EARTH.COM - 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.