Forest health and bark beetles

Abstract

In recent years, bark beetles have caused significant tree mortality in the Sierra Nevada, rivaling mortality caused by wildfire in some locations. This chapter addresses two important questions: How can managers prepare for and influence levels of bark beetle-caused tree mortality given current forest conditions and future climate uncertainties? and How would the variable forest conditions suggested by U.S. Forest Service General Technical Report PSW GTR- 220, "An Ecosystem Management Strategy for Sierran Mixed-Conifer Forests" (hereafter GTR 220) (North et al. 2009), influence these dynamics?

Parent Publication

• Managing Sierra Nevada forests

Citation

Fettig, C. J. 2012. Forest health and bark beetles. In: North, Malcolm, ed. 2012. Managing Sierra Nevada forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-237. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: 13-22. Chapter 2.