Pine trees can be found throughout western North America. The forests that are composed of pine trees provide
many services for humans as well as an innumerable amount of organisms that
depend on the forest ecosystems to live.
Currently, countless pine trees in western North America are
experiencing a considerable infestation of mountain pine beetles. This infestation event is causing an unprecedented
amount of tree death. Some studies have estimated that 15 million hectares of pine trees are being attacked (Tsui et al. 2009). In Rocky Mountain National Park, lodgepole pine trees that get infested with mountain pine beetles almost certainly die due to an observed mortality rate of about 100% (
Frost 2011). It is estimated that to slow the spread of beetles in Rocky Mountain National Park alone, about one millions trees must be removed and will cost upwards of seven millions dollars (
Frost 2011). In Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho it is estimated that about 800,000 acres of of forest have been overtaken by mountain pine beetles. All of these statistics emphasize that serious remediation strategies must be formulated and enacted to contend with this epidemic.
The relationship between mountain pine beetles and pine trees has existed for millions of years, however, an outbreak of beetles this large has not bee seen before. Studies of the
mountain pine beetle and pine tree relationship have determined that climate
change is likely cause of the epidemic seen today. Efforts to curb mountain pine beetle propagation must take climate change into account. Until climate change due to human activity can be curtailed our best options will be prevention and management of the current mountain pine beetle outbreak.
