Reference no: EM133366602

The Colorado Rocky Mountains include subalpine forest ecosystems, which are dominated by conifers, including Engelmann spruce and lodgepole pine (primary producers). This ecosystem supports a range of wildlife, including marmots (omnivores), robins (omnivores), and mountain lions (carnivores).

Question 1. Create box-and-arrow model of all the ways carbon moves through the subalpine forest ecosystem. Your model must include the organisms listed above, and you should add additional structures to fully describe carbon movement in this system. I am not expecting an exhaustive list, but you should hit all major carbon pools.

Question 2. Mountain pine beetles are a group of insects that lay their eggs under the bark of pine and spruce trees. In addition, they infect host trees with blue stain fungus - this fungus blocks nutrient and water movement in the host tree. The result of a pine beetle infestation is tree death. Since 1996, foresters in Colorado have battled a severe outbreak of mountain pine beetles that have killed thousands of acres of trees.

Using your model of carbon movement, describe all the ways that the mountain pine beetles might impact the storage and movement of carbon in this ecosystem.