In the Field: Photo Blog by Richard Wong

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Bark Beetle Disease

Posted on | July 14, 2009 | 8 Comments

Bark Beetle Disease Deforestation near Lake Arrowhead, San Bernardino National Forest, California

Bark Beetle Disease Deforestation near Lake Arrowhead, San Bernardino National Forest, California

Bark Beetle Disease has wreaked havoc across the Western region of North America for the past several years. I had read about this wiping out vast stretches of forests in the Colorado Rocky Mountains but hadn’t really noticed it much personally going up to the San Bernardino Mountains several days ago. When driving up to Lake Arrowhead I noticed this mountainside along Highway 18 with dead trees and thought it might be fire damage or the drought causing it. It wasn’t until I ran into this couple at a Lake Arrowhead scenic overlook that I found out what the cause was. They had spent some time driving around the country apparently and thus were already familiar with the deforestation so they told me about it. As I drove around the lake afterwards, I was shocked to see the entire mountainside behind the reservoir full of dead trees as well.

See more of my environmental pictures of deforestation.

Category: San Bernardino NF
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Comments

8 Responses to “Bark Beetle Disease”

  1. Mark
    July 14th, 2009 @ 8:40 pm

    There is a hillside in the Smoky Mountains that looks like this as well. I thought it was interesting graphically, but sad in the devastation this little buggers cause.

  2. Richard Wong
    July 14th, 2009 @ 10:26 pm

    Hey Mark. Yeah I must admit that devastation does look “interesting” and is pretty much impossible to ignore.

  3. Leann Greene
    July 20th, 2009 @ 4:29 am

    Yep, I’ve seen this in the Appalachians as well. I’ve heard that the beetles probably came in on imported lumber-how’s that for biting us in the …

  4. Richard
    July 20th, 2009 @ 12:59 pm

    Must have been some bad lumber then in someone’s home… I think it might be a little more obvious in the Appalachians since there are more trees there.

  5. Leane
    November 11th, 2009 @ 10:58 pm

    This photograph very well could have the site of a previous fire. Bark beetle outbreaks, however, have devestated many forests, killing their host trees (mainly pines). The most devestating is from Mountain pine beetle, which occurs in western North America. Bark beetles are not a disease, but an insect that feeds off the phloem under the bark. Often they carry a blue-stain fungus with them that they also feed on. The forest service has good information on the subject.

  6. Richard
    November 11th, 2009 @ 11:39 pm

    Thanks for the clarification Leane. I had heard it referred to as a disease in the past but perhaps it was mislabeled.

  7. Bill McEwen
    February 13th, 2010 @ 10:58 am

    I live at the base of the mountains where this
    photo was taken, and, all told, the enormous
    infestation that began about 10 years ago impacted nearly a half million acres in S. CA.
    Throughout the West, tens of millions of acres
    have now been wrecked by the mountain pine beetle, spruce bark beetle, and others. B.C.
    Canada has lost over 20 million acres. Colorado 3.6 million acres. It’s transforming
    our western landscapes, and what really lies
    behind it is global warming–it seems insects
    love the warmer weather. Search bark beetles
    and climate change on YouTube–see A Climate
    Change Catastrophe on You Tube or go to NY
    Times and search Bark Beetles in the West. See
    for yourself.

  8. Richard Wong
    February 14th, 2010 @ 12:56 am

    Thanks for sharing, Bill. I appreciate that you reached out to me on the phone as well. It’s good to know that there are others out there that paying attention to these sorts of environmental issues.

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