How gophers revived Mount St. Helens after its eruption

The day that Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980 is forever seared into the collective memory of the world. An unstoppable surge of lava effectively reduced surrounding life forms to ash within a matter of miles. In an unlikely twist of fate, an experiment involving some resilient gophers triggered a chain of events that initiated the recovery of the mountain.

Gophers on Mount St. Helens

Despair had hung in the air after the eruption of Mount St. Helens. A once vibrant ecosystem was reduced to nothing in an instant, reminding us of nature’s fearsome power. However, in the aftermath, a bold theory emerged from the minds of scientists.

The experts speculated that gophers, small burrowing rodents, could play an essential role in the revival of the barren landscape.

Quite simply, by digging up and redepositing beneficial bacteria and fungi from deeper soil layers, gophers could aid in the resurrection of the mountain’s plant and animal life.

“They’re often considered pests, but we thought they would take old soil, move it to the surface, and that would be where recovery would occur,” said Michael Allen, a professor of plant pathology at UC Riverside.

Transformative and persistent changes

Two years following the eruption, the scientists decided it was time to put their theory into action.

Gophers were dropped onto parts of the scorched mountain for a mere 24 hours, and the effects of this short intervention continue to be seen today, 40 years later.

New research published this week in the journal Frontiers in Microbiomes illuminates the enduring impact of this experiment – a persistent change in the communities of fungi and bacteria in areas where gophers had briefly resided.

This effect was not observed on land surrounding Mount St. Helens where gophers were not introduced.

“In the 1980s, we were just testing the short-term reaction,” said Professor Allen. “Who would have predicted you could toss a gopher in for a day and see a residual effect 40 years later?”

Gophers and mountain soil

The interaction between gophers and the mountain soil is just one part of the revitalization puzzle. Another vital aspect is the role of mycorrhizal fungi.

These tiny organisms have a symbiotic relationship with plant roots, exchanging nutrients and resources. They shield plants against pathogens and crucially, in such barren environments as that of Mount St. Helens post-eruption, they aid plants in becoming established and surviving.

“The fungi transport these things to the plant and get carbon they need for their own growth in exchange,” explained Professor Allen.

Broader implications of the research

The real-world implications of these findings are vast. Take, for instance, two different sides of the mountain.

One side was covered by an old-growth forest when the eruption blanketed everything with ash. Scientists feared that the forest would collapse due to the loss of needles from the pine, spruce, and Douglas fir trees. However, much to their surprise, the trees rebounded almost immediately in some places.

“These trees have their own mycorrhizal fungi that picked up nutrients from the dropped needles and helped fuel rapid tree regrowth,” said UCR environmental microbiologist and study co-author Emma Aronson.

In stark contrast, the other side of the mountain had been clear-cut prior to the eruption. With no trees or dropped needles to feed the soil fungi, this area remains barren to this day.

Recovery of Mount St. Helens

The results of this study highlight the importance of understanding and respecting the intricate connections within nature, particularly among elements like microbes and fungi which we can’t see.

“We cannot ignore the interdependence of all things in nature, especially the things we cannot see like microbes and fungi,” said Mia Maltz, study lead author and University of Connecticut mycologist.

In conclusion, in the searing aftermath of an eruption, the recovery of Mount St. Helens provides an unforgettable lesson on the resilience of nature, the power of scientific curiosity, and the value of cooperation between species.

And let’s not forget the humble gophers, forever to be remembered as the tiny heroes of a scorched and desolate mountain.

The study is published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiomes.

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