Mountain Pine Beetles . A drive along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park is always beautiful, but park visitors are often surprised at the number of dead trees they see in the forest. These dead trees are the handiwork of mountain pine beetles. Our warmer climate has helped these beetle populations explode; warmer winters mean fewer die from the cold, and warmer summers mean they reproduce faster. Combined with other human impacts (such as a history of fire suppression that created even-aged stands of mature trees), we’ve set up Rocky Mountain forests to be a buffet for these bee
Mountain Pine Beetles . A drive along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park is always beautiful, but park visitors are often surprised at the number of dead trees they see in the forest. These dead trees are the handiwork of mountain pine beetles. Our warmer climate has helped these beetle populations explode; warmer winters mean fewer die from the cold, and warmer summers mean they reproduce faster. Combined with other human impacts (such as a history of fire suppression that created even-aged stands of mature trees), we’ve set up Rocky Mountain forests to be a buffet for these beetles. What might the future of Rocky Mountain forests look like? This is a view of the Never Summer Mountains from the Beaver Ponds Picnic Area in western Rocky Mountain National Park.
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