Trees Forests

  • Tree, important for grizzly bears, affected by global warming, insects, and fungus The whitebark pine is a tree that lives at high elevations and was historically unaffected by pine beetles but due to global warming this has changed. Also, blister rust, an introduced fungal infection has taken a large toll on the trees. The pine…

  • Trees to receive ” ‘verbenone pouches’ that contain a synthetic pheromone to trick beetles into thinking the trees are already full of beetles”- Fighting pine bark beetles is very expensive, but these giant, ancient trees have been determined to be worth it. Good news! Whitebarks in Pioneers [Pioneer Mountains] get protection from beetles. Associated Press.

  • Conservation deal for Canadian forest the size of Texas- Although the first article below has a somewhat pessimistic tone, this certainly seems better than the current trend in boreal Canada. There is more value to the vast boreal forest than caribou. Caribou still at risk under historic forestry deal. Industry, environmentalists band together for sustainability.…

  • This may be one of the most cost-effective ways of slowing climate change- I should add, however, that I think we will find that treating areas with other kinds of land cover the right way might prove to be very important too. Protected Forest Areas May Be Critical Strategy for Slowing Climate Change. ScienceDaily

  • Worse, die-offs are not limited to North America- Next summer will probably be a pretty bad forest fire season in the Pacific Northwest due to a dry winter, and so many of the forests are dead.  This is not a local problem, however, as Jim Robbins discusses in the feature article below. What’s Killing the…

  • Cottonwood along the Upper Missouri in Montana all date before the dams. Some are two centuries old- More flow could bring back trees. By Karl Puckett. Great Falls Tribune Staff Writer

  • Forest fire prevention? Thinning? Maximize size of individual tress? Leave it alone? It’s hard to say The article below is related to the one posted about “Sen. Udall sponsors bill to attack pine beetles.” It’s good to finally see some attention to the role of forests as carbon sinks, but it is not clear how…

  • Colorado Democrat Udall says his bill will combat a great natural disaster- Yes there are millions of  acres of beetle killed pine trees in Colorado, but also Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon and Washington, New Mexico, British Columbia, Alberta and the Yukon. Local politicians respond to local demands to do something, but rarely do…

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