So what do you think they are going to do?

[rumpletown]

I live in central Utah and have seen the devastation of the pine trees caused by those beatles.

It seems like 80% of the trees are dead.

I talked with one forest ranger and she said that that specific pine tree that the beatles like, at least where she was at, every tree that was bigger then 3 inches in diameter was infested with the beatles and would die.

So with all these dead pines what are they going to do about them?

Ive heard that they are ok to log if they are not dead more then a year?

What will be the ramifications to the forests and the animals because of so many dead trees?


Anyone like to comment?

 

[nochawk]

Ive heard tell that if the trees are cut and left on the ground it would kill the beatles, somthing about they only like upright trees and cannot spread if the trees are laying down.
Just somthing I heard, dont know it for a fact. But it seemed to work for me down in Arkansas... had a few trees infested and I cut them down and left them to rot on the ground, didnt see anymore infected trees.

Seems to me that they need to clearcut it, burn it, and then replant. but pine trees need heat to open the cones so maybe no replanting is needed.

 

[TripleK]

The Ashley National Forest up here in Northeastern Utah was hit pretty hard by pine beetles in the 80's. It turned pretty red and ugly in alot of places and now, years later there is alot of deadfall. Clearing those trails every year is hard work. The forest is taking time to bounce back and the clearcuts that were reseeded are finally growing back...but it does take a while. I'm not sure how the wildlife was affected. There were large patches of dead, red trees that were worse than others, but still plenty of thick aspen stands and plenty of cover even among the dead stuff. I also don't know if the infestation in the Central region is worse than what we saw in the Ashley or what.