After Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, scientists turned to gophers to help restore the devastated ecosystem.
Mount St. Helens is a volcano located in southwest Washington state. Its eruption was so explosive that it blew out the top of the mountain and destroyed 135 square miles of forest around the mountain. In addition, the eruption covered the mountainside in several feet of ash. Fertile soil was buried beneath the ash and volcanic rock.
Though gophers are often considered pests, scientists knew that the rodents play an important role in moving and fertilizing soil. Gophers are known as ecosystem engineers because they can change their habitat. The scientists wondered what would happen if gophers were released on the lifeless, ash-covered land. They hypothesized that areas where the gophers were released would recover more quickly than those without the gophers. They designed and conducted an investigation. Gophers were released into parts of the area for just 24 hours.
The results were remarkable. The scientists returned to the area six years after the gophers were released. The area where the gophers were released had 40,000 plants growing, while the surrounding area had almost none.
By digging, the gophers moved soil, containing bacteria and fungi, to the surface. The fungi were especially important. Mycorrhizal fungi help plant roots get the nutrients they need to grow in harsh environments like the volcanic mountain. The gophers also left seeds and spores in their droppings, which helped new plants grow.
Scientists are finding that the impact of 24 hours of the gophers’ work can still be seen today—over 40 years later!
What Do You Think? How might scientists use what they learned to help other ecosystems?
Photo Credit: (t)NPS photo by Gillian Bowser/U.S. National Park Service, (b)Lyn Topinka/USGS