Pine beetle ravishing Rocky Mtn forests
Although we like to take all anecdotal evidence of climate change with a grain of salt, Newsweek had an interesting article about how the mountain pine beetle is devastating enormous amounts of forest throughout the Rocky Mountains. To date, 1.5 million acres of lodgepole pine forest in Colorado (70% of those trees in the state) have been killed. It is predicted that within a few years, no more lodgepole pines will exist there. Although not as iconic as the aspen tree, the lodgepole pine is one of the most visible and scenic trees in the state, and accounts for 8% of the state’s forests.
The pine beetle infestation is being attributed to a number of causes, including a series of drought years and the aging lifecycle of many of the trees, which have left the trees vulnerable, as well as a longer beetle season, due possibly to shorter winters.
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