Bark Beetles and Wildland Fire Behavior

With all the science surrounding bark beetles in western states, I have come to learn that bark beetles can cause serious mortality in western forest and some urban environments. All though bark beetles are a natural part of a functioning ecosystem, under undesirable conditions, bark beetles may actually come in conflict with land management objectives. Many interactions between bark beetles and fire suggest that these relationships are not good. Bark beetles can change the forest environment by influencing forest structure and transforming fuels. If beetles are linked to tree mortality, it's no secret that disturbed stands will likely burn threw hotter and faster. The magnitude of recent outbreaks and large wildfires has resulted in a flurry of research attempting to quantify bark beetle/fire/fuel/ interactions. Conventional science is pointing to the fact that large scale beetle outbreaks are altogether altering fuel complexes resulting in an increased potential for high-intensity, high-severity fires. Conversely, some scientist believe fire damaged trees may predispose western stands to initial bark beetle attacks in the first place. These phenomena together present land mangers with formidable challenges in regards to bark beetles, fuels, and future fire hazards.

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