Learn More About Forest Health And Entomologic Threats

By Daniel Moore


Forests are generally considered to be crucial to animals apart from their predominantly known benefits to humans. They support and stabilize ecosystems, form a key part of the carbon cycle and support livelihoods among various other benefits. Because of the crucial roles that forests play to the ecosystems it is always key that forest health and entomologic threats are monitored and handled to protect these ecosystems.

Presently, large forestlands are under pressure posed by pollution, agricultural intensification and expansion, population pressure as well as overexploitation. Other pressure also include climate change as well as entomologic threats posed by insects that also threaten the extinction of forestlands. All such factors normally influence health of trees and hence impairing the ability of forests to sustain ecosystems.

Among the different natural and the non-natural pressures faced by the forests one is the entomologic threats. Usually, insects are beneficial and destructive to the forests as well. Their impact result in a healthy, dwindled or unhealthy forest. First, insects usually offer several benefits to the forests, as well as keeping them healthy.

First, a number of native insects are beneficial in terms of maintaining and reducing the aging of trees. This usually makes forests to be more productive and have the ability to support healthy ecosystems. Whenever there are wide outbreaks of insects occurring regularly, forests become renewed. Old trees are often destroyed leading to the release of the nutrients that are stored within them to be used in supporting the new trees.

Native insect infestations as well support the development of healthy forests by eliminating any sick or unhealthy tree. Commonly the elimination of the unhealthy or sick trees implies that only genetically superior trees and those free of diseases reproduce and form new healthy forestlands. This development of healthy forests can then support healthy ecosystems.

At the same time, insects also help in eliminating competition among trees, thereby making the ecosystems more productive. By eliminating or destroying aged, sick, and unhealthy trees, insects helps to reduce the unnecessary competition for the nutrients, while increasing nutrient supply to the remaining trees. Insects, more so the native ones usually help in pollinating trees. Usually, cross-pollination especially when assisted by the insects ensures that only the genetically superior trees can thrive.

However, insects also present various entomologic threats to the life and existence of forests. Insect invasions usually reduce the forest areas by attacking both healthy and unhealthy trees. Nevertheless, this may be considered temporary because trees can always regrow. Alien insect, as well as disease pests, on the other hand, are a threat to forests since they will destroy trees and present difficulties of controlling their populations. Worse still alien insects present difficulties in predicting their trends.

Alien insects generally spread very fast and with consequence left behind in form of vast and extensive trails of trees being damaged. The extent of damage can be severe if no natural enemies exist to eliminate the insects and keep their population in check. Trees, and other organisms may as well be adversely affected if they lack natural ways of resisting insect invasion.




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