Massive spruce beetle outbreak in Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ tied to drought, according to new Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ study
A new University of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder study indicates drought high in the northern Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ mountains is the primary trigger of a massive spruce beetle outbreak that is tied to long-term changes in sea-surface temperatures from the Northern Atlantic Ocean, a trend that is expected to continue for decades. The new study is important because it shows that drought is a better predictor of spruce beetle outbreaks in northern Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ than temperature alone, said lead study author Sarah Hart, a Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ-Boulder doctoral student in geography. Drought conditions appear to decrease host tree defenses against spruce beetles, which attack the inner layers of bark, feeding and breeding in the phloem, a soft inner bark tissue, which impedes tree growth and eventually kills vast swaths of forest.
See more atÌýÅ·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder Today Ìý(link no longer available)