Lodgepole Pine that has turned red after a bark beetle infestation.
I’ve read a lot about how bark beetles have been ravaging western forests in recent years. It’s difficult to parse all issues that potentially come into the mix: fire suppression, logging, climate change, rural development. But this article about bark beetles in the New York Times does a really good job touching on everything. The potential loss of forest is staggering. WARNING: the NYT times piece includes a graphic description of the beetle reproductive process.
