Long and winding road.
This was taken at an overlook in the SW corner of Colorado. You can see the western mountains and Red Mountain is prominent. The road winds around and takes you into the valley.
Rowedean
Sadly, you can see what beetle kill has done to our forests.
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Beautiful picture. Yes the pine bark beetles are destroying our pine forests here, in Arizona too. So sad to see stands of magnificent trees dead. Wish the scientists would come up with a nontoxic spray to get rid of them or find another insect species to feed on them.
Lovely landscape. The mountains are very refreshing!
We had the same thing. Starting before the Cerro Grande fire in 2001, almost ALL of the native Pinon trees were killed by a pine bark beetle. There are several types of pine bark beetle and each one has its preferred pine tree. Drought conditions figure largely in bark beetle infestations. The trees don't have enough moisture/water to keep the sap in a healthy condition and so the beetle gets in and rings the branches, then moves on to other branches or other trees. Scotch pines (the ones with the very sticky sap that oozes out of the branches at the least injury) don't seem to have their own bark beetle. They (the Scotch pines) managed to stay alive in north central New Mexico.
Cwilson341 wrote:
Lovely landscape. The mountains are very refreshing!
Thanks, Carol. They definitely are refreshing this year - lots of moisture.
DragonsLady wrote:
We had the same thing. Starting before the Cerro Grande fire in 2001, almost ALL of the native Pinon trees were killed by a pine bark beetle. There are several types of pine bark beetle and each one has its preferred pine tree. Drought conditions figure largely in bark beetle infestations. The trees don't have enough moisture/water to keep the sap in a healthy condition and so the beetle gets in and rings the branches, then moves on to other branches or other trees. Scotch pines (the ones with the very sticky sap that oozes out of the branches at the least injury) don't seem to have their own bark beetle. They (the Scotch pines) managed to stay alive in north central New Mexico.
We had the same thing. Starting before the Cerro ... (
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Yes, they have caused lots of damage to lots of different trees. It is evident as you drive around the state. The drought a few years back really contributed to the infestation. With all the rain we have had this year, it helps the trees. In some areas there is considerable logging going on and new trees are sprouting, evergreens and aspens.
Nice, and we have the same bug and tree problem here.
jerryc41 wrote:
Nice, and we have the same bug and tree problem here.
It seems to be everywhere, Jerry. Certainly has changed our forest out here. A comparison of photos taken in Rocky Mountain National Park ten years ago with today - the change is remarkable.
Pardon my ignorance but are the brownish trees a result of the beetles, or just a different species of tree?
Einreb92 wrote:
Pardon my ignorance but are the brownish trees a result of the beetles, or just a different species of tree?
The brown trees are a result of beetle kill. They have really devastated parts of our state forests. Thanks for asking.
Excellent photo of a beautiful part of our country.
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