications of the science. The fact that just about every argument against in the public arena sounds like a talking point from reactionary talk radio does nothing to dispel this impression. However, some of the best counter-arguments to the idea of global warming and its various effects come from within the scientific community in the form of null hypotheses (the "what does it mean if I don't see the effect I'm testing for" part) and good old-fashioned skepticism.
Here's one, if you're not already familiar with it: There are increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, and there is an increase in global mean temperature. Do plants like increased temperatures and richer levels of CO2 in the atmosphere? Why, yes, they do. Indoor pot growers everywhere know that. So ... more plants should grow. And they should grow faster and bigger. And that should vacuum up scads of CO2 and mitigate the problem. Right? Take that, you dirty hippies!
Well, yeah. Except that we don't always see that. Why? Well, above certain temperatures, and we're talking about mundane, you-probably-wouldn't-notice-the-difference temperatures, some plants get stressed and perform even worse than at lower temperatures. Which is one of those tipping-points those annoying scientists are always droning on about ...
OK, I'm done.
Again.
The heck with willows, what happen to the fireweed this season.
Thanks for the explanation, fsmnh!
I noticed the willows particularly on a drive down Murphy Dome Rd. So, I decided to investigate and plucked a branch to see for myself. There are hundreds of little worm casings on each leaf, some are three to a leaf. I'm assuming this is probably a cyclic thing like someone mentioned above... (the bugs had wings! weird)...
the fireweed is just late like everything else this season. I also noticed that the insects were only affecting a species or 2 of willow
Like the pussy willows and the narrow leaf willows are not affected at all. its just that one species, i think its bebb's willow or something. its just really nice not having those stupid budworms this year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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