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Welcome to pine bark beetles California. We had them before they were cool. Signed - Colorado, Montana, Idaho et al
by fred_is_fred 10y ago
Welcome to pine bark beetles California. We had them before they were cool. Signed - Colorado, Montana, Idaho et al
- notadoc 10y agoThey're mostly dying in California from drought and lack of snowpack.
- jzawodn 10y agoWhich weakens the trees such that the beatles can get 'em... Source: I live in an affected area. Without the drought, many trees would effectively protect themselves.
- dugditches 10y agoLots of Municipalities/Cities require planting of trees be done such that there's a variety of species. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_elm_disease https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_elm_disease (also transmitted by a beetle) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_ash_borer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_ash_borer etc
- wavefunction 10y agoWe need large and widespread forest fires to combat the beetles and rejuvenate these biomes. There's a reason the beetle epidemic coincides with expansive human habitation of the West and poorly considered forestry policies.
- JustSomeNobody 10y agoDoesn't California burn every other year on its own?
- wavefunction 10y agoI think you'll find most of the fires of the recent past are human-initiated.
- rabboRubble 10y agoMontana has had the major fires in and around the park system. The trees that are left are still heavily affected by beetle blight.
- wavefunction 10y agoOf course they are. The fires burn the trees with the beetles, and the fires also clear dense forest leaving meadows that the beetles won't traverse.
- rabboRubble 10y agoThe fires in question weren't from recent years. These lands and tree regrowth are in the burn areas from the late 1980's and 1990's. The types of pines that burned in Montana require fire to procreate; fire causes the cones to open spreading seeds. No fire no new trees. There are no meadows after burn. After 10-20 years, you have dense thin tree regrowth. The beetles do great there. Link to tree type: http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/lodgepole-pine-trees-love-forest-fires/ http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/lodgepole-pin...
- username223 10y agoNo kidding. I was in the San Juans in SW Colorado this summer, and the forests are absolutely decimated. Actually much worse than "decimated," since decimation only killed one in ten. See 'em soon before they burn, or come back in 50 years when they're all covered in aspens.
- hyperbovine 10y agoOh nonono. Aspen trees are not going to fill that niche. http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/beauty/aspen/decline.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/beauty/aspen/decline.shtml
- username223 10y agoI hadn't heard of that. I guess it's buckthorn, oak brush, and similarly evil stuff instead. Bring your machete...
- bdamm 10y agoUnlikely to be oaks as the Sudden Oak Death is spreading in California as well.