Scientists sound alarm over unexpected domino effect observed in forests: 'It's very concerning'
As temperatures continue to rise due to ongoing climate change, scientists uncovered an unexpected domino effect that could put forests across North America in danger.
Researchers from the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory published their findings in the Nature Climate Change journal and predicted that hotter, drier conditions will hinder the growth of a fungus that typically limits the spread of the spongy moth, which is an invasive species "that has caused millions of dollars in damage to forests."
The University of Chicago explained in a news release that the spongy moth "was first introduced to the hardwood forests of New England in 1869," and in the ensuing decades the caterpillars "carved a path of destruction through forests, defoliating and killing trees by the acre." However, the fungus Entomophaga maimaiga caused a lethal infection in spongy moths that curbed the spread, "sparing millions of trees."
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While the fungus is a natural combatant that can grow and infect spongy moths before too much damage is done, the release stated that it grows "only if conditions are cool and moist." Greg Dwyer, professor of ecology and evolution at UChicago and senior author of the new study, warned that the reduction of the fungus could lead to a swift turnaround within the moth population and put forests at a significant risk.
"Even small reductions in mortality rate for the moths lead to big increases in defoliation," Dwyer said. "If they don't get killed off when they're at low density one year, then the next year they'll be back at higher density. You get this multiplication process going on."
Like most invasive species, the spongy moth poses a significant threat to the environment, so combatants like the fungus are essential to mitigate its impact. Rising temperatures and changing weather patterns caused by climate change can create favorable conditions for these invasive species to thrive and spread more rapidly.
According to UChicago, the study's results showed that "as climate change brings hotter and drier conditions to forests, fungal infection rates over the next few decades will drop sharply — meaning that more moths will survive to destroy more trees."
To make things even more worrying, Dwyer reported seeing the effects of these changes sooner than expected, as below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures in recent years have already led to spongy moth outbreaks.
"Our projections were pessimistic, but probably not pessimistic enough. It's very concerning," Dwyer said.
Dwyer said he hopes his research spotlights the importance of taking multiple species into consideration when predicting the effects of climate change.
"The vast majority of previous climate change studies look at individual organisms, but a small amount of climate change can have a big effect when you compound it across multiple species," Dwyer said. "So, computer models are crucial for understanding the effects of climate change on species interactions."
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Richard Garwin, designer of the first H-bomb who also paved the way for MRI, GPS and touch-screens
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Get Ready to Hear a Lot More About Your Mitochondria
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That's no reason, though, to avoid any of these medications if a doctor has determined that you need them. [Read: America can't break its wellness habit] And yet, a whole chapter of Good Energy is dedicated to the idea that readers should mistrust the motives of their doctors, who the authors say profit by keeping Americans sick. The book is less critical of the ways the wellness industry preys on people's fears. Zooming in on mitochondria might offer a reassuringly specific and seemingly scientific explanation of the many real ills of the U.S. population, but ultimately, Means and MAHA are only helping obscure the big picture. Article originally published at The Atlantic
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Some studies indeed suggest that mitochondrial function is linked with sleep and temperature, but they've all been conducted on cell cultures, organoids, or mice. According to Macleod, evidence suggests that diet, too, is likely important. But only one lifestyle intervention— exercise —has been definitively shown to improve mitochondrial health in humans. The Meanses are riding a wave of interest in mitochondrial health in the wellness world. Earlier this year, the longevity influencer Bryan Johnson and the ivermectin enthusiast Mel Gibson both endorsed the dye methylene blue for its power to improve mitochondrial respiration; Kennedy was filmed slipping something that looks a lot like methylene blue into his drink. (Kennedy did not respond to a request for comment; the FDA has approved methylene blue, but only as a treatment for the blood disease methemoglobinemia.) AG1, formerly known as Athletic Greens, formulates its drinkable vitamins for mitochondrial health. 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After all, 'if you consistently beat your body up with unhealthy habits, everything is going to fall sick,' Ganesh said. But the mitochondrial approach to wellness carries risks, too. For patients with genetically caused mitochondrial disease, lifestyle changes might marginally improve some symptoms, Ganesh said, but attempting to cure such conditions with supplements and a healthy diet alone could be dangerous. Means also calls out medications—including antibiotics, chemotherapy, antiretrovirals, statins, and high-blood-pressure drugs—for interfering with mitochondria. Macleod told me that statins really do affect mitochondria, as do some antibiotics. (The latter makes sense: Mitochondria are thought to have evolved from bacteria more than a billion years ago.) That's no reason, though, to avoid any of these medications if a doctor has determined that you need them. And yet, a whole chapter of Good Energy is dedicated to the idea that readers should mistrust the motives of their doctors, who the authors say profit by keeping Americans sick. The book is less critical of the ways the wellness industry preys on people's fears. Zooming in on mitochondria might offer a reassuringly specific and seemingly scientific explanation of the many real ills of the U.S. population, but ultimately, Means and MAHA are only helping obscure the big picture.
