A bark beetle outbreak may change the stand characteristics
and the accumulation of surface fuels. For example, the tree mortality caused
by the outbreak will change the live to dead fuel ratio in an ecosystem. This
increases the amount of dry fuel that is ready to burn in an area. Another factor
is the loss of canopy cover. Dead trees lose their canopies, which create
changes in microclimates such as relative humidity, temperature, wind exposure,
and evaporation/evapotranspiration. All of these changes can lead to lower
moisture contents in fuels and altered fire behavior.
(Image From: http://www.fs.fed.us/rmrs/projects/bark-beetles-natural-and-dramatic-forest-disturbance)
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