40 years ago gophers were dropped into a post-apocalyptic scene. They changed everything

A recent study published Frontiers in Microbiomes revealed that gophers played a crucial role in the recovery of plant life in the area devastated by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. The study describes how the areas where gophers were introduced show lasting changes in fungal and bacterial communities, unlike nearby areas where gophers were never added.

In 1980, the eruption of Mount St. Helens devastated local ecosystems, covering 22,000 square miles with 540 million tons of ash and turning the landscape barren. By 1983, the areas around Mount St. Helens chosen for the gopher experiment were heaps of "collapsing slabs of porous pumice." Scientists Michael Allen and James McMahon from Utah State University helicoptered to an area where the lava had turned the land into collapsing slabs of porous pumice.

At that time, there were only about a dozen plants that had learned to live on these pumice slabs. A few seeds had been dropped by birds, but the resulting seedlings struggled. In an experimental effort to help the ecosystem recover, scientists introduced gophers to the scorched area of Mount St. Helens for just 24 hours, theorizing that they could bring beneficial bacteria and fungi to the surface by digging and disturbing the soil. The scientists were correct in their hypothesis that gophers' digging habits might dredge up beneficial microorganisms and give the ecosystem a regenerative boost.

In just 24 hours, the gophers' work seemed like magic, having a remarkable impact despite only spending one day in the area. Six years after the experiment, there were 40,000 plants thriving on the gopher plots. The untouched land remained mostly barren, containing only a handful of struggling plants that likely sprouted from seeds dropped by birds. The scientists did not anticipate that the effects of this brief experiment would remain evident in the soil 40 years later, as new soil samples indicated a better presence of fungi and bacteria in areas that hosted gophers.

Michael Allen said, "Who would have predicted you could toss a gopher in for a day and see a residual effect 40 years later?" While the gophers should be praised for their unusual part in the recovery, the real star of the effort is the fungi, which were crucial to the recovery effort at Mount St. Helens. Soil microorganisms are vital for nutrient cycling and plant growth, and they interact with plants, helping them access nutrients and water. Mycorrhizal fungi penetrate into plant root cells to exchange nutrients and resources, helping plants establish themselves and survive in barren places. These fungi can also help protect plants from pathogens in the soil.

On one side of Mount St. Helens was an old-growth forest. Ash from the volcano blanketed the trees, trapping solar radiation and causing needles on the pine, spruce, and Douglas firs to overheat and fall off. Scientists feared the loss of the needles would cause the forest to collapse. However, this didn't happen, thanks to fungi. Fungi helped trees like pine and spruce at Mount St. Helens bounce back quickly by recycling nutrients from fallen needles, with mycorrhizal fungi playing a crucial role in this process.

Emma Aronson said, "It was shocking looking at the old growth forest soil and comparing it to the dead area." In stark contrast, another area in the vicinity had been clearcut prior to the eruption. Logging had removed all the trees for acres, so there were no dropped needles to feed soil fungi, contributing to the area's barrenness over 40 years later. "There still isn’t much of anything growing in the clearcut area," Aronson said. She found it "shocking looking at the old growth forest soil and comparing it to the dead area."

The shockingly enduring impact of a small intervention by tiny creatures offers inspiration for creative methods to save environments, even after extreme natural disasters. Small animals and microorganisms, like gophers and fungi, can have a profound impact on recovery after natural disasters, emphasizing the importance of even the smallest creatures in ecological recovery. These results underscore how much there is to learn about rescuing distressed ecosystems, reminding us of the interconnectedness of ecosystems and the importance of even the smallest creatures in ecological recovery.

Mia Maltz, lead study author and University of Connecticut mycologist, said, "We cannot ignore the interdependence of all things in nature, especially the things we cannot see like microbes and fungi." The study highlights the need for further research in ecological restoration efforts. The gophers couldn't have done it alone, and the research highlights the power of cross-species teamwork operating beyond what's visible to the naked eye.

Gophers, a fossorial species, spread a mix of soil microbes, seeds, and beneficial fungi from their droppings into new environments. The study also identified other helpful microorganism carriers. The enduring impact of this small intervention by tiny creatures offers inspiration for creative methods to save environments, even after extreme natural disasters.

Sources: IFLScience, Gizmodo, SciTech Daily, New Scientist

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq