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Pine beetles running out of food, spruce beetle infestation growing
Mountain pine beetle mortality is on the decline across the western U.S.
Spruce and fir mortality is on the increase in Colorado.
By Bob Berwyn
SUMMIT COUNTY — Tree mortality from insects and diseases has dropped dramatically in the past few years, mainly because mountain pine beetles are running out of food, according to a new report from the U.S. Forest Service.
But the next significant cycle of insect infestation has already reached epidemic proportions in the south-central Rockies, where spruce beetles are devastating stands of mature spruce trees. The spruce beetle outbreak has been especially intense in the San Juans, where the bugs have killed almost every single mature tree from the creek bottoms all the way up to high-elevation krummholz.
It will be interesting to see if the numbers go back up after this summer’s drought weakened trees across the region.
Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Drought, Environment, Forest health, forests, pine beetles, US Forest Service | Tagged: 2011 forest mortality, drought, Environment, forests, Mountain pine beetle, pine beetles, spruce beetles, United States Forest Service | 4 Comments »
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